Is there an electrically precise way to figure out my crossover setting on my amp?

[BlkonBlkFG 10+ year member]

On the specific amps I have, the crossover setting only shows two numbers. The first one (all the way left) is as low as it goes, and the second one (all the way right) is as high as it goes. I like to be precise when I do things, and would love to know if there is a way to find out exactly where my settings are at? Could I use a DMM somehow and play a test tone at a certain frequency and adjust the crossover to that tone until i see a certain voltage??? I dont know, I'm just throwing that out there. But i'd really like to know a way to figure out a way to see exactly where the crossover is set or how to adjust it perfectly.

TIA guys

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[enzowho 10+ year member]

Your amplifier's filters are adjustable in that they alter the frequency location of your corner frequency (defined as the -3dB spot). Additionally, a little mathmagic will tell you a -3dB drop equates to 1/2 the intensity (20*log(Intensity)).

So technically, you could run a frequency sweep and find the spot where you AC voltage is cut in 1/2 (use your DMM). In practice I have no idea if this will work correctly or not. Other aspects such as the inherent frequency response of your amplifier, other filters (HU, subsonic, etc.) and non-linear frequency replication will most likely throw you values off.

Myself and many others on this board will advocate for merely listening and letting your ear decide. Besides, the sound that you hear will greatly depend upon your car, install and an abundance of other factors. Simply looking at a manufacture provided frequency response graph and setting your corner freqs by DMM will most likely not yield the best results. Hope that helps.

-rich

 

[BlkonBlkFG 10+ year member]

I do understand you want to adjust it by ear, but also would atleast like to know exactly where it is set to. Also would like to know how to do this for setting my subsonic filter and crossover setting on my sub amp.

 

[acold7dusta 10+ year member]

what i do: i have my HPF and my LPF at 80

So i started out turn the HPF all the way down, and the LPF all the way up. Disconnected sub temp. I put an 80 hz test tone on repeat, and turned the HPF up untill it was a full sound. then i backed it down a bit to blend better. Next, i disconnected my speaker amp RCAs, plugged in my sub amp RCAs and played the same track, same method, except turning down instead of up

For Subsonic i did the same as HPF except played a 30 hz tone and set it there

hope this helps you and any other members

 

[BlkonBlkFG 10+ year member]

So really theres no electrical way of figuring it out then. I was just hoping that maybe there was a way similar to setting your gain with the DMM. Guess not though.

 

[luvinthebass 5,000+ posts]

say you set your gain at a certain voltage with the lowpass crossover off at 22.8 AC volts, divide that number by 1.414(square root of 2) and you'll get half the power and use that number and adjust it to that number usin your low pass filter, that's what i do.

 

[BlkonBlkFG 10+ year member]

i dont think i follow. Is this for adjusting the crossover to the specific frequency I want?