Setting crossovers: Head unit vs. Amp ?

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

Hey guys, i tried searching old threads, and was having trouble finding the answer to a should-be simple question:

If you have an active x-over in your headunit, and also a x-over on your amp, which should you use to set......

-Low-pass filter for your sub channel?

-High pass filter for your components/ full ranges?

Thanks a lot. If there's already a thread like this i apologize, but now there's one that's search-friendly //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

Just wasn't sure if it's better to set both x-overs the same, or if it's ok to use the amp just to set your sub-sonic, and use the active x-overs in the HU to set the actual low and high-pass filters. I also wasn't sure if leaving the low pass on your sub-channel open ended (not setting it on the amp) would cause a power-loss since you're not restricting the freq. band the amp's actually trying to, well, amplify?

Thanks a lot!

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[iceteebone 5,000+ posts]

since you are running components you technically aren't running active. either way will work. i like to use the headunit, and defeat the amp xover.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

Whoops, i guess i don't mean active in the sense that i have control over each individual speaker, just that you can change each channel's x-overs on the HU.

That answers my question, tho. Thanks. I'll just use the amp for subsonic.

 

[D-C 10+ year member]

For me, I went with the amp crossovers. Reason being is that my HU has crossover at specific points- 80, 120 etc... The amps are variable. Thing is, my components wanted a bit deeper sound, and that wasn't an option on the HU (it was high or low, no fine adjustment). So with a variable crossover, you can tune it exactly where you want it. I went and checked out the CDT homepage to see where the comonents theoretically come on, and used a test tone CD to adjust the crossover. I couldn't do that with a couple settings available on the HU. It's nice to be able to set it up exactly where you want and not choose form like 3 settings.

 

[D-C 10+ year member]

If you have an active x-over in your headunit, and also a x-over on your amp, which should you use to set......

-Low-pass filter for your sub channel?

-High pass filter for your components/ full ranges?

P.S. I set my sub low pass about 67 ROUGHLY and my comps at about the same but high pass. I think it's prolly good to set the front as low as they will handle.