What is meant by a two way or three way speaker... what is the difference?

Question

What is meant by a two way or three way speaker... what is the difference?

Answer 1

While a coaxial speaker is a two-way speaker, not all two-way speakers are coaxial.

Two-way means that the speaker has two drivers; a woofer and a tweeter.  Three way means the speaker has three drivers; a woofer, a midrange and a tweeter.

Speaker drivers all have an optimum frequency range.  By using multiple drivers, all which reproduce different parts of the frequency spectrum, the speaker is better able to reproduce the entire frequency spectrum.

Answer 2

In simpler terms: the number of drivers in the speaker.

Small monitor-style speakers have a tweeter and a mid-range driver. These are called "2 way" speakers.

Larger tower speakers include a 6-10 inch woofer in addition to the other 2 and are called "full range" or 3-way speakers.

Because it takes lots more power to create bass, a 3-way speaker tends to need a lot more power from your receiver.

Many systems use self-powered subwoofers and small, 2-way speakers for the 5 around the room.

Answer 3

Two-way speaker

Two-way, or coaxial, designs reproduce your music's frequency range accurately. These speakers use a separate tweeter — mounted inside the woofer — to deliver the high-frequencies.