Component set with built-in crossover

[pilotjosh]

I have the Focal Integration IS 130 component set (5.25 and tweeter) and want to install with an amp in my car. The documentation just says this regarding a crossover:

"Crossovers: Each woofer and each tweeter has an integrated 6 dB/octave crossover. Because the woofer and tweeter crossovers are separate, the system can be bi-amped."

Here is a link to the set I have with specs:

Focal Integration IS 130 5-1/4" component speaker system at Crutchfield.com

I've never seen a component set that doesn't have an external crossover. The impedance is listed as 4 ohms. Is that 4 combined? Wired how?

My concern is that my amp requires 4 ohms. If I wire the mid and tweet in parallel I would normally be at 2 ohms. Is that not correct if there is a built in crossover?

Any explanation would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Perry Babin]

For most crossovers, the high and low frequency parts of the spectrum are split so that the speaker can only load the amplifier for the portion of the spectrum that the crossover sends to it. If the internal crossover for the tweeter is a capacitor and the crossover for the woofer is an inductor that would apply here.

You should be able to see the integrated component in the frame of the woofer if it's an inductor.

 

[pilotjosh]

For most crossovers, the high and low frequency parts of the spectrum are split so that the speaker can only load the amplifier for the portion of the spectrum that the crossover sends to it. If the internal crossover for the tweeter is a capacitor and the crossover for the woofer is an inductor that would apply here.

You should be able to see the integrated component in the frame of the woofer if it's an inductor.

Thanks so much for the reply. You bring up a good point. I don't actually see anything on the mid. Wouldn't a built-in crossover be on the frame next to the terminals? Here are some pics:

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[Perry Babin]

I don't see any crossover components.

Does the tweeter have a visible crossover?

Does the tweeter have a magnet on it (could be a piezo)?

 

[pilotjosh]

I don't see any crossover components.

Does the tweeter have a visible crossover?

Does the tweeter have a magnet on it (could be a piezo)?

Well, here is the tweeter:

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[Perry Babin]

That's a standard tweeter. It has a crossover capacitor.

If there is no obvious crossover for the woofer, they could be stretching the definition of 'crossover' by using the inductance of the voice coil of the woofer as the crossover component. The inductance will cause a rise in impedance at higher frequencies.

 

[pilotjosh]

That's a standard tweeter. It has a crossover capacitor.

If there is no obvious crossover for the woofer, they could be stretching the definition of 'crossover' by using the inductance of the voice coil of the woofer as the crossover component. The inductance will cause a rise in impedance at higher frequencies.

Hmm, so I guess my question is what is the proper way to wire these on the same channel of my amp? If they are wired in parallel will the amp see 4 ohms (the set is advertised as 4 ohms) or will it see less.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Perry Babin]

The load will be close enough so that it should not cause any problems. The impedance of any speaker varies greatly across the spectrum. The 4 ohm impedance is 'nominal' impedance (approximately the lowest impedance presented to the amplifier).

The attached image is the impedance curve of THIS driver. The top of the rectangle is approximately the 4 ohm impedance line. As you can see, the impedance is rarely (never) exactly 4 ohms.