5-way speakers have been around for a while, but they are still not as popular as 2-way and 3-way speakers. And if you’re looking to upgrade your audio system, 5-way speakers are, without a doubt, something you should definitely consider getting.
But what exactly are 5-way speakers, and how are they different from other speakers?
A 5-way speaker is a speaker that has five different drivers built into them. All these drivers are designed to playback different frequency ranges in audio. The drivers in 5-way speakers are the:
- Super tweeter driver.
- Tweeter driver.
- Mid-range driver.
- Mid-woofer driver.
- Woofer driver.
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How Do 5-Way Speakers Work?
5-way speakers are an advanced type of coaxial speakers. For those who don’t know what coaxial speakers are, let me briefly explain.
Coaxial speakers are speakers that contain individual components or units that are made to play specific sound frequencies.
Coaxial speakers are commonly used in cars, and most new cars come with these types of speakers preinstalled. A 5-way speaker is an advanced type of coaxial speaker with five drivers that are responsible for generating sound.
The five drivers inside 5-way speakers enable them to produce a more precise and clearer sound. The five drivers found in 5-way speakers are; a super tweeter driver, a tweeter driver, a mid-range driver, a mid-woofer driver, and an actual woofer driver.
All of these drivers in 5-way speakers represent divisions of the frequency band. Thus, they help to detail sounds within their frequency bands. And that leads to an overall better sound output from the speaker as a whole.
Just like every other speaker, a 5-way speaker receives audio signals from a source and outputs them. However, when a sound signal enters a 5-way speaker, this sound is separated into five different frequency ranges by a crossover.
After this separation of sound into optimal frequency ranges is done, the five sound frequencies are then directed to the driver that is best suited to play them.
What Is the Difference Between 2-way, 3-way,4-way, and 5-Way Speakers?
| Type of Speaker | Number of Drivers | Types of Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| 2-Way | 2 | Tweeter, and Woofer |
| 3-Way | 3 | Treble, Mid-Range, and Bass or Woofer |
| 4-Way | 4 | Two tweeters, mid-range and bass |
| 5-Way | 5 | Super tweeter, tweeter, mid-range, mid-woofer, and woofer |
2-way speakers, 3-way speakers, 4-way speakers, and 5-way speakers are all types of coaxial speakers. I am going to spend some time going over some of the key differences between them.
Before I do that, you should note that all of these way speakers are single speaker units with multiple drivers built into them. Each component or driver produces a sound of a specific frequency range.
A 2-way speaker is a speaker that has only two driver components. It is designed to have only a woofer and a tweeter. The tweeter is designed to play high-frequency and mid-range sounds.
On the other hand, the woofer is responsible for outputting bass frequency sounds. This type of way speaker is also referred to as a coaxial speaker.
A 3-way speaker comes with three drivers for generating sound. It is also known as a tri-axial speaker. The three drivers found in 3-way speakers are the treble or tweeter driver, a bass driver, and a mid-range driver.
Similarly, a 4-way speaker is built to house four drivers. It contains a bass or woofer driver, a mid-range driver, and two tweeter drivers. 4-way speakers are also referred to as quad-axial speakers.
Finally, just as we’ve discussed earlier in this article, 5-way speakers are way speakers built to have five drivers or components inside a single speaker unit.
Therefore, the difference between 2-way speakers, 3-way speakers, 4-way speakers, and 5-way speakers lies in the number of drivers each speaker has.
Technically, a way speaker with a higher number of drivers can generate much better sound than those with a lesser number of drivers.
Can You Use 5-Way Speakers with Other Way Speakers?
Most musical enthusiasts widely agree that it is unnecessary to have the same type of speaker when setting up your audio system. Thus, you can use different varieties of speakers in your audio setup.
This means that you can use 5-way speakers with other-way speakers, particularly the 4-way speaker. However, ideally, when it comes to 5-way speakers, you should only use it with the 4-way speaker and not the 2-way or 3-way.
This is because 4-way speakers are almost similar to 5-way speakers. A 4-way speaker contains a bass driver, a mid-range driver, and two tweeter drivers.
Similarly, a 5-way speaker has two tweeter drivers, two mid-range drivers, and a bass or woofer driver. Therefore, the sound frequency separation by the crossovers inside both of them will be almost equivalent.
Hence, there will be very little distinction between the sound your ears pick up when connecting both speakers.
In summary, when it comes to combining different speakers, the difference in the number of drivers inside the speakers involved in the connection should be one. Hence you can combine a 2-way speaker with a 3-way speaker or a 3-way speaker with a 4-way speaker.
Do 5-Way Speakers Have Crossovers?
5-way speakers have crossovers built into them. The crossover in 5-way speakers divides any sound it receives into five different frequency ranges and sends them to the appropriate driver to play those frequencies.
The crossover in 5-way speakers works by accepting the full-range audio signal that comes into the speaker. It then divides or breaks down this full-range audio signal into sounds of different frequency ranges.
When this separation is done, this crossover then delivers each individual audio output signal to the appropriate speaker driver. In plain terms, what a crossover does is direct the lows to the woofer drivers, the mids to the mid-range drivers, and the highs to the tweeters.
Crossovers play a major role in 5-way speakers. They enable 5-way speakers to make the most out of their dynamic capability and volume potential.
The concept of the crossover was obtained from the crossing over of an audio signal from a particular frequency range to the next. Thus, a crossover works as a form of sound filter. It eliminates unwanted sound frequencies from being transmitted into a speaker or set of speakers.
Therefore, 5-way speakers have a crossover built inside them. This crossover enables drivers inside the speaker to receive the right range of sound frequencies that they have been designed to handle efficiently.
Thus, crossovers ensure that the sound output from 5-way speakers is accurate and more balanced.
Are 5-Way Speakers Worth It?
5-way speakers are an amazing piece of musical equipment that produce great sound. A good 5-way speaker can make your sound feel more real due to the rich details of sound it produces.
However, the issue of whether acquiring one is worth it depends on the type of music listener you are. If you are an audiophile or someone who regularly listens to music in your car or home theatre, acquiring 5-way speakers for your audio is an excellent way to boost your listening experience.
Thus, the answer is yes, 5-way speakers are worth it if you are an avid music listener and want the best possible audio setup.
Conclusion
A 5-way speaker is a loudspeaker with up to five drivers inside it. And these drivers output specific audio frequency ranges. The number of drivers that come with 5-way speakers enables them to produce clearer and more precise sound.
Thus, the sound generated by 5-way speakers has a much fuller range with clear mids and highs. The bass sounds are boomy as well.
Hello, I’m Elijah. A writer on Geek Musician, based in Ghana-West Africa. I am a writer with a passion for research and reading. I usually spend my free time playing chess or watching movies. For more info, check out my about me page. Or read more of my articles here.