Please recommend a 3 way active, variable, stereo crossover

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Mike D

My friend is very interested in a tube crossover.  But he is currently using two different 2-way 24db/octave crossovers.  One is a DOD 835 and the other is a ART 310.  He is using them on Hartsfield drivers in JBL theater horn cabinets that have been turned upside down and turned into 3-way cabinets.  

He is currently working on getting logged in to the circle.

Scott F.

Please recommend a 3 way active, variable, stereo crossover
« Reply #1 on: 22 Jan 2006, 07:10 pm »
Well, there aren't tons of choices (unfortunately) when you get away from the pro-sound crossovers.

The ones that come to mind are;

Pioneer SF-750, SF-850, D-23 and D-24
Audio Research EC-3 tubed
Sony TA-4300


After that, I don't recall any other active three way crossovers other than the pro-sound units. The Pioneers will start at about $300 and will top out at about $1400 for the D-24. Those are all circa late 70's to early 80's. The AR will run you about $1200. It's circa mid 70's. The Sony will run about $400. I've owned the only one I've ever seen (Vasu has it now).

Speaking of Vasu, he has the first Pioneer SF-750(?) which isn't being used since he has my old Sony. He might be able to part with it reasonably. I'd suggest completely rebuilding the power supply (bigger xfmr, rectifier bridge, regulator, storage and filter caps) and upgrade the caps in the crossover.

The other option is to buy a minimalist version of a pro-sound XO (not phase setting, time delays and all the extrainious crap they put on thse things). Then you take and have one of the modders (like John Hillig or Wayne at Bolder) upgrade the opamps, remove traces of any circuitry that doesn't serve the active gain stage of the XO. Then I'd remove the power supply and buy an external, fully regulated power supply to feed it (it will be far better than the stock power supply).

There are a couple of DJ (as in wedding DJ) three way XOs that can be had for under $100. They have decent crossover modules that will sound good. The trouble with them is the cheap opamps and a poorly designed power supply. These would be less expensive to modify since they are minimalist already. A person foud get some pretty darned good sound out of one of these if it were modified and using an external power supply.

Overall, not a lot of options but price-wise, I'd probably go for the DJ XO. He'd probably be $600 all in and have a brand new unit that shouldn't need care for many years.