Hi guys. How is sound quality affected by the components crossover (woofer and tweeter) from a PA? The brands offer lots of different crossover, lets take a look at some.
1. Yamaha DBR10: Crossover in 2.1kHz.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 129 dB (325w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 55Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 10 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1 inch.
2. Yamaha Stagepas600i/600BT:
Crossover in 2.8kHz.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 129 dB (340w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 55Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 10 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1.4 inch
These speakers (1) and (2) are very similar in a quick look but are different in components.
3. JBL Eon610: Crossover in 1.8kHz
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 124 dB (500w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 52Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 10 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1 inch
This JBL Eon 610 has less SPL but more watts RMS, the crossover is way lowered to 1.8kHz.
4. JBL PRX 812: Crossover in 1.85kHz.
(This is my favorite one)
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 135 dB (800w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 44.8Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 12 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1.5 inch
Both JBL speakers reviewed are set up about the same crossover.
Let's see some subwoofers:
1. JBL PRX818XLF: Crossover 80Hz HiPass.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 134dB (800w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 30Hz-102Hz.
- Frequency Range (3dB): 35Hz-87Hz.
- Woofer size: 18 inch.
2. JBL SRX818sp crossover: 80Hz, but it plays up to 120Hz in 3dB, so you can set up a crossover up to 120Hz, differently from the above JBL PRX818xlf subwoofer, which is limited to 80Hz crossover, due to frequency range in 3dB goes from 35Hz to 87Hz.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 135dB (750w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 29Hz-150Hz.
- Frequency Range (3dB): 35Hz-120Hz.
- Woofer size: 18 inch.
Notice that JBL SRX subwoofer has a lower watts rms but has better SPL and frequency range response, better crossover options for HiPass.
Other subwoofers are eligible to play up to 120Hz, like Yamaha DXS18 and Electrovoice DLX18, but JBL PRX is limited to 87Hz maximum high frequency. This sounds weird to me, because there is no why do it. Jbl Eon618 subwoofer also plays up to 150Hz but JBL PRX does not. It just limit my applications with this subwoofer, I am just unable to apply a 120Hz crossover in JBL PRX818, with my 10 inch speaker because of that, though 80Hz is not bad
1. Yamaha DBR10: Crossover in 2.1kHz.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 129 dB (325w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 55Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 10 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1 inch.
2. Yamaha Stagepas600i/600BT:
Crossover in 2.8kHz.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 129 dB (340w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 55Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 10 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1.4 inch
These speakers (1) and (2) are very similar in a quick look but are different in components.
3. JBL Eon610: Crossover in 1.8kHz
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 124 dB (500w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 52Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 10 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1 inch
This JBL Eon 610 has less SPL but more watts RMS, the crossover is way lowered to 1.8kHz.
4. JBL PRX 812: Crossover in 1.85kHz.
(This is my favorite one)
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 135 dB (800w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 44.8Hz-20kHz.
- Woofer size: 12 inch.
- Tweeter size: 1.5 inch
Both JBL speakers reviewed are set up about the same crossover.
Let's see some subwoofers:
1. JBL PRX818XLF: Crossover 80Hz HiPass.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 134dB (800w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 30Hz-102Hz.
- Frequency Range (3dB): 35Hz-87Hz.
- Woofer size: 18 inch.
2. JBL SRX818sp crossover: 80Hz, but it plays up to 120Hz in 3dB, so you can set up a crossover up to 120Hz, differently from the above JBL PRX818xlf subwoofer, which is limited to 80Hz crossover, due to frequency range in 3dB goes from 35Hz to 87Hz.
Additional Info Specs
- SPL Peak: 135dB (750w rms)
- Frequency Range (10dB): 29Hz-150Hz.
- Frequency Range (3dB): 35Hz-120Hz.
- Woofer size: 18 inch.
Notice that JBL SRX subwoofer has a lower watts rms but has better SPL and frequency range response, better crossover options for HiPass.
Other subwoofers are eligible to play up to 120Hz, like Yamaha DXS18 and Electrovoice DLX18, but JBL PRX is limited to 87Hz maximum high frequency. This sounds weird to me, because there is no why do it. Jbl Eon618 subwoofer also plays up to 150Hz but JBL PRX does not. It just limit my applications with this subwoofer, I am just unable to apply a 120Hz crossover in JBL PRX818, with my 10 inch speaker because of that, though 80Hz is not bad
You're agonizing over this too much, just use the crossover in the sub and forget about it.
Sound quality in a powered speaker is a function of all it's components.. the cabinet, the drivers, the amplifiers and DSP, the crossover frequency itself says very little about it. Of course better drivers produce better performance(sound quality being just one aspect of performance) so from your list the SRX will be the best performing speaker, but that is kind of hard if not impossible to see from the specs alone. Published specs are terrible misleading these days too, every manufacturer seems to have a different way of reporting them and apply different levels of marketing BS. And to complicate this even more the amount of specs fudging differs from entry level to topend models even from the same manufacturer, so it's really tough to know what you're getting in a speaker without first hand experience.
Sound quality in a powered speaker is a function of all it's components.. the cabinet, the drivers, the amplifiers and DSP, the crossover frequency itself says very little about it. Of course better drivers produce better performance(sound quality being just one aspect of performance) so from your list the SRX will be the best performing speaker, but that is kind of hard if not impossible to see from the specs alone. Published specs are terrible misleading these days too, every manufacturer seems to have a different way of reporting them and apply different levels of marketing BS. And to complicate this even more the amount of specs fudging differs from entry level to topend models even from the same manufacturer, so it's really tough to know what you're getting in a speaker without first hand experience.
Last edited:
Conanski,
"just use the crossover in the sub and forget about it."
I needed to hear this. Thanks, I will follow your advice.
Great text you made clear lots of question I had. Wow it is late here and got a answer so quick. This forum is awesome
"just use the crossover in the sub and forget about it."
I needed to hear this. Thanks, I will follow your advice.
Great text you made clear lots of question I had. Wow it is late here and got a answer so quick. This forum is awesome
Got to love JBLs marketting.
SPL Peak: 135dB (750w rms)
135db from just 750 watts rms? Somehow I doubt that very much but OK
SPL Peak: 135dB (750w rms)
135db from just 750 watts rms? Somehow I doubt that very much but OK
Hey, if you dump 750w into a compression driver, it might just manage that...
More seriously, I put together an article a few years ago on the subject: Spec Wars: Looking Inside Loudspeaker SPL Specifications - ProSoundWeb
Looks like the date hasn't updated properly - it was done back in 2017.
Chris
More seriously, I put together an article a few years ago on the subject: Spec Wars: Looking Inside Loudspeaker SPL Specifications - ProSoundWeb
Looks like the date hasn't updated properly - it was done back in 2017.
Chris
Why would anyone use a wimpy 750W amp? This Sony mini hifi amp can deliver 22,000 watts, according to the faceplate label. That's 150 dBspl from above JBL driver, and from just ~300 watts of electrical power input!
The in car stereo marketing departments are terrible for this as well.
Amp X : 200 watts. Great. Delve into the small print and you'll find that is the combined peak power of both channels into 2ohm (which it would probably over heat driving), at a short burst at a certain hz. Half it for one channel, half it again for 4 ohms, half it again for rms. so 25 watts then. No better than a standard head unit then 😀
Amp X : 200 watts. Great. Delve into the small print and you'll find that is the combined peak power of both channels into 2ohm (which it would probably over heat driving), at a short burst at a certain hz. Half it for one channel, half it again for 4 ohms, half it again for rms. so 25 watts then. No better than a standard head unit then 😀