What is meant by the term "crossover"?

sac1973 · « **on:** 26 Dec 2002, 09:15 pm »

sorry for what may be a stupid question. but i'm not the hts god that you guys are.

WorldWind · « **Reply #1 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 09:21 pm »

It's what happenes when you die.

all your low frequency parts go to one place....

and all your high freequency parts go to another....

sac1973 · « **Reply #2 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 09:28 pm »

Quote from: WorldWind

It's what happenes when you die.

that is funny

i still don't understand what you mean when you say all your lows and highs go to one place. can you be more specific?

Brian Bunge · « **Reply #3 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 09:40 pm »

A simple 2-way crossover in a speaker consists of a lowpass filter and a highpass filter. The lowpass filter blocks the higher frequencies from the woofer, allowing it to only reproduce the lower frequencies. The highpass filter blocks the lower frequencies from the tweeter, allowing it to only reproduce the higher frequencies.

Does this make sense?

WorldWind · « **Reply #4 on:** 26 Dec 2002, 10:32 pm »

The filters are in the form of electrical circuits. These circuits utilize the fact that capacitors like to pass alternating current (higher frequencies) but don’t like to pass direct current (lower frequencies), and that coils (inductors) easley pass direct current, but offer resistance to alternating current. The amount of resistance they offer changes with there value or rating. By combining these components in matched arrangements several different paths can be created that act like windows to only let a certain range of frequencies through to each path (speaker).

sac1973 · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 Dec 2002, 05:18 pm »

ok i'm getting there. so how do i take this info and use it to set my crossover on my reciever for my subwoofer?

Brian Bunge · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 Dec 2002, 06:43 pm »

Standard THX settings call for an 80Hz crossover setting. What choices does your receiver give you?

sac1973 · « **Reply #7 on:** 30 Dec 2002, 07:53 pm »

i believe there are four choices that my reciever gives me..three of which are 80, 100, & 120...80 i believe is the lowest i can go. my instruction manual that came with my reciever suggested 80khz for most anything i played. what are the added benefits of changing the crossover?

Brian Bunge · « **Reply #8 on:** 30 Dec 2002, 08:40 pm »

The higher crossover settings are really only good to use if you have speakers that don't have extension below 100Hz. If your speakers at least a decent sized monitors I'd say the 80Hz setting would be the best to use.