[avalon65]

Ahoy!

I recently purchased a used pair of wooden 3.0 (Thanks Nathanm!) for use in a bedroom system in conjunction with a powered sub. However, they have a thinner, less robust mid-range sound than my 10 year old Infinity Micro II Satellites that I was hoping to replace. Then again maybe it's not a fair fight since the Infinity's are a two-way design and the 3.0s have single drivers. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on replacing/upgrading the 3" driver to obtain a softer, fuller sound? If I'm not mistaken this is the current driver being used.

http://www.tb-speaker.com/detail/1208_03/w3-594s.htm

Maybe I am asking for more than what these speakers were designed to give. I love the size and shape of the speaker. WAF is important too. If upgrading to the next level is my only choice, I can't go any larger than the 4.0s. Hopefully there is an upgrade I can perform to get me to where I want to be. Thoughts, comments, suggestions???

[nathanm]

It might be difficult to find other drivers of that size that will fit.  This Fostex might work:

http://www.madisound.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?cart_id=4363441.24938&pid=331

Be careful though, the MDF doesn't take kindly to screwing\rescrewing and the holes are VERY close to the cutout.  My pair are a bit stripped out on one side thanks to my curiosity of looking at the inside.  Whoops!

Personally I think upper treble is where the drivers are lacking.  But they take tone controls very well.  Although my NAD 3225PE has about the only really nice sounding tone controls I've ever heard, it's nice and subtle.  I never got to hear the 4.0s but my guess is that you might be giving up the single driver sound.  It's hard to quanitify but these small drivers have a very coherent sound.  It all seems to hang together.  

Goosing the treble a bit and running a sub crossed at 60Hz may yield good results.  How are they set up in your room?  I've found that their small size combined with a wide spread of about 9-10' gives really good imaging.  But there's no doubt that they have a certain coloration.  Ed's Horn would be the next speaker I would try in the small single driver format but of course that's a big 'ol box.  Er, little 'ol box maybe.  Quite a different look.