Speaker Crossover
2010
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Speaker Crossover
Why you can't do without a car audio crossover.
I've heard the question asked many times before, 'Do I really
need a crossover?' Without wasting any time I quickly answer,
'Yes you do'. Whether it's a passive crossover or an active
crossover, your car audio system will never sound good without a
crossover. I want to make myself very clear here, so before you
get confused let's talk about what a car audio crossover is and
why you need one.
A crossover is a filtering device which limits the frequencies
that reach a speaker. It splits a music signal into separate
frequency ranges and sends them to speakers that are designed to
best reproduce each frequency range. For instance, only high
frequencies would be sent to your tweeters, midrange to your mid
range speakers, and lows to your subwoofer.
The passive crossover is very common. It's basically a capacitor
or coil installed on the speaker leads between amplifier and
speaker that stops certain frequencies from reaching a speaker.
It's relatively inexpensive and easy to install.
But for your car stereo system to perform better and be
efficient, you need an active crossover, also referred to as an
electronic crossover. It is installed between your head unit or
equalizer and your amplifiers. Your electronic crossover sends
the proper frequency ranges to each amplifier. Some people run
three separate amps: one for bass, one for mids and the other
for highs.
Active crossovers are almost infinitely adjustable. You can vary
the crossover points and adjust the level of separate speakers
to achieve the best overall sound in your vehicle.
If you're serious about sound you must have a car audio
crossover. Otherwise your system will sound terrible. Oh what a
mess it will be when your subwoofer and mid-range speakers
duplicate many of the same frequencies! How about when your
mid-range speaker attempts to put out high notes that your
tweeters are supposed to handle. Can you bear such grief? I
can't.
And this is just the beginning of your sorrow and pain. Since
low frequencies are being sent to your tweeters there will be
distortion. As a result of this distortion your tweeters will be
destroyed. Loud bass will eventually destroy your mid-range
speakers as well. Now you've got to start from scratch and buy a
new set of speakers, all because you started on the wrong
footing.
About the Author
Mantius Cazaubon is a successful author and publisher of Car Stereos
Guide.com. A resource for information and tips on buying car
stereo and audio products online.
I got an Alpine speaker system that came with the subs, tweeters and crossover box do i need the crossover box?
just wondering if i needed the crossover box because i do not have an aftermarket amp in my truck
It sounds like you have a component speaker system, so those aren't subs. They're woofers. You MUST use the crossovers when installing these speakers. Follow the wiring guide in the user's manual. The purpose of the crossover is to keep the high frequencies out of the woofers, and the bass out of the tweeters. If you don't use the crossover, you can expect to blow the tweeters very quickly; they're not made for playing bass.
Aviatrix Part 1 Speaker Kit Crossover Assembly Video
