noogle said:
Large drivers are more efficient than multiple small drivers (the voice coil excursion is lower to move a given volume of air). However, they may 'break up' as you drive the frequency up into the midrange meaning that you need a three-way system (bass/mid/treble) instead of a two-way with smaller bass/mid drivers. That means more driver integration problems and a more complicated crossover. Also, large drivers mean a large front baffle and worse imaging. Larger cabinets also tend to be less stiff than smaller cabinets and radiate more spurious sounds, as well as being potentially less aesthetically pleasing.
I agree with some of this, but there's a lot of "it depends" when it comes to speakers.
Two 12" drivers have more cone area than a single 15" driver. And to take an extreme example: one 30" driver has the same area as twenty five 6" drivers.
Yes, large cones do break up earlier than small cones as you rise up in frequency, meaning that most large speakers are 3 ways. There are some that are 4 ways and some that are 2 ways such as vintage Tannoys and Altec Model 19's.
There are large 3 ways speakers that have uncomplicated first order (6db/octave) crossovers.
Driver integration will depend on how many different drivers are used. It also depends on other things such as designer skill and whether the manufacturer makes their own drivers or not.
A large front baffle might produce worse imaging with some speakers, but not in every case. What if they're horns? What if they use a vertical array of drivers? What if you listen to them from a distance of 15' and the speakers are 10' apart - IE you're trying to create the impression of lifesized musicians playing in a band at the other end of your room? What about the vertical aspects of imaging? Kick drums located near the floor, singer standing up, cymbals high up?
Large cabinets less stiff than small ones? Depends upon wall thickness and bracing. How stiff do they have to be to be stiff enough?
Spurious sounds? What spurious sounds are these? Surely these spurious sounds would result in distortion, or a lack of clarity, or detail, or a worse signal to noise ratio, or a worse bass, or midrange or treble or something? I can't hear any spurious sounds from my large speakers when I compare them to my small speakers. Maybe someone can suggest some small speakers that I can use as a reference to hear these spurious sounds from my large speakers? Spurious sounds. Spurious marketing ploy more like.