Since last weekend, I've set up an a/b comparison between pairs of 4343s and 4340s.
The amplifiers are virtually the same - 200 watt Mac on the 4343s vs 250 for the 4430.
Both systems are biamplified with JBL 5235 crossovers with the appropriate cards.
The 4343s were modified to the extent I swapped in 2122s and 2235s while the original drivers were being reconed. I should test with the original drivers.
The 4430s are physically on the outside of the 4343s, ie. they have two speaker widths' greater separation. I should switch these around and test again.
The 4430s sound better to the several people who have participated in this informal test. The stereo image was more stable and the speakers sounded less like loudspeakers. The frequency response and dynamic range were roughly the same although the the 4430 sound more full. A pink noise measurement showed a flatter curve for the 4430s.
The source material for the test for one musician-listener was Monteverdi choral music and Schubert's 9th symphony, both at concert level.
This was not the result I had expected as I thought the 4-way system would outperform the 2-way system.
Running the 4343s biamplified and the 4430s on their internal crossovers may tip the scale the other way but that test wasn't as lengthy.
Has anyone else run a similar comparison?
John Nebel
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