3-way firing woofers

nathanm · « **on:** 4 Feb 2003, 03:10 am »

I have a question about the 3 woofers on the RMX. So if this simple arrangement is so helpful for room mode issues why haven't we seen more multi-directional-pointing speaker cabinets? (well, obviously it costs more, but...) Also, how is the phase wired between them? Just curious.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Feb 2003, 04:14 am »

The RM/X has several excellent innovations in cabinet design that make it easier to live with in a typical listening environment.

Side and front woofers are in phase, the bottom woofer is a passive.

During CES we had a big problem in our 12x18' booth with a "room hump" on the first two days. We were able to eliminate it by toeing the speaker out (not in) and moving it closer to the side wall with the woofers on the outside. The outside back corner of the base actually touched the side wall. In my much larger room at home (14x31, LEDE) I have a similar setup. The soundstage is breathtaking in all three dimensions.

nathanm · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Feb 2003, 05:20 am »

Does this work simply because it's only low frequencies going in three different directions? For arguments sake let's say you put drivers firing on all four sides, how would that work?

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Feb 2003, 06:27 pm »

I found I disliked the effect of woofers firing into each other, and a rear firing woofer invited a lot of time-smearing late arrivals. The front/down/side worked out best.

nathanm · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Feb 2003, 07:16 pm »

Oops, I meant to say the rest of the drivers, not just the woofers. What if you had the midrange and treble firing from three sides as well?

AZWill · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Feb 2003, 10:17 pm »

nathanm,

I look forward to Brian's reply, but I would not think you would want a main speaker so configured. To get better imaging, you typically want to reduce early reflections, not produce them. Bass is far less directional than the mids and highs. I would think you would smear the presentation this way, but I may be off track. What are your reasons for wanting such a configuration?

Regards,
Will

nathanm · « **Reply #6 on:** 5 Feb 2003, 01:33 am »

I don't want anything, I'm just curious about the concepts, that's all.

Well now, technically they wouldn't be reflections would they?