midrange/woofer without crossover filter?

[JoshuaTechnomage]

Not necessarily. A speaker is a mechanical linear system just as a crossover filter is an electrical linear system, only the speaker has issues greater than the issues that a filter might have.

Once the cone is comparable to a wavelength new issues appear that cannot be compensated for which are better filtered out.

Maybe so but depends on the driver used. The full range driver people may have different opinion. I haven't conducted enough personal listening tests to form a definitive opinion on crossovers vs full range.

 

[AllenB]

Full range drivers are a good example of this. They can indeed sound very satisfying, but there are few examples that don't require some work around the region in question. Many will end up in a compromise situation where the best equalisation is a slight dip in the response.

 

[papasteack]

If I understand what you are saying, you are suggesting that (midrange/woofer) with an advanced motor system with very low inductance and lowpass filter (with a good inductor) is superior to a cheaper high inductance (midrange/woofer) with no filter that is allowed to rolloff naturally because of non-linear effects of voicecoil inductance that varies with things like temperature?

I just try to battle against passive component evilness common belief, taking for example inductor more linear then voicevoil.

Also remember that it's not just voicecoil inductance that contributes to woofer rolloff in the high range but also mass. You can theoretically have a quality motor with low inductance that also has smooth rolloff in the highs. It's just rare because of cone breakup issues.

Totally agree about mass and cone breakup considerations. Hard to deal with with standard datasheet curves. Waterfall and distortion chart are really helpful to make a wise choose.

 

[Eldam]

I rarely use crossovers.
I use bass and mid cabinets without them.
The only time I use them is with tweeters and then its usually just a series capacitor.

It would be hard with most of PA speakers, no ?

When i'm lurking at this, I don't know how to solve the peak in the highs without the help of R L C parts ! https://images6.static-thomann.de/pics/atg/atgdata/document/specs/233737.pdf

I mean for a hifi speakers, because for guitars/bass speakers I just don't know...

 

[nigelwright7557]

It would be hard with most of PA speakers, no ?

PA speakers tend to be high power so it would need large and expensive inductors.

 

[midrange]

Midrange/woofer without crossover filter

Multiple reasons.
1. Added cost
2. Any crossover components add resistance/capacitance/inductance including extra wire and solder joints, degrading the signal, reducing efficiency and robbing micro-detail.
3. Phase shift and other effects.

I had a pair of original Spendor SA1s. These 2 ways had a complex crossover, and we're not dissimilar to the LS3/5a. One day one of the tweeters packed up, and to keep using them until I could get them sorted, I by-passed the crossover and drove the main driver full range. Out of interest I compared the 2 speakers. Yes the original 2 way had more bass, high frequencies and an obviously more linear response. But the straight through one with no tweeter sounded more real. Less accurate but more real. A paradox for me.

 

[Eldam]

Joshua, what is your source (I mean your player or DAC) please ?

My conclusions is the source is more important than the slope order or the number of parts involved in the passive filter ! nd the efficienty is coming after... and the fiter parts (which sounds different to my ears....) came only after !