[gr_Enjoyer]

Hi, I am still chipping away at a long-winded nx-studio build. I wanted to know if it is necessary to mount the crossover board inside the cabinet, and what the best method would be. In my light research I have heard some say screws or metal things may interfere with the crossover. The inner cabinets are almost completely covered in no-res foam and I was planning to leave it loose inside.

[Danny Richie]

Dropping the crossover in through the woofer hole is pretty simple.

We typically use 1" sheet rock screws to screw it to the floor. They will not have any effect on anything unless you put one in the center of an inductor (don't do that).

[nlitworld]

I used speaker grill guides to affix the crossover board to the cabinet. Easy insertion and removal if you feel like upgrading down the road.

Parts Express link

Little hard for you to add at this point as you'd have to drill out and press in, but good option for others to know of.

[dayneger]

I've also used a few globs of hot glue to make a soft but easily ripoffable connection, very straightforward if not as elegant as @nlitworld's cool suggestion.  From what I gather, not transmitting vibration to the XO can be desirable, though I've never tested the difference myself.  Vibration just seems to be bad for audio components, so...

On a recent conversion of a monitor to a tower I mounted the XO in a small cavity at the bottom, easily accessible/updateable and separated from the drivers by 35 pounds of sand.  I don't remember where I learned that particular trick, but it was either on audiocircle or diyaudio.  Given the separation, I put a few pieces of acoustic foam under the boards and lightly snugged 3 screws into place.

[KTS]

I used brass inserts during construction, I was careful to keep the same board with the same orientation to ensure everything fit after construction. I plan on upgrading at some point and figured this would make it somewhat easier to reinstall.


Apologies, I just realize you had it pretty much built!

[rollo]

Why inside ? Since DIY so easy to install outside.

charles

[mick wolfe]

Why inside ? Since DIY so easy to install outside.

charles

Good question. If I had it to do over again on my NX Studio's, I'd probably choose outboard. As for now however, I'm leaving well enough alone.

[Danny Richie]

Why inside ? Since DIY so easy to install outside.

charles

Mounting the crossover externally is more expensive as it requires two more sets of tube connectors.

[rollo]

  Yes more expensive. Question is, is the added expense worth it ?

charles

[S Clark]

Mounting the crossover externally is more expensive as it requires two more sets of tube connectors.

Not if you route all wires to and from drivers through a single hole, plug with caulk, and then to the crossover. 
In a two way design, isn't that just 4 wires, all of which will fit easily through a 1/2 inch hole? That's what I did with my LS9's years ago.   

[nlitworld]

I love that Danny is always looking out for our bottom line even when it comes to simple tube connectors on top shelf speakers. Something tells me after throwing down for NX-Studios and show worthy crossovers, that an extra set of tube connectors is a drop in the bucket. Always on brand Danny and we love it.   

[dayneger]

Not if you route all wires to and from drivers through a single hole, plug with caulk, and then to the crossover. 
In a two way design, isn't that just 4 wires, all of which will fit easily through a 1/2 inch hole? That's what I did with my LS9's years ago.

100%!  I don't see any reason why you'd want to spend money to put extra connectors in the signal path unless you had a specific need like wanting to hot-swapping different XOs in a development phase.

FWIW I often find it easier to get a proper seal by drilling small individual holes for each twisted pair of leads--fewer air gaps and less air to fill.  But a single hole works if you're careful to get enough caulk around all the wires.

[Danny Richie]

We mount crossovers externally when we are tweaking or developing something new so that we can easily alter things.

After that, we mount them inside.

[dayneger]

Is there no benefit to mounting the XO in a vibration-isolated fashion outside of the direct airspace of the drivers?

[Early B.]

Is there no benefit to mounting the XO in a vibration-isolated fashion outside of the direct airspace of the drivers?

I considered external crossovers for my DIY speakers but couldn't justify the expense nor find any significant benefits. For me, the main issue was where to place the crossovers. All options required a few feet of wire which introduces another set of problems. Besides, if you're gonna mount the crossovers externally to reduce vibrations, why stop there? All of your components have parts contained in metal enclosures that vibrate, too.   

[Tyson]

If your crossover is insane enough, it simply won't fit inside the speaker.  For example, I had to mount my crossovers externally.  Since I also run the servo OB subs, I had an amp box already laying on the ground.  So I just added a 2nd amp box and put my crossover into the 2nd box, like this:

[Early B.]

If your crossover is insane enough, it simply won't fit inside the speaker.  For example, I had to mount my crossovers externally.  Since I also run the servo OB subs, I had an amp box already laying on the ground.  So I just added a 2nd amp box and put my crossover into the 2nd box, like this:

Supercool! You gotta love "insane crossovers."

[dayneger]

I considered external crossovers for my DIY speakers but couldn't justify the expense nor find any significant benefits. For me, the main issue was where to place the crossovers. All options required a few feet of wire which introduces another set of problems. Besides, if you're gonna mount the crossovers externally to reduce vibrations, why stop there? All of your components have parts contained in metal enclosures that vibrate, too.

You're absolutely right that audio has a nearly infinite slippery slope!

As for the few feet of wire, in my book it's the same as most tower speakers.  I just rebuilt an older pair of standmounts with similar proportions but a little shorter than the Studios.  The new towers are 3" shallower in depth, with the corresponding internal volume pushed down the tower height, followed by 35 pounds of sand, and then a chamber at the bottom for the XO right beside the speaker jacks.  It would have been super annoying to have tried to cram the big (but not insane ) crossovers into the interior, nor did I have to add wire length to allow for getting them in/out.  Interestingly enough, they sound slightly better now as floorstanders... probably better dampening of the cabinet resonances and little/nothing to do with the XO isolation, though--correlation but likely not causation.

@Tyson, sweet XO!  I dig the hinge to the amp box.  Did you have it cryoed? 

Edit:  added a pic of the rebuild.  XO pocket at the bottom.

[E-Zee]

I enjoy seeing everyone's pics and projects.
I'm hesitant to weigh in on this topic, because I don't desire to step on toes, and others may have opposite views which can certainly be valid for them.

From my experience, my opinion on external crossovers is quite simple: Don't do it unless you absolutely have to.

If adjustments can be made, to put crossover in the cabinet, then make those adjustments. If there is no other option and an external must be used, then my next attempt would be to rigid-mount the external crossovers to the rear of the cabinet if possible. Secured to cabinet allows hardwiring without additional connectors and avoids additional footprint.

Electrostatic floorstanders or full open baffle drivers are good examples of often requiring external crossovers. Even in those scenarios, the best application is generally to have the crossovers secured to the cabinet and hardwired.

Those really are the main negatives for me, extra cables, extra connectors, but mostly extra location to plan for.  For me, it isn't primarily a cost deterrent, it's simply a huge inconvenience over time of having this extra box that always has to be placed somewhere.

Tyson's photos of his blue amp/crossover boxes are a good example of a scenario where it does work well without taking up an additional location.

I've had lots of people request assistance with an external crossover build, and for those without any true necessity, after some back and forth discussion of the negative trade-offs, they always change their mind back to internal.