[Allucid]

Hi, was just wondering the difference between Dual armature and triple. Both seem to be the same but I want to get an opinion or fact on them.
I'm looking into either the Shure Se425 or the Se535ltds.
Reason being Shure is I love the flat profile and the sound, as well as the fit. Thanks in advance.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

In general terms armature drivers have a narrow range of frequencies for which they have a good response vs dynamic drivers at a certain size (more on this below), which is why multi-driver armatures are more prevalent than dual dynamic drivers. The difference between multiple armature designs depend less on the number of drivers used compared to 1) what specific drivers are used and 2) how they are tuned. For example, a lot of dual driver designs tend to have very airy treble vs triple armature designs, but that's likely because they were tuned not to roll off the high frequencies while the triple driver designs give a bit more response in the rest of the frequency range (in other words, the treble is only louder in relative terms). Note also that for example not all triple driver designs are similar in terms of crossover design - some are designed as 3-way systems with a bass, midrange, and treble driver, while some are 2-way designs, which either have two mid-bass and one treble driver or two midrange-bass drivers and one midrange-treble driver (ie the cut-off may be different).

 

As for those Shures, the treble is a lot more audible on the 425 while it's generally flatter with a little excess bump in the bass on the 535 (it doesn't come off as excessive until you put a recording with fast bass that is already a bit strong in the mix).

 

Now, just as a disclaimer on fullrange response of dynamic drivers - that all depends on what size we're talking about. Many DD earphones/IEMs get up to the treble well enough, while some at a certain size - like the 15mm Aurisonics drivers - roll off the treble too far and have too strong bass (perfect for harsh response due to distortion in many mobile devices though, or as it was originally designed for, enhanced response where the music's beat is primarily as these were originally vocalist monitors). Headphone drivers - 40mm to 70mm for example - can be designed to have a generally flatter response or to have strong bass (the HD800 has a driver size the same as Sony's XB700), but generally forcing fullrange response on a dynamic driver ends up with a treble spike. It's the same thing with fullrange speakers, especially the more expensive high efficiency designs like those that use Fostex drivers, and they tend to rely on a notch filter to EQ that out; most manufacturers use multiple drivers though but the offset is having to deal with phase issues, crossover effects on impedance and efficiency (or use the crossover to match the tweeter's output to the efficiency of the midwoofer), etc.

 

[Allucid]

In general terms armature drivers have a narrow range of frequencies for which they have a good response vs dynamic drivers at a certain size (more on this below), which is why multi-driver armatures are more prevalent than dual dynamic drivers. The difference between multiple armature designs depend less on the number of drivers used compared to 1) what specific drivers are used and 2) how they are tuned. For example, a lot of dual driver designs tend to have very airy treble vs triple armature designs, but that's likely because they were tuned not to roll off the high frequencies while the triple driver designs give a bit more response in the rest of the frequency range (in other words, the treble is only louder in relative terms). Note also that for example not all triple driver designs are similar in terms of crossover design - some are designed as 3-way systems with a bass, midrange, and treble driver, while some are 2-way designs, which either have two mid-bass and one treble driver or two midrange-bass drivers and one midrange-treble driver (ie the cut-off may be different).

As for those Shures, the treble is a lot more audible on the 425 while it's generally flatter with a little excess bump in the bass on the 535 (it doesn't come off as excessive until you put a recording with fast bass that is already a bit strong in the mix).

Now, just as a disclaimer on fullrange response of dynamic drivers - that all depends on what size we're talking about. Many DD earphones/IEMs get up to the treble well enough, while some at a certain size - like the 15mm Aurisonics drivers - roll off the treble too far and have too strong bass (perfect for harsh response due to distortion in many mobile devices though, or as it was originally designed for, enhanced response where the music's beat is primarily as these were originally vocalist monitors). Headphone drivers - 40mm to 70mm for example - can be designed to have a generally flatter response or to have strong bass (the HD800 has a driver size the same as Sony's XB700), but generally forcing fullrange response on a dynamic driver ends up with a treble spike. It's the same thing with fullrange speakers, especially the more expensive high efficiency designs like those that use Fostex drivers, and they tend to rely on a notch filter to EQ that out; most manufacturers use multiple drivers though but the offset is having to deal with phase issues, crossover effects on impedance and efficiency (or use the crossover to match the tweeter's output to the efficiency of the midwoofer), etc.

Thanks a lot. I've found that my SE215tld work best with acoustic / vocal tracks, especially screamo. I'm not looking for a change in sound, more a change in the detail of the sound, that's why I'm looking at dual / triple drivers. I find the SE215 to be a bit lacking compared to my full sized headphones which have dual diaphragm drivers. Basically I'm looking for more detail and a better sound, and I like the sound from the SE215ltds. Am I on the right track?

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Thanks a lot. I've found that my SE215tld work best with acoustic / vocal tracks, especially screamo. I'm not looking for a change in sound, more a change in the detail of the sound, that's why I'm looking at dual / triple drivers. I find the SE215 to be a bit lacking compared to my full sized headphones which have dual diaphragm drivers. Basically I'm looking for more detail and a better sound, and I like the sound from the SE215ltds. Am I on the right track?

 
Generally, yes; however I haven't listened to the 215's in a while so I can't tell what the differences are between those and the others.