It IS also possible to do a Simple Passive 🙂 Crossover betwixt Source and Amp.
This is an inexpensive buildup and eliminates up to a dozen Opamps, not to mention a lot of circuitry.
Which even IF of god's own Best Quality are still rocks on the signal path.
There are other roads to the same destination
That said I have an intricate bespoke/tailored specifically for the measured foibles of MY drivers,
active gizmo setup that was both complex and expensive to build, if only for it's components.
Frankly it's virtually the Same sounding as my modernised parts oem passives, which in truth didn't cost that
much less for parts, but there was/is a helluvalot fewer of them.
Not everything comes up Roses.. just because it's claimed to..
Last edited:
Hello,
I also have stuff on the shelf. My past wife told me that I needed an intervention. There is a Rane Balanced crossover and a digital Behringer also on the shelf.
I have a smallish listening room that I am trying to unclutter (too many amplifiers). The goal is to tri-amp with the 6 channel Parasound into JBL 2206 12” JBL 2118 8” and JBL baby cheek tweeters. I have the speakers setup with passive crossovers as we speak.
Anyone seen a commercial analog active 3 channel stereo active crossover? If not the item below is a consideration.
Project 125
Thanks
DT
I also have stuff on the shelf. My past wife told me that I needed an intervention. There is a Rane Balanced crossover and a digital Behringer also on the shelf.
I have a smallish listening room that I am trying to unclutter (too many amplifiers). The goal is to tri-amp with the 6 channel Parasound into JBL 2206 12” JBL 2118 8” and JBL baby cheek tweeters. I have the speakers setup with passive crossovers as we speak.
Anyone seen a commercial analog active 3 channel stereo active crossover? If not the item below is a consideration.
Project 125
Thanks
DT
I really like PLLXOs. They do have some significant limitations (cost is not one of them) but if one is careful in the speaker design and you use specific amplifiers performance is exemplary
dave
I really like PLLXOs. They do have some significant limitations (cost is not one of them) but if one is careful in the speaker design and you use specific amplifiers performance is exemplary
dave
Dave, I have wanted to play around with a passive low lvl crossover for a while now, but I haven't been able to find much info on designing them... can you point me to some information regarding their design?
Brad
The output impedance of the driving amp is omitted on this site. Some preamps are 600 Ohm, so that would cause some serious misalignment. More complicated is that output and input impedances are likely to vary with frequency, causing further errors. Not a very good approach imo.
Yes that article assumes a low output impedance pre-amp, althou in the past i have used them with preamps that are output impedance challenged with success.
If someonewhats todocument the changes as editor/publisher i would be happy to improve the article.
dave
If someonewhats todocument the changes as editor/publisher i would be happy to improve the article.
dave
This thread has been quite an ear opener, I've always thought that active was clearly better (despite not hearing any, or even any good passives) and "cheaper" in some cases.
the behringer-cx3400 is 3 ways stereo unless i'm reading their marketspeak as it intended to be read.
Behringer CX3400 Super-X Pro Crossover 3-Way/4-Way
makes more sense to just say how many outputs it has, and if they are HP, LP or BP.
Given the name of the subforum this isn't the place to discuss mechanical crossovers i guess 😀
the behringer-cx3400 is 3 ways stereo unless i'm reading their marketspeak as it intended to be read.
Behringer CX3400 Super-X Pro Crossover 3-Way/4-Way
makes more sense to just say how many outputs it has, and if they are HP, LP or BP.
Given the name of the subforum this isn't the place to discuss mechanical crossovers i guess 😀
I prefer passive for midrange and above. Passive sounds more accurate, natural and transparent compared to DSPs I've tested. Active filtering with linear circuits may need quite much work in a single speaker project, but I have serious plan to stop playing with DSP-crap and use linear circuits for shelving filters etc which are needed in typical open, leaking or sealed bass constructions.
Hi Dave, on second viewing I think there is a bit more not quite ok with the calculations. I am quite buzy but if I find the time I will send you pm with suggestions.
Made some time.
Before people go off on a wrong tangent, please find below corrections on the site Dave posted:
It has been corrected so that the output impedance of the preamp can be taken into account.
Furthermore, with the second order filter there is an error. The values of the two capacitors have to be identical. Otherwise, you will not hit a 12 dB/octave slope. Even then, you will not reach the Q you need for a proper LR 2nd order filter, but that is fairly benign.
Before people go off on a wrong tangent, please find below corrections on the site Dave posted:
It has been corrected so that the output impedance of the preamp can be taken into account.
Furthermore, with the second order filter there is an error. The values of the two capacitors have to be identical. Otherwise, you will not hit a 12 dB/octave slope. Even then, you will not reach the Q you need for a proper LR 2nd order filter, but that is fairly benign.
Combine best of both worlds. In case you are working with cheap op-amps like the NE5532. Low and mid active, tweeter passive. Be careful with op-amps, they will deteriorate sound quickly if used in a chain. A perfect example of the mediocrity in this era are surround amplifiers. Go ahead, feed us all your op-amps and destroy the joy of sound. Aaargh!
The op-amp remains a thing too convenient to hate. An op-amp is a mini amplifier by itself = distortion, always keep that in mind.
More detailed view on effects of crossovers:
http://www.edn.com/Home/PrintView?contentItemId=4414835
The op-amp remains a thing too convenient to hate. An op-amp is a mini amplifier by itself = distortion, always keep that in mind.
More detailed view on effects of crossovers:
http://www.edn.com/Home/PrintView?contentItemId=4414835
Honestly distortion of half decent op amps are so low you don't have to worry about them - you can't hear them.
A single opamp perhaps not, but like i said, chaining them together as in active 24db filters the distortion or loss of fidelity can be easily noticed in the higher regions.
The sound will (not might) get dull and less spacious, unless you are careful with the selection of opamps.
The dull sound from opamps seems to me to be due to the output stage running only very lightly biassed. Meaning with typical load impedances found in active filters its running classAB. You can reduce the dulling effect either by reducing the supply impedance (add low ESR 'lytics to the rails) or by increasing the load impedance, or both.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.