You have to admit, what you want from a loudspeaker is beyond what most people would need. Most people do not listen to levels that mirror a live orchestra. Obviously, a single 2.5" midrange would not be able to cut it for that kind of use. But for the everyday levels that most people listen at, it is probably perfectly adequate.
However, I will concede it is weird to put such a small midrange with two 8" bass drivers. That design will be seriously bottlenecked by the midrange driver unless it using some kind of wonder technology that I don't know about.
I have been thinking about what you said.
I think there is a difference in speaker requirements between popular music and classical music using natural instruments. For the latter, I think high quality speakers are mandatory. One has to remember the push to high fidelity reproduction came in the earliest years from the classical music fraternity, and I think in many respects it still does. Gilbert Briggs the founder of Wharfedale was an extremely accomplished pianist. Peter Walker was an accomplished flautist, and seen over the years playing the flute in the annual three choirs festival orchestra.
A fundamental issue is dynamic range and its accompanying requirement for excellent S/N ratio.
Popular music has a much lower dynamic range. The average level of classical music is much lower than most popular music but its dynamic range far greater.
There is more quiet music than loud, but the loud can be loud. Osmo Vanska, conductor of the MSO here, makes the point often. He is king of the pianissimo. With natural instruments there is a limit to how loud they play, so to get the dynamic range the players have to be able to play softly.
It was to all practical purposes, it was not until the advent of digital audio, that dynamic range compression was required on most classical recordings. This of course alters the composers intent. Digital compression, especially if severe often requires a degree of dynamic range compression also.
Now the wider the dynamic range paradoxically the lower the average level.
So the volume setting for a good dynamic recording will be higher then one with compressed range. That means volume settings will be higher for classical than popular.
Recently the BPO have gone to 44.1 FLAC and so has BBC classical music streaming. Before the BPO change, my volume setting was around -13 db for the Digital Concert Hall. Now with lossless, depending on the work it has gone up to the range -6 to -9 db.
The bottom line is that if you are going to play uncompressed large forces classical music, then powerful speakers and amps are required. If not, you won't hear the pianissimos, or the fortes will distort, and may cause damage. In addition I suspect classical music has a higher output in the midrange. So one 2.5" midrange would not cut it for most classical music lovers, not just me. Among friends I have had over the years who like classical music they have tended to larger speakers and bigger amps.
