Im about to start an expensive, active 3 way speaker system. I was planning on powering them with a 6 ch gainclone, fed from an active crossover based on the Active Filter One board.
At first I planned to put the 6ch amp in a case, and the active xover in another case. Now, I'm thinking it might be a better idea to just build the crossover and amp inside the speakers themselves.
A problem with this idea is that then I would have to plug the speakers into an outlet somewheres. Turning off the speakers at night, would require me to go behind each speaker and turn off the switch. Also, I wouldn't want to run a power cord next to an interconnect due to RFI.
However, there are a few advantages of putting the amps/xos in the speakers. I would be able to solder the xos directly to the amps, therefore i wouldn't require rca jacks or interconnects. I wouldn't require banana jacks, and only short wires are required, making an easier load on the amp. I also wouldnt have to buy a couple of cases, saving me some money.
Here's the question, should I build the amp and xover inside the speakers or inside cases?
Thanks
Alex
At first I planned to put the 6ch amp in a case, and the active xover in another case. Now, I'm thinking it might be a better idea to just build the crossover and amp inside the speakers themselves.
A problem with this idea is that then I would have to plug the speakers into an outlet somewheres. Turning off the speakers at night, would require me to go behind each speaker and turn off the switch. Also, I wouldn't want to run a power cord next to an interconnect due to RFI.
However, there are a few advantages of putting the amps/xos in the speakers. I would be able to solder the xos directly to the amps, therefore i wouldn't require rca jacks or interconnects. I wouldn't require banana jacks, and only short wires are required, making an easier load on the amp. I also wouldnt have to buy a couple of cases, saving me some money.
Here's the question, should I build the amp and xover inside the speakers or inside cases?
Thanks
Alex
No need to creep behind the speakers for switching on and off the hole thing.
There are nice & simple signal activated power switching circuits (->google) , which switch power on and off dependend if there is an audio signal.
When there is an audio signal coming the speakers power on. You can configure a delay (I usually make this half an hour or so) after everything will be powered down when there is no more audio signal.
Such a circuit is very handy and indispensable for active speakers IMO.
If You put the amps/crossovers in a seperate enclosure You`d have the power cord next to an interconnect also, or not, depends on Your design...
I`d vote for integrating amps/crossovers into the speakers.
Originally posted by cocolino
`d vote for integrating amps/crossovers into the speakers.
having amps in the speakers has some decided advantages, but i always worry about vibrations/microphonics in the amps from the speakers... people go as far as removing the passive XO from inside a speaker, a power amp is much more delicate.
dave
Hi Dave,
I should have been more precise.
Of course I did not mean that the electronics should share the same volume than the drivers.
Having built a couple of active speakers already I know there`re a few things to consider (if I say "into the enclosure" now, I don`t mean the volume where the drivers are):
heat:
I wouldn`t try to incorporate a couple of Class-A amps into a speaker box but I see no problems with a couple of "Gainclones".
serviceability:
I wouldn`t make fixed installations in the speaker enclosure but build everything electronic related in a solid metal enclosure, just like stand-alone gear, only that it is much less work as it hasn`t to be nice looking.
The electronic box and the connections amps/speakers should be made in a way that the electronics part can be removed out of the box without much hassle.
I`m thinking about an electronic enclosure with "front"-plate and handles as some sort of "plug-in", gliding on ball-bearing rails (such things for heavy drawers) in and out of the enclosure (while for example at the same time making the amps/speaker contacts) .
vibrations/microphonics:
I think it`s not too difficult to decouple the electronic box from the speaker box in a way that vibrations do not have a chance.
Springs, strings, rubber/silicon feets....... I think every skilled DIYer will come up with a couple of decent and not too complicated/expensive solutions for this.
off topic question for Dave (as he`s moderator):
is there a way that after logging in I do not get logged out automatically every 5 minutes (this get`s really annoying while writing a post) ?
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