Wanting to run active but confused...

[Echo42987 10+ year member]

As title states I'm a little confused on running active. I've only ever ran passive setups and want to change it up now because I'm trying to get better SQ.

How do I set everything up? Do I use the HU as the new crossover? Can I use my current 4 channel amp to power the front tweeters and woofers? How do I continue to run my rears if I setup the fronts to run active? What frequencies do I set this too?

I read the sticky above but I am still a little lost on how to go about everything. I'm not a noob to car audio in anyway but a noob to running a active setup and want to try it out! I appreciate the help and links to any websites where I could read up on it more would be great!

Squeak I know you have the answers so help me out lol! All my equipment is listed in my sig. Please tell me if I will need to add ne thing to it etc. Thanks ahead of time.

-Nick-

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[redcalimp5 10+ year member]

As title states I'm a little confused on running active. I've only ever ran passive setups and want to change it up now because I'm trying to get better SQ.
How do I set everything up? Do I use the HU as the new crossover? Can I use my current 4 channel amp to power the front tweeters and woofers? How do I continue to run my rears if I setup the fronts to run active? What frequencies do I set this too?

I read the sticky above but I am still a little lost on how to go about everything. I'm not a noob to car audio in anyway but a noob to running a active setup and want to try it out! I appreciate the help and links to any websites where I could read up on it more would be great!

Squeak I know you have the answers so help me out lol! All my equipment is listed in my sig. Please tell me if I will need to add ne thing to it etc. Thanks ahead of time.

-Nick-

I've got an Alpine 7998 that I'm running a set of components 2 way active, with a single 12" sub in a sealed box. The 7998 has a small selector switch on the right side of the chassis that allows you to choose either a passive control set, or an active control set from the HU.

I'm using the active crossover controls on the HU to run my setup. Here's how I currently have my crossover settings set to:

High(tweets): 4.0 kHz, 12db/oct

Mid-Hi: 3.2kHz, 12db/oct

Mid-Lo: 80Hz, 12db/oct

Low(sub): 80Hz, slope set to OFF

For the kind of music I generally listen to, I really like this configuration. I played around with the settings for about two weeks or so before I settled in on where they're at now.

 

[Echo42987 10+ year member]

But how do I set it up. Do I run the 4 channel outputs from the HU to the 4 channel amp and just take out the passive crossover and wire the speakers dirrectly into the amp? Does this give me better SQ?

Thanks for your input though it helps me understand a little better! But I don't think I have that switch on the 9887 at least I'm not seeing one?

-Nick-

 

[redcalimp5 10+ year member]

But how do I set it up. Do I run the 4 channel outputs from the HU to the 4 channel amp and just take out the passive crossover and wire the speakers dirrectly into the amp? Does this give me better SQ?
Thanks for your input though it helps me understand a little better! But I don't think I have that switch on the 9887 at least I'm not seeing one?

-Nick-

Yeah, that's exactly how you would set it up. You ditch the passives completely, and have the speakers wired directly to the amp. I can't claim that it will give you better SQ, but I do know that you will be able to have MUCH more control over your settings, which should allow you to tweak the system towards attaining better SQ.

Hopefully someone will chime in that has some actual user experience with the 9887.....I'd comment on it, but I'm really not familiar with it at all.

 

[redcalimp5 10+ year member]

SWEET setup, btw, Nick. I've been wanting to hear the Focals you have for a while now, and Helix amps are supposed to be niice, too.

 

[Echo42987 10+ year member]

Awesome thanks for the response! And if you lived around here I would tell you to stop on by lol. They sound amazing though and this is my favorite setup I've ran thus far.

-Nick-

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

I've got an Alpine 7998 that I'm running a set of components 2 way active, with a single 12" sub in a sealed box. The 7998 has a small selector switch on the right side of the chassis that allows you to choose either a passive control set, or an active control set from the HU.
I'm using the active crossover controls on the HU to run my setup. Here's how I currently have my crossover settings set to:

High(tweets): 4.0 kHz, 12db/oct

 

Mid-Hi: 3.2kHz, 12db/oct

Mid-Lo: 80Hz, 12db/oct

Low(sub): 80Hz, slope set to OFF

For the kind of music I generally listen to, I really like this configuration. I played around with the settings for about two weeks or so before I settled in on where they're at now.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif That's pretty high for some mids, especilly if you're running 6.5's in the door...I've got my tweets in the a pillar, and try to keep as much of the stage up there, so long as they can handle it. If you're running 6.5's in the door, crossing above 2-2.5k is pointless IMO...just too much beaming past 2k for my tastes. Now if they're on axis, that's a different story...

 

[Echo42987 10+ year member]

^^^^ What do you mean?

-Nick-

 

[MiniVanMan 10+ year member]

The switch on the 9887 that allows you to go to active is on the outside, on the chassis. You'll need to look at your owner's manual to get the specifics, but it's all detailed there.

 

[redcalimp5 10+ year member]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/eek.gif.771b7a90cf45cabdc554ff1121c21c4a.gif That's pretty high for some mids, especilly if you're running 6.5's in the door...I've got my tweets in the a pillar, and try to keep as much of the stage up there, so long as they can handle it. If you're running 6.5's in the door, crossing above 2-2.5k is pointless IMO...just too much beaming past 2k for my tastes. Now if they're on axis, that's a different story...

Yeah, most people don't seem to go past 2.5kHz with their mids.....and I've tried mine at that setting, and having them set at 3.2 sounds better to my ears. Then again, I'm not really sure what the concept of 'beaming' is in reference to adjusting crossover points with speakers, either. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

this is off topic, but how do you like that Helix amp? I have the HA400 but haven't hooked it up yet.

 

[Echo42987 10+ year member]

Best amp yet. Like I stated I think this current setup is one of the favorites I've ran.

-Nick-

 

[Echo42987 10+ year member]

The switch on the 9887 that allows you to go to active is on the outside, on the chassis. You'll need to look at your owner's manual to get the specifics, but it's all detailed there.

So there is a switch on the 9887 as well? Cause I'm not finding it in the owners manual at least. I just got done reading it.

-Nick-

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

But how do I set it up. Do I run the 4 channel outputs from the HU to the 4 channel amp and just take out the passive crossover and wire the speakers dirrectly into the amp? Does this give me better SQ?
Thanks for your input though it helps me understand a little better! But I don't think I have that switch on the 9887 at least I'm not seeing one?

-Nick-

When setting up your speaker with an active xover, you ditch the passives completely.

What you are doing is, filtering the frequencies BEFORE they get to the amp. By filtering the input signal, the output to the speaker is also filtered. You are spot on as far as using a 4channel amplifier, you'll need all 4channels for your 4 speakers.

When going active, you are providing the power from the amplifier directly to you speakers. It's more efficient, because you don't have a passive crossover with a lot of components eating up some of your amplifier power. It also allows you to have quite a bit more control over your system. It may take longer to get it where you like it, and it takes some reading to find out the best way to start things... but in the end it should provide a better sound... and especially more control.

When going active, most people ditch their rear fill. One reason is, they do not have anymore outputs on their HU dedicated for rear fill. One option, if you insist, is to have your rear fill on the same channels as your mids are. They will only be receiving midrange frequencies, but you don't want your soundstage pulled to the rear by having too much high frequency coming from your rear. If you do this, make sure your amplifier is ok running to ohms per channel for the midrange. I personally have ditched my rears and never looked back.

nG

 

[RAM_Designs 5,000+ posts]

I personally have ditched my rears and never looked back.
nG

I'll never go back to using rear speakers either. After having a solid front stage, there's no point in going back to rears...