2-Way vs 3-Way Speakers: Which Is Better for a Home Theater?

Speakers in your home theater system provide a huge upgrade in audio quality. But, since there are so many different types of speakers, how do you know whether 2-way or 3-way speakers are better.

A three channel speaker is better than two because a 2-way speaker has 2 drivers, which one handles low and midrange frequencies, and the other controls the higher frequencies. On the other hand, 3-way speakers have 3 drives, which divide frequencies more evenly.

A medium to large home theater system will have a mix or 3 way and 2 way speakers.

Below I will explain everything your need to know about the differences between 2 way speakers and 3 way speakers.

Why Are 3 Way Speakers Better Than 2 Way Speakers?

There are a range of reasons why 3 way speakers are better than 2 way speakers and all of them come down to the difference in design. Here’s why 3 way speakers are better than 2 way speakers:

As whole 3-way speakers will last longer, and produce better sound than 2-way speakers. All sound is on a spectrum from high frequency to low frequency. The more speakers you have the more the sound can be shared between the different speakers and they get less wear and tear.

They also produce a crisper sound because each speaker has a smaller load. And overall, a 3 way speaker sounds sharper than a 2 way speaker system.

2-Way Speaker	3-Way Speaker
They are much easier to install.	They are a little bit complicated when it comes to installation.
They are pocket-friendly (cheaper).	They are expensive When compared to the 2-way.
With these speakers, Bass is sacrificed (little or no bass).	They produce better bass as compared to the 2-way.
They function best when they are connected with the coaxial cables.	They are not ideal for coaxial.
They do not have the mid-range sound quality.	They are advanced and with midrange sound quality.
They can function with little or passive crossover	They require a good crossover.
The power output to produce a loud sound is average.	As compared to the 2-way, the power output is much higher.

How To Tell The Difference Between 2 Way and 3 Way Speakers

2 way speakers will have 2 speakers: a subwoofer, and a tweeter. A 3 way speaker has 3 speakers – the same speakers as a 2 way speaker but also a mid range speaker.

Here’s a table that shows the major differences:

Frequency	3 Way Speaker	2 Way Speaker
Bass (Low)	Subwoofer	Subwoofer
Midtones (Middle)	Mid-range speaker	Subwoofer and tweeters
Treble (High)	Tweeters	Tweeters

As you can see from the table a 2-way speaker puts more demand on the subwoofer and the tweeters because there is no mid-range speaker to help them out. This puts more strain on them and the speakers won’t last as long as a 3-way speaker system.

In a 3-way speaker system, the subwoofer only plays the low end of the range rather than struggling to play the mid-tones. And the tweeter doesn’t struggle to play the top end of the mid-range tones. The end result is the sound is better overall.

What Are 2-Way Speakers, And How Do They Work?

2way speakers are a combination of full-range speakers characterized by two drivers responsible for putting out midrange and bass simultaneously (a variety of sounds). We use drivers as speakers. The two speakers are known as woofer and tweeter.

The woofer is specifically designed for the low and low-mid frequency of the sound (audio specter). This is because they are the bass speakers in most cases.

When the voltage at a specific current is delivered to the woofer through an amplifier at a specific frequency. The coil inside begins to develop two poles north and south, moving towards a specific location then back to its default repeatedly setting. This creates the bass sound sent by the amplifier. Hence, we listen to bass coming clean from the woofer. Although woofers are made similar, we have standard woofers, subwoofers, mid-woofer, and rotary woofers.

We have the tweeter in a smaller driver with the high-frequency speaker in a 2-way speaker. It handles the high audio frequencies. It generates frequencies above 2000 Hz.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of A 2-Way Speaker

Advantages

Disadvantages

One of its benefits is their low cost (cheap).
Have two speakers that meet the required cabinet size that is not too large hence its price.
Has a driver that is responsible for outputting midrange and bass simultaneously.
Thanks to the two driver’s active speakers that produce high and low frequencies.
They have a very simple crossover; they are small-sized with power amplifiers that cause the sound they produce relatively focused.
They are also equipped with built-in processors, which function when the sound goes up to the middle of the dashboard and makes high notes clear.

They have insufficient sound. Because of its small size, it does not have a mid-bass.
It has low sensitivity due to its small size and it affects the details of the mid-high frequency.
Despite its small size, the unit speakers concentrate on the performance of the middle and high frequencies. This affects the performance of the low frequencies.

What Are 3-way Speakers, And How Do They Work?

3-way speakers are also known as (triaxial speakers) they generate sound from three individual drivers known as mid-range, woofer, and tweeter. This specific type of speaker can produce a much clear and better, and precise sound than the 2-way speakers.

The tweeter has been added, and it resembles a woofer; the additional woofer offers frequencies from the bottom of the woofer to the height of the tweeter.

A 3-way speaker works almost the same as a 2-way. The only difference is that one has 2 drivers and the other has one extra driver. They have three separate speakers because of how the sound behaves.

Sound is created in waves when the air moves over the speaker. To hear all the frequencies of these waves, you need different sized speakers to produce. It’s the same reason why the subwoofer is much bigger than the mid-ranger, and the tweeter is much smaller, but it is much equipped to handle the high frequencies.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of A 3-Way Speaker

Advantages

Disadvantages

A 3-way has three drivers: the mid-range, woofer, and tweeter.
One of the advantages is that the mid-range driver is responsible for the midrange or mid-high frequency, the woofer is responsible for the bass, and the tweeter is responsible for the tremble.
The above features make the 3-way have a broader frequency response.
They have better clarity on the sound, it has less distortion of sound, the dynamic restoration is better, and the quantity of its output is more vibrant.
A 3-way speaker has better information and much more significant dynamics that enable it to adapt to any type of music or sound.
They provide low distortion at high sound pressure when music is played. And they produce the best bass.

However, it has minimal disadvantages because it’s not easy to design a three-way speaker, and due to its technicalities and advanced features, it makes it expensive to purchase.
Some people may feel that the sound and clarity are not transparent enough because low frequencies may also be mixed.

Are 2 Way Speakers Good For Bass?

2-way speakers still have a subwoofer like 3-way speakers, and they can pump out some bass. But, how good are they compared to the other options? Here’s what you need to know…

As a whole, you won’t notice a major difference in bass between a 2-way speaker, and a standard subwoofer. The main thing that changes how good a speaker is for bass is its size. A larger subwoofer will produce more bass. A good-sized subwoofer for a home theater system is between 8 to 12 inches.

The main advantage of a 2-way speaker over a stand-alone subwoofer is that both the subwoofer and the tweeter are housed in the same speaker. And it’s easier to organize your home theater system.

The most important thing when getting a 2-way speaker that has good bass is to get one with a good-sized subwoofer. A standard subwoofer that comes with a home theater system is 8 to 12 inches.

So, a 2-way speaker with a subwoofer that is this size or bigger will be enough for a home theater system for a normal room. If you have a bigger room, or want to play it extra loud for whatever reason there you’ll want to get a 2-way speaker with a bigger subwoofer.

You’ll maybe want to consider a 14 inch or 16 inch home theater subwoofer. Technically, you’ll get better bass if you use a dedicated subwoofer, a 3-way speaker.

And a surround sound system will typically have a mix of 2 way and 3-way speakers. More speakers create more depth to the sound and produce surround sound.

How Many Speakers Do I Need For Home Theater?

A home theater is much better than the speakers that come with your TV, but how many speakers do you need exactly?

In total for a true home theater system, you need a minimum of three speakers: 1 left speaker, 1 right speaker, and one center channel speaker, according to Worldwide Stereo. The speakers can be of any size. For true surround sound, you need a total of 5 speakers.

A true surround sound home theater system has 2 more speakers than a true home theater system. The 2 additional speakers are rear speakers one for the left and one for the right. This allows sounds to come from behind you.

What Is The Most Important Speaker In A Home Theater?

Having a range of different kinds of speakers in your home theater system is really good, and you’ll have a life-like and 3d sound experience. But, what one speaker is the most important? Here’s what it is

As a general rule, the center channel speaker is the most important. It provides 70% of the total sound. It is a large horizontal speaker that typically has 2 subwoofers, a midrange speaker, and a tweeter.

It sits in the center of the room directly below the TV. Some people are of the opinion that a center channel speaker performs better than a soundbar, such as here. And I would tend to agree because it has larger speakers. But, the additional size comes with an additional price tag.

For the best way to improve the sound for your TV on a budget is to get a soundbar subwoofer combination.

You can get one for under $150, to see which ones I rated the best based on their customer reviews, click Best Soundbar for the Money. A stand-alone center channel speaker costs around $250 on the low end.

What Is a 2.5 Way Speaker?

You may have come across a 2.5-way speaker, as part of your home theater system. But the name is a bit confusing. It can’t have half a speaker, can it? What exactly is a 2.5-way speaker…

In total, a 2.5-way speaker has 3 speakers. It has 2 subwoofers and a tweeter. The main difference between a 2.5-way speaker and a 2-way speaker is that it has one additional subwoofer. The two subwoofers it has are the same size.

As you go up from a 2 way speaker to a 2.5 way speaker and a 3 way speaker the quality of the sound increases. An average sized home theater system will have 2 of each of these different kinds of speakers. As well as, as additional speakers such as a soundbar, and rear tower speakers.

A 2.5-way speaker is a good option for a speaker and produces more bass than a 2-way speaker. But, the sound quality isn’t as crisp as a 3-way speaker because it doesn’t have a mid-range speaker.

Conclusion

Now that you have detailed information about the two-way and the 3- way speakers, it is easier for you to choose your choice speakers, having considered all the factors mentioned above.

As you can see, there’s clearly no better system than the other; it all depends on your budget, and what you want for your sound performance.

Sources

Does a Soundbar Replace TV Speakers?-Let Find Out
Where Should I Place My Soundbar?
Can I Add a Subwoofer to My Soundbar?