pg rsd5cs x over modification for bi amp

A passive crossover simply attenuates the frequencies above or below it's predetermined point, after the amplification stage..  An active crossover does the same thing in the stage before amplification.  This allows you to play the system louder and cleaner, because the amp is not wasting power on a frequency that the crossover is soaking up.

meltmanbob wrote: Cool! Like I mentioned I would be checking resistance to see if I completely cut the circuit the way I intended and I might even apply some sort of coating to eliminate the possibility of electricity jumping the gaps. As for the active xovers like I said I've never looked into them. I am familiar with the roll off associated with 1st, 2nd etc ordered passives, I just wasn't sure that actives behaved the same way. Do you have any thoughts about the door panel idea for the woofers? Also if you don't mind a brief explanation I am now a bit interested to know why actives are generally thought of as being better.

Actives allow you adjust the crossover by turning a dial, changing a setting, etc rather than swapping out caps and inductors.  Also a passive will eat up some power and the crossover point can drift depending on how hot the VC gets and the frequency content of the source material; actives won't do that.  Just for example, I have a p9 combo, which is a little more powerful than your typical active, but I can change slope, polarity and frequency all from the HU.  So lets say I run into a cancellation problem at the crossover point that can't be resolved by changing polarity - I have the option of trying a different order crossover to resolve the problem.   With passives you'd have to redesign the whole crossover.  OTOH for your average daily driver passives are usually enough. 

You talking to me???

P9 Combo

ID CD1-Pros

Focal Utopia Midbass

10" Brahma

Clarion APX amps

Thanks for the info! I haven't looked into actives because I haven't had the money to really considering some higher end designs but eventually I will and I will probably want to build those myself just for kicks. Anyway I'm still hoping someone can explain the markings on the circuit components since I spent some time trying to research it but found no conclusive answers. Also if someone can post pictures I would like to get my drawing put on this thread so if for some reason I lose them they will be here and so other people can take a look. So no one has anything else to say about the ABC box idea?