Active crossovers

[Rick B]

Im considering forgoeing the passive crossovers that come with what ever component set I end up using or just using raw drivers and getting an active crossover and powering each driver with its own chanel. I guess I would need something for the Tweets mid and sub chanel. Any mid priced suggestions out there? anything I'm overlooking? Am I just making this more difficult thatn I need too and should I just stick with a standard component set?

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[pickup1 5,000+ posts]

Get a 3 way active head unit or 3 way electronic crossover.

if you get a head unit with 3 pre outs,you can still go active with a crossover, and use the sub out from the head unit.

If you head over to diymobileaudio, they can set you straight on raw drivers if you go that direction.

I'm running 3 way active front and love it.

 

[Rick B]

I have a head unit with 3way out

 

[Rick B]

any suggestions for what ones to look at. Think I prefer 24db rolloff vs 12....or does it really matter?

 

[chefzane]

It all matters in one way or another, all depends on pockets and taste

Pickup I gotta ask is your profile pic your car and if so why would you put your mid and tweet down in the kick panel? And right in line with the mid in the door? Your stage height and width must **** and your perceived center and imaging muddy, are you running active or passive and are you using time alignment?

 

[LaserRed38 10+ year member]

It all matters in one way or another, all depends on pockets and taste
Pickup I gotta ask is your profile pic your car and if so why would you put your mid and tweet down in the ? And right in line with the mid in the door? Your stage height and width must **** and your perceived center and imaging muddy, are you running active or passive and are you using time alignment?

Oh lord. Lol.

 

[chefzane]

Oh lord. Lol.

And what I said is wrong how?

 

[LaserRed38 10+ year member]

And what I said is wrong how?

It wouldn't be right for me to respond for Doug. We can wait until he chimes in. You're obviously in over your head.

 

[chefzane]

So you're saying that tweeters that low in your stage and being muffled by legs etc won't be a detriment to height and clarity nor be subject to cancelation issues unless being crossed and phased correctly, I was initially more asking a question for clarity as to why not bashing the decision by the way, what purpose did your smart azz comment have other than to instigate something when u aren't even the person who was asked, it helped nobody in any way

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

So you're saying that tweeters that low in your stage and being muffled by legs etc won't be a detriment to height and clarity nor be subject to cancelation issues unless being crossed and phased correctly, I was initially more asking a question for clarity as to why not bashing the decision by the way, what purpose did your smart azz comment have other than to instigate something when u aren't even the person who was asked, it helped nobody in any way

Tweeters in the kicks can and does work VERY well in alot of cars. To answer your questions.

1.Good imaging in the midbass and midrange frequencies is about PATH LENGTH DISTANCE, that's what time aligment attempts to correct, but the closer you can get it physically, the better. If you measure from the seats, kickpanels are a fairly equidistant spot. Also kickpanels are deep into the car, which helps with stage depth as well as less rattles, if you put a midbass down there. I know personally, I'll probably never do another door midbass, ever.

2.Tweets down low avoid early reflections off the glass and get early reflections off much softer surfaces. This will actually improve your image accuracy. Stage height at upper frequencies is somewhat a frequency response thing. Tweets in the kicks have better frequency response usually and the stage can be quite high. Also since the mid and tweet are together, you get better phase response at the crossover point.

And to OP: GO ACTIVE. You'll find very quick, especially if you experiment with raw drivers that car audio speakers are so overpriced it's ridiculous. The price people pay for Focal, CDT, MB Quartz, DLS, Rainbow, etc, etc is really crazy when you figure out how "high end" many of the speaker really are. 1/4 the price seems to be in the crossovers and another 1/4th seems to go to the name. $1000 speaker sets can easily be matched or beaten with $500 worth in raw drivers. If you a high effeciency guy like me, then nothing in car audio is of any real worth other than maybe the higher end Image Dynamics XS speakers, even then for MSRP, no thanks.. I got my mids used for about what the drivers were worth to me, 250, had I paid the retail for the full components, again, I would have been REALLY mad at myself once I went active and tried real pro audio. Even the $50 pyle pro's I had were just about as loud as the XS and had equal midbass performance, they just lacked midrange clarity, the XS were well rounded. I liked their midbass maybe a bit more than the BMS 8's I used after that, but overall volume and midrange realism goes to the BMS. Anyway, that's just some of my experience with going active and the freedom to explore that it brings, you.. It's worth it.

 

[chefzane]

Tweeters in the kicks can and does work VERY well in alot of cars. To answer your questions.
1.Good imaging in the midbass and midrange frequencies is about PATH LENGTH DISTANCE, that's what time aligment attempts to correct, but the closer you can get it physically, the better. If you measure from the seats, kickpanels are a fairly equidistant spot. Also kickpanels are deep into the car, which helps with stage depth as well as less rattles, if you put a midbass down there. I know personally, I'll probably never do another door midbass, ever.

2.Tweets down low avoid early reflections off the glass and get early reflections off much softer surfaces. This will actually improve your image accuracy. Stage height at upper frequencies is somewhat a frequency response thing. Tweets in the kicks have better frequency response usually and the stage can be quite high. Also since the mid and tweet are together, you get better phase response at the crossover point.

And to OP: GO ACTIVE. You'll find very quick, especially if you experiment with raw drivers that car audio speakers are so overpriced it's ridiculous. The price people pay for Focal, CDT, MB Quartz, DLS, Rainbow, etc, etc is really crazy when you figure out how "high end" many of the speaker really are. 1/4 the price seems to be in the crossovers and another 1/4th seems to go to the name. $1000 speaker sets can easily be matched or beaten with $500 worth in raw drivers. If you a high effeciency guy like me, then nothing in car audio is of any real worth other than maybe the higher end Image Dynamics XS speakers, even then for MSRP, no thanks.. I got my mids used for about what the drivers were worth to me, 250, had I paid the retail for the full components, again, I would have been REALLY mad at myself once I went active and tried real pro audio. Even the $50 pyle pro's I had were just about as loud as the XS and had equal midbass performance, they just lacked midrange clarity, the XS were well rounded. I liked their midbass maybe a bit more than the BMS 8's I used after that, but overall volume and midrange realism goes to the BMS. Anyway, that's just some of my experience with going active and the freedom to explore that it brings, you.. It's worth it.

I agree on all counts about midbass and midrange and their needing to be in kicks not doors etc, but my issue was with the tweeters mostly as those freqs and types of speakers are the most directional iirc, it just is pretty bass backwards from what I ever see or hear

 

[timhof13 10+ year member]

I've ran kicks with tweets in them, best sounding set up I've had ever. Still wish that can didn't bun to the ground.