So how is 3 way active even wired?

[The Camry]

Would you have to run something like a 60ish rms 4 channel amp to power the two midrange speakers and then the two tweeters, then run a 150ish rms 2 channel amp to run the woofers?

Making it so crossovers overlap of course.

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[yogegoy]

Get a ZED Leviathan (I think) 6ch and all you have to worry is your sub amp.

 

[VWBobby 10+ year member]

A 6 channel is the easier option, but you an use anything from a 2 channel amp on up (per set).

Your first suggestion would work, 60 watts for mids and highs and 150 watts for woofers. You want roughly double the power to the woofers as your tweets. Make sure your amp has at least a 12/db slope crossover on the tweets or you might burn them up if they send stray lower tones to them.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

You can do this any way you like. I'd say a single 5 or 6 channel amp is simplest, but you may not be able to find one that has your power requirements so multiple different amps will be in order.

 

[michaellane 5,000+ posts]

I have a old coustic 660 so you could run 2 channels to the subs but still would fall a little short of 150ish watts

 

[The Camry]

Well currently i have a 4 channel 150x4 sundown amp. I have a 2 way component system. Ive got channel 1+2 going to the passive crossovers which splits it to the mids and tweeters. ive got channel 3+4 to the rearfill. i could take out rearfill and hook up channel 3-4 to the tweeters but that kinda scares me to give it that much power.

 

[The Camry]

http://www.elettromedia.de/images/datenblaetter/energy/et-26.pdf

Tweeter im using

 

[What was that? 10+ year member]

If your worried about over powering tweets just use the passive crossover as a buffer for your tweets only. Chance are it crossed lower than you want for active anyway. So you will still have a bit of control over them. Then use your head unit if possible for your rears.

 

[The Camry]

Would you mind elaborating more on that? They are crossed at 3khz. If its passive, how do i have any control of that?

 

[What was that? 10+ year member]

I was suggesting that the factory is usually crossed a little higher than we like so you may be able to cross it where you want. But yes, if you want to cross it at 4k than it's no help. A lot of crossovers have tweeter control inside the casing even if they don't advertise it on the outside. Maybe you can get lucky.

 

[The Camry]

Well i have a 300$ pair of hertz speakers. I know it has a tweeter control though ive never been entirely sure what all it did.

 

[What was that? 10+ year member]

Changes cut off points and/or how fast.

 

[whitedragon551 5,000+ posts]

If your worried about over powering tweets just use the passive crossover as a buffer for your tweets only. Chance are it crossed lower than you want for active anyway. So you will still have a bit of control over them. Then use your head unit if possible for your rears.

Defeats the purpose of running active.

 

[keep_hope_alive Premium Member]

using the passive crossovers for the tweeter only will provide extra protection for them and you can still run active and have a higher crossover point. but you'll also hear some distortion associated with the passive crossover and still have the phase shift associated with the passive crossover. i'm not a fan of that tweeter and passive crossover combination, running true active may be an improvement.

don't worry as much about overpowering - use the gains to attenuate the tweeter level such that the tweeters are the same amplitude as the woofers around the crossover point. having an RTA or sound level meter helps with this (even an Audio Tool RTA app for your phone). you'll find the tweeters need a lot less power to achieve the same amplitude.

i'd start with a 4kHz crossover point.

 

[The Camry]

Ok lets see if i got this straight for how i would go about this if i wanted to go full active.

amp= 150 rms by 4 channels.

channel 1+2 goes to woofers

channel 3+4 goes to tweeters.

If i wanted to follow your advice and start with 4Khz.

(For Woofers)

Head unit to 90%(ive read excelons have no clipping till almost 100%, tested this out by ear and sounds pretty true.)

Turn channel 1+2 to full range. Turn gains up till its as loud as ill ever listen to it.

Turn channels 1+2 to HPF. Run 4khz test tone. Turn hpf clockwise until i hear it start to attenuate(which i think means gets quieter). Thats right about where 4khz is on my HPF dial on my amp.

Use sound meter on phone, write down what number its giving me on loudest ill listen to it. Using 4khz tone

(for tweeters)

Turn on HPF. Set it to where its at on Channels 1+2

look at sound meter, turn gains up till it matches the number that the woofers were at.

So questions.

1. Should i get bass blockers for tweeters as a reassurance?

2.I feel like im not supposed to have it at full volume with test tones. Pretty sure its really bad for the speakers. if the Sound meter on my phone says (just for arguments sake) 10db on 11 volume, then it should be 20db on 22 volume. Making it so i shouldnt have to run full volume to it balanced

3. Should i just ditch the hertz tweeter and invest in a PA high rms tweeter. mount it in my door, closer to my woofer?

also my amp has an undefeatable sunsonic filter that maxes out at 500hz. Im assuming on my tweeter side, i should turn that all the way up to 500hz, Help block any bass frequencies.