Is a loudspeaker a musical instrument?

[tokenbrit]

Have you thought about removing it from the room when playing music? Or maybe trying a different brand of toaster?

Oh crumbs, i haven't, my toaster is in my kitchen - I don't play music there.

Does the toaster do it all the time, or does the problem just pop up every now and then? And is that with particular albums like Breakfast in America, or certain artists such as Dua Lita? Lipa, I mean Dua Lipa :) That'll get your toast Levitating ;)

[FairPlayMotty]

All the time, it's a good resonator.

[tokenbrit]

Hopefully this thread isn't 'brown bread'...

[Spannko]

Looking at my loudspeaker, with its upward facing bass unit, I began to wonder about the similarities between a loudspeaker and a timpani. They appeared similar to me, so I decided to ask ChatGPT what it thought. Here is its answer:

“Yes, there are some interesting similarities between a timpani (kettle drum) and a loudspeaker in terms of how they produce and amplify sound, even though their functions and applications are quite different. Here are some key similarities:

1. Vibrating Membrane or Diaphragm:
• Timpani: The sound in a timpani is produced when the drumhead (a membrane, often made of calfskin or synthetic material) is struck. The membrane vibrates, creating sound waves that travel through the air.
• Loudspeaker: In a loudspeaker, the sound is generated by a diaphragm (usually made of paper, plastic, or metal) that moves in and out in response to electrical signals. These movements also produce sound waves that travel through the air.

Similarity: Both use a vibrating membrane or diaphragm as the primary sound-producing element. The movement of this membrane creates pressure waves in the air that we perceive as sound.

2. Resonating Chamber:
• Timpani: The kettle drum has a shell that acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying the vibrations of the drumhead. The shape and material of the shell contribute to the overall sound quality and volume.
• Loudspeaker: A loudspeaker often has an enclosure or a box around it that serves as a resonating chamber. This enclosure is designed to enhance the sound produced by the diaphragm and control the movement of air to improve sound quality and projection.

Similarity: Both instruments rely on a resonating chamber (the timpani’s shell or the loudspeaker’s enclosure) to amplify and enhance the sound produced by the vibrating diaphragm.

3. Sound Amplification:
• Timpani: The shell of the timpani amplifies the sound produced by the vibrating drumhead. The air inside the drum and the shape of the shell help project and resonate the sound.
• Loudspeaker: The enclosure around the speaker amplifies the sound produced by the diaphragm. The design of the enclosure (e.g., bass-reflex or sealed) influences how the sound is projected and amplified.

Similarity: Both rely on their structure to amplify the sound produced by the membrane or diaphragm. The way the air moves inside the instrument (or speaker) and how it interacts with the surrounding space are key to achieving amplification.

4. Control of Frequency (Pitch):
• Timpani: The pitch of a timpani can be controlled by adjusting the tension on the drumhead, which changes the frequency at which the membrane vibrates.
• Loudspeaker: In a loudspeaker, the pitch of the sound is determined by the frequency of the electrical signal sent to the diaphragm. The diaphragm moves at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the sound signal.

Similarity: Both systems rely on the frequency of the vibrations of the diaphragm or membrane to produce sound. In a timpani, it’s the tension of the drumhead, and in a loudspeaker, it’s the frequency of the electrical signal.

5. Acoustic Feedback:
• Timpani: The sound produced by the timpani is affected by the size and shape of the shell and the tension of the drumhead. The resonance of the shell can interact with the sound produced by the vibrating drumhead, influencing the overall sound.
• Loudspeaker: In a loudspeaker, the air movement and the enclosure can cause acoustic feedback that shapes the sound output. The enclosure design and speaker position affect how the sound interacts with the surrounding space.

Similarity: Both systems involve complex interactions between the vibrating diaphragm (or membrane), the surrounding air, and the resonating chamber. The feedback between these elements shapes the final sound output.

Summary:

In both a timpani and a loudspeaker, sound is produced by a vibrating membrane or diaphragm, and a resonating chamber amplifies and projects the sound. While the applications and specifics of their designs are different, the underlying principles of vibration, resonance, and amplification are quite similar.

[Rutger]

Your idea of compensating for the angles between two loudspeakers is new to me Rutger. Can you expand on this or point me to a reference source?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/foru ... ase.26617/

Read #13, look at the lowest graph. Its the the inversion of this that is the correction curve for stereo system faults.

Its not 100% correct though, because Toole used to much distance between the speakers .

By the way , Im not a fan or a member of audiosciencereview, but i found the picture there. Ofcourse I have read Tooles books, and he is wrong most of the time ( because he focus on timbre and not pitch, and often uses a single mono speaker when in real life we always play on two, in stereo.

This graph from Tooles investigation about how we experience a phantom center is, however, more right than wrong.
Im sure Crawford and Phil Budd is very aware of this.

The problem I have with this kind of approach is what happens when I sit off axis, as I often do. The cancellation due to the phantom center channel effect can no longer be heard, resulting in a mid forward presentation which Robert Harley described as leaning towards fatiguing.

This is correct. You have to sit in the sweet spot .

[ThomasOK]

Difference: you don't have to thwack a speaker to get sound out of it, although you can.

Also hooking an electrical signal to a tympani will get you nowhere, unless it is a high enough amperage to shock the player when they touch it. Whether that will generate sound from the tympani or from the musician (or both) remains to be seen.

[Spannko]

Difference: you don't have to thwack a speaker to get sound out of it, although you can.

Also hooking an electrical signal to a tympani will get you nowhere, unless it is a high enough amperage to shock the player when they touch it. Whether that will generate sound from the tympani or from the musician (or both) remains to be seen.

I can’t work out if you’re being serious or not!

[tokenbrit]

The thread is alive, but the percussionist may not be :/

[markiteight]

Difference: you don't have to thwack a speaker to get sound out of it, although you can.

Also hooking an electrical signal to a tympani will get you nowhere, unless it is a high enough amperage to shock the player when they touch it. Whether that will generate sound from the tympani or from the musician (or both) remains to be seen.

But you CAN plug an instrument into a loudspeaker. In which case, does the speaker (and attendant amplifier) become part of the instrument? Or is it merely a tool for making the instrument louder? I expect any player of an amplified instrument would say the amp (and attendant loudspeaker) is an integral part of the instrument. Instrument amps are intentionally designed to add character and coloration that will appeal to musicians. Indeed, many instrument amps are designed in ways that to a hi-fi engineer would be considered anathema. For example, some vintage amps use ceramic disc capacitors in critical parts of the signal path. Ceramic caps have unstable capacitance values that vary widely with temperature, and they're extremely microphonic. In a hi-fi application the variability, unpredictability, and high distortion of ceramic caps make them a poor choice, but to many musicians they impart an amp with a sonic character and personality that is highly desirable.

I guess my rambling on about amps (and not specifically speakers) is really just expanding on Whatsmynaim's statement:

A musical instrument usually has one type of sound, while one pair of loudspeakers must be able to reproduce the sound of every instrument!

So...a musical instrument creates. A loudspeaker re-creates. In other words, a musical instrument has one job to do: sound like itself. A loudspeaker also has one job to do: sound like everything (hopefully in a way that is musically meaningful).

In both a timpani and a loudspeaker, sound is produced by a vibrating membrane or diaphragm, and a resonating chamber amplifies and projects the sound. While the applications and specifics of their designs are different, the underlying principles of vibration, resonance, and amplification are quite similar.

I think your statement, "the applications and specifics of their designs are different" is a key point. We need to consider the intentions of the designer. An F1 car and a family hatch are fundamentally the same thing: a car. But they perform very different tasks. Each is very good at performing their respective task, but ask them to switch roles and the result is utter pants. And trying to combine the two into a sort of hybrid family Grand Prix car results in something that is good at nothing and poor at everything. To put this example in the context of our discussion, I've been trying to think of some loudspeakers that were marketed as being designed like a musical instrument, and the ones that immediately come to mind vary on their ability to reproduce the tune well, from pretty decent (a few older models from Sonus Faber) to utterly terrible (Bose 901). But none of them even come close to defining the state-of-the-art in loudspeaker tunefulness.

[Spannko]

In both a timpani and a loudspeaker, sound is produced by a vibrating membrane or diaphragm, and a resonating chamber amplifies and projects the sound. While the applications and specifics of their designs are different, the underlying principles of vibration, resonance, and amplification are quite similar.

I think your statement, "the applications and specifics of their designs are different" is a key point. We need to consider the intentions of the designer. An F1 car and a family hatch are fundamentally the same thing: a car. But they perform very different tasks. Each is very good at performing their respective task, but ask them to switch roles and the result is utter pants. And trying to combine the two into a sort of hybrid family Grand Prix car results in something that is good at nothing and poor at everything. To put this example in the context of our discussion, I've been trying to think of some loudspeakers that were marketed as being designed like a musical instrument, and the ones that immediately come to mind vary on their ability to reproduce the tune well, from pretty decent (a few older models from Sonus Faber) to utterly terrible (Bose 901). But none of them even come close to defining the state-of-the-art in loudspeaker tunefulness.

Just to be clear, the statement you’re describing came from ChatGPT. For me, the key point is “the underlying principles of vibration, resonance and amplification are quite similar”

[Rutger]

In both a timpani and a loudspeaker, sound is produced by a vibrating membrane or diaphragm, and a resonating chamber amplifies and projects the sound. While the applications and specifics of their designs are different, the underlying principles of vibration, resonance, and amplification are quite similar.

I think your statement, "the applications and specifics of their designs are different" is a key point. We need to consider the intentions of the designer. An F1 car and a family hatch are fundamentally the same thing: a car. But they perform very different tasks. Each is very good at performing their respective task, but ask them to switch roles and the result is utter pants. And trying to combine the two into a sort of hybrid family Grand Prix car results in something that is good at nothing and poor at everything. To put this example in the context of our discussion, I've been trying to think of some loudspeakers that were marketed as being designed like a musical instrument, and the ones that immediately come to mind vary on their ability to reproduce the tune well, from pretty decent (a few older models from Sonus Faber) to utterly terrible (Bose 901). But none of them even come close to defining the state-of-the-art in loudspeaker tunefulness.

Just to be clear, the statement you’re describing came from ChatGPT. For me, the key point is “the underlying principles of vibration, resonance and amplification are quite similar”

ChatGPT know nothing about tunes , and never will.

We have to remember that two channel playback is a flawed system . It will never be perfect .
Understanding this - we concentrate on the pitch . Is the speaker pitch accurate ? Is it fun to listen to music ? Do we listen to a whole record, or just a part of one song , feeling something does not feel quite right ?

In my opinion, two Loudspeakers needs some colorations and frequency corrections at the right places to sound more like the ” real event ” , making the perceived pitch clearer and releasing the phantom image so the musicians are alive in the room.

Loudspeaker manufacturer that has pitch accuracy as a goal are very few . I know only of three.

Linn products ( now dipping their toes in the holographic image swamp with their new 360, havent heard the 150 but maybe they are better ) , klångedang and Kudos.

(Maybe original Epos and Royd also ..)

[chefren]

I’ve not heard of this before Rutger. How did you hear of it? The reason I ask is because the BBC thought exactly the opposite! They thought a 2-3dB dip between 1000Hz and 3000Hz was preferable. I’m not saying that I agree with the BBC - just interested.

The BBC dip is there for a different reason, to counteract side wall reflections in a region where they would cause a hardening of the sound in a typical untreated listening room (or say in a typical BBC radio van, the type of environment the LS3/5A was designed for). The BBC reasoning stays the same even in a mono setup.

Whether you agree with it or not, there is some thought through objective reasoning behind it. It also means you should not use a speaker with a BBC dip if you are in an acoustically well-treated room, because then there is nothing for the dip to compensate.

Often the BBC dip is implemented only in the power response, meaning the response is flat straight in front of the speaker (where there is no side wall interaction) but appears as you measure the speaker at an angle. I think also sometimes this just happens by accident in two-way speakers just because the midbass and tweeter drivers radiate sound differently at these frequencies.

None of this tells us if the BBC dip makes the speaker more or less musical, just that the effect of it will depend on the room in addition to the speaker itself.

[tokenbrit]

.. For me, the key point is “the underlying principles of vibration, resonance and amplification are quite similar”

Are you at the conceptual discovery & understanding phase, or is this finding practical application in your speaker design(s) .. and with what results to refute or confirm the similarities?

[Spannko]

.. For me, the key point is “the underlying principles of vibration, resonance and amplification are quite similar”

Are you at the conceptual discovery & understanding phase, or is this finding practical application in your speaker design(s) .. and with what results to refute or confirm the similarities?

I’m definitely in the discovery and understanding phase, tokenbrit, even after 3 years. I’m gradually getting closer to where I want to be, but it’s a rocky road with many blind alleys!

[FairPlayMotty]

Looking at my loudspeaker, with its upward facing bass unit, I began to wonder about the similarities between a loudspeaker and a timpani. They appeared similar to me, so I decided to ask ChatGPT what it thought. Here is its answer:

“Yes, there are some interesting similarities between a timpani (kettle drum) and a loudspeaker in terms of how they produce and amplify sound, even though their functions and applications are quite different. Here are some key similarities:

1. Vibrating Membrane or Diaphragm:
• Timpani: The sound in a timpani is produced when the drumhead (a membrane, often made of calfskin or synthetic material) is struck. The membrane vibrates, creating sound waves that travel through the air.
• Loudspeaker: In a loudspeaker, the sound is generated by a diaphragm (usually made of paper, plastic, or metal) that moves in and out in response to electrical signals. These movements also produce sound waves that travel through the air.

Similarity: Both use a vibrating membrane or diaphragm as the primary sound-producing element. The movement of this membrane creates pressure waves in the air that we perceive as sound.

2. Resonating Chamber:
• Timpani: The kettle drum has a shell that acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying the vibrations of the drumhead. The shape and material of the shell contribute to the overall sound quality and volume.
• Loudspeaker: A loudspeaker often has an enclosure or a box around it that serves as a resonating chamber. This enclosure is designed to enhance the sound produced by the diaphragm and control the movement of air to improve sound quality and projection.

Similarity: Both instruments rely on a resonating chamber (the timpani’s shell or the loudspeaker’s enclosure) to amplify and enhance the sound produced by the vibrating diaphragm.

3. Sound Amplification:
• Timpani: The shell of the timpani amplifies the sound produced by the vibrating drumhead. The air inside the drum and the shape of the shell help project and resonate the sound.
• Loudspeaker: The enclosure around the speaker amplifies the sound produced by the diaphragm. The design of the enclosure (e.g., bass-reflex or sealed) influences how the sound is projected and amplified.

Similarity: Both rely on their structure to amplify the sound produced by the membrane or diaphragm. The way the air moves inside the instrument (or speaker) and how it interacts with the surrounding space are key to achieving amplification.

4. Control of Frequency (Pitch):
• Timpani: The pitch of a timpani can be controlled by adjusting the tension on the drumhead, which changes the frequency at which the membrane vibrates.
• Loudspeaker: In a loudspeaker, the pitch of the sound is determined by the frequency of the electrical signal sent to the diaphragm. The diaphragm moves at a rate corresponding to the frequency of the sound signal.

Similarity: Both systems rely on the frequency of the vibrations of the diaphragm or membrane to produce sound. In a timpani, it’s the tension of the drumhead, and in a loudspeaker, it’s the frequency of the electrical signal.

5. Acoustic Feedback:
• Timpani: The sound produced by the timpani is affected by the size and shape of the shell and the tension of the drumhead. The resonance of the shell can interact with the sound produced by the vibrating drumhead, influencing the overall sound.
• Loudspeaker: In a loudspeaker, the air movement and the enclosure can cause acoustic feedback that shapes the sound output. The enclosure design and speaker position affect how the sound interacts with the surrounding space.

Similarity: Both systems involve complex interactions between the vibrating diaphragm (or membrane), the surrounding air, and the resonating chamber. The feedback between these elements shapes the final sound output.

Summary:

In both a timpani and a loudspeaker, sound is produced by a vibrating membrane or diaphragm, and a resonating chamber amplifies and projects the sound. While the applications and specifics of their designs are different, the underlying principles of vibration, resonance, and amplification are quite similar.

From a SME expert POV ChatGPT is right infrequently. The reasons are well documented on AI expert videos.

[Spannko]

I asked ChatGPT if the similarities between a loudspeaker and a timpani could be extended to include other instruments.

Yes, these similarities can indeed be extended to many other musical instruments, especially those that rely on vibrating membranes, strings, or air columns to produce sound. Here’s how these principles of vibration, resonance, and amplification apply to various other types of musical instruments:

1. String Instruments (e.g., Violin, Guitar, Cello)
• Vibration of the String: The sound is produced by vibrating strings. When a string is plucked or bowed, it vibrates, creating sound waves that travel through the air.
• Resonating Body: The body of string instruments (like the violin’s wooden body or the guitar’s hollow soundbox) acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying the vibrations of the string, much like how the timpani’s shell amplifies the drumhead’s vibrations.
• Similarity to Timpani and Loudspeaker: Just like a timpani and loudspeaker, string instruments rely on a resonating chamber to amplify the sound. The shape and material of the instrument’s body shape and enhance the tone.

2. Wind Instruments (e.g., Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet)
• Vibration of Air Columns: In wind instruments, the sound is generated by vibrating air columns inside the instrument. The player’s breath or air pressure causes the air inside the tube to vibrate, producing sound waves.
• Resonating Body: The shape and material of the wind instrument’s body (such as a brass or woodwind tube) resonate with the vibrating air column, amplifying the sound, just like how the shell of a timpani amplifies the sound of the drumhead.
• Similarity to Timpani and Loudspeaker: Both wind instruments and timpani rely on the shape of their body to enhance and project sound. The instrument’s resonating chamber amplifies the sound generated by the vibrating air or membrane.

3. Percussion Instruments (e.g., Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Marimba)
• Vibration of the Drumhead: Percussion instruments like the snare drum or bass drum use a vibrating membrane (the drumhead) to produce sound. When struck, the membrane vibrates and creates sound waves.
• Resonating Chamber: Like the timpani, percussion instruments often have a body that resonates to amplify the sound. For example, the shell of a snare drum or bass drum acts as a resonating chamber.
• Similarity to Timpani and Loudspeaker: In both cases, the sound is amplified by the resonating body of the instrument. Just like in a loudspeaker, where the diaphragm is amplified by the speaker enclosure, percussion instruments rely on the size and shape of their shells for amplification.

4. Harmonic Instruments (e.g., Piano)
• Vibration of Strings: In a piano, when a key is pressed, a hammer strikes the strings, causing them to vibrate and produce sound.
• Resonating Body: The soundboard of the piano (a large wooden board) acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying the vibrations of the strings. The piano’s large wooden case also contributes to the projection of sound.
• Similarity to Timpani and Loudspeaker: Like a timpani, the piano uses a resonating chamber (soundboard and case) to amplify the sound produced by vibrating strings. Similarly, like in loudspeakers, the vibrations of a diaphragm (in this case, the strings) are projected through a resonating body.

5. Brass Instruments (e.g., Trombone, French Horn)
• Vibration of the Lips: In brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s lips vibrate within the mouthpiece. The lips’ vibrations cause the air inside the instrument to vibrate.
• Resonating Body: The air column inside the brass instrument amplifies these vibrations. The shape and size of the tubing (e.g., the bell and overall instrument structure) contribute to the amplification and projection of the sound, similar to how the shell of a timpani or the enclosure of a loudspeaker works.
• Similarity to Timpani and Loudspeaker: Both brass instruments and loudspeakers rely on a resonating body to amplify the vibrations of a diaphragm or air column. The shape and material of the instrument’s body significantly influence its tonal qualities and projection.

6. Wind Instruments with Reeds (e.g., Saxophone, Clarinet)
• Vibration of the Reed: In reed instruments, sound is produced when the reed vibrates due to the air passing over it. The vibrating reed sets the air column inside the instrument into motion, generating sound.
• Resonating Body: The body of the instrument, such as the tube of the clarinet or saxophone, acts as a resonating chamber that amplifies the vibrations of the reed.
• Similarity to Timpani and Loudspeaker: Like in a timpani or loudspeaker, the instrument’s body resonates with the vibrations of the reed or air column. The shape of the instrument’s body (in this case, the tube and bell) helps amplify and project the sound.

Summary of Common Principles:
• Vibration: Whether it’s a membrane, string, or air column, all these instruments rely on vibration to produce sound.
• Resonance: The body or enclosure of each instrument acts as a resonating chamber, amplifying the sound produced by the vibrating component (drumhead, string, reed, or air column).
• Amplification: Similar to how a loudspeaker uses its enclosure to amplify the sound produced by the diaphragm, musical instruments use their resonating bodies to amplify and project sound.

In essence, almost all musical instruments use a similar basic principle of vibration and resonance to produce sound. Whether it’s a vibrating string, drumhead, air column, or reed, the amplification and projection of sound are influenced by the size, shape, and material of the resonating body, just as it happens in a timpani or loudspeaker.

[Rutger]

Making a AI computer constructing a speaker would probably be a very bad idea. The AI dont have any feelings, dont use music as enjoyment and cant follow a tune and build up a phantom picture of the music that our brains can do.
An AI computer is very unmusical, and cant select good from bad using tunemethod.

The best way to build a good loudspeaker would be to use tunemethod in every part of the construction process.
The cabinets, cable, the damping material, the crossovers , terminals, and the drivers and stands. And always listen to two speakers when making changes.

In a way that would be like building an instrument, like a stradivarius violin.

I wouldnt use a microphone at all until both stereo speakers where finished , and after this only to check if the L/R speaker would be similar. The ear/brain is far superiour than any microphone to judge tunefulness.

I would buy a stereo reference loudspeaker like Linn Tukan, klångedang or Keltik, and setup those perfectly in a stereosetup.

Then trying to improve the sound from my own speakers, using tunemethod. I would have some friends come over and make judgements of the sound during development.
If that couldnt be achieved , I would sell my speakers and use the best sounding setup.

[Spannko]

Making a AI computer constructing a speaker would probably be a very bad idea. The AI dont have any feelings, dont use music as enjoyment and cant follow a tune and build up a phantom picture of the music that our brains can do.
An AI computer is very unmusical, and cant select good from bad using tunemethod.

The best way to build a good loudspeaker would be to use tunemethod in every part of the construction process.
The cabinets, cable, the damping material, the crossovers , terminals, and the drivers and stands. And always listen to two speakers when making changes.

In a way that would be like building an instrument, like a stradivarius violin.

I wouldnt use a microphone at all until both stereo speakers where finished , and after this only to check if the L/R speaker would be similar. The ear/brain is far superiour than any microphone to judge tunefulness.

I would buy a stereo reference loudspeaker like Linn Tukan, klångedang or Keltik, and setup those perfectly in a stereosetup.

Then trying to improve the sound from my own speakers, using tunemethod. I would have some friends come over and make judgements of the sound during development.
If that couldnt be achieved , I would sell my speakers and use the best sounding setup.

I totally agree Rutger, AI would most likely design a terrible loudspeaker!

When designing loudspeakers, why do you suggest only listening to two loudspeakers, rather than just one? My thoughts are that if a single loudspeaker doesn’t sound good, doubling up can’t improve it. On the contrary, two loudspeakers are likely to sound more impressive, making the task of designing a musical loudspeaker even more difficult. Unless, of course, you know something I don’t!

[Rutger]

Making a AI computer constructing a speaker would probably be a very bad idea. The AI dont have any feelings, dont use music as enjoyment and cant follow a tune and build up a phantom picture of the music that our brains can do.
An AI computer is very unmusical, and cant select good from bad using tunemethod.

The best way to build a good loudspeaker would be to use tunemethod in every part of the construction process.
The cabinets, cable, the damping material, the crossovers , terminals, and the drivers and stands. And always listen to two speakers when making changes.

In a way that would be like building an instrument, like a stradivarius violin.

I wouldnt use a microphone at all until both stereo speakers where finished , and after this only to check if the L/R speaker would be similar. The ear/brain is far superiour than any microphone to judge tunefulness.

I would buy a stereo reference loudspeaker like Linn Tukan, klångedang or Keltik, and setup those perfectly in a stereosetup.

Then trying to improve the sound from my own speakers, using tunemethod. I would have some friends come over and make judgements of the sound during development.
If that couldnt be achieved , I would sell my speakers and use the best sounding setup.

I totally agree Rutger, AI would most likely design a terrible loudspeaker!

When designing loudspeakers, why do you suggest only listening to two loudspeakers, rather than just one? My thoughts are that if a single loudspeaker doesn’t sound good, doubling up can’t improve it. On the contrary, two loudspeakers are likely to sound more impressive, making the task of designing a musical loudspeaker even more difficult. Unless, of course, you know something I don’t!

When I did my DIY 3 way loudspeaker with dsp crossovers , I reckognized that optimizing one speaker didn’t sound that great with two speakers who had been optimized individually.

The sum of using only one speaker to optimize at a time, and then use two of them in a stereo setup is not 1+1=2.
Rather 1+1=1,5 .

This did draw me to the conclusion that one really have to use two speakers optimally setup in stereoconfiguration when doing crossover changes to get a whole that’s better than the individual parts , i.e:

1+1=3

This is a conclusion already made by Rega and Linn a long time ago .

[Spannko]

Difference: you don't have to thwack a speaker to get sound out of it

I would say you do. Current flowing through a coil suspended in a magnetic field can produce quite a thwack.

[Naimless]

I am sitting in the pub and my friend introduces me to two people he knows. One is a guitarist in a band and the other plays the keyboards. Do I tell them I also play a musical instrument? When they ask what do I play, will they keep a straight face when I tell them I play HiFi speakers?

[Spannko]

I am sitting in the pub and my friend introduces me to two people he knows. One is a guitarist in a band and the other plays the keyboards. Do I tell them I also play a musical instrument? When they ask what do I play, will they keep a straight face when I tell them I play HiFi speakers?

Whether you tell them or not depends upon how you feel about being laughed at. If you consider yourself to be a bit of a comedian, go for it!

Will they keep a straight face? That remains to be seen.