electronic v. passive crossover, opinons?

Haha, yeah.  Sony used to make some amazing stuff.  It's too bad they make crap now.  Here's a link to info on the processor I use: http://www.matronics.com/xdp4000x-list/   You can also download the DSC software that controls it to see all the functionality.  It doesn't have 10 per output like what yours does though.  The 4000X only has 10 bands left and 10 bands right.  But it does give you 250 different Q positions.  Also the crossover selection, although steep, doesn't give many points.  That's the biggest problem with the unit.

BTW, what unit are you using?

My boss was talking about a design he has that makes mine look like pitiful.  In fact, it sounds like it would make Alpine's F1 system look pitiful.

Steven Kephart

Adire Audio

Wow!  Thank you all for the rundown.  I have enjoyed reading your posts.  I appreciate you all taking the time to speak at a higher level about the question I asked.  Let me say first that I am not one of those people that would buy a unit like the Eclipse and play around with the parametric eq until I understood what I was doing.  While I am not an electrical engineer, a professional in the car audio industry, or even a long-time participant in the car audio field/hobby, I did get a degree in computer science, work for a few years as a programmer/database administrator, and am now using car audio as a much needed sanity device during the summer after my first year of attending a competitive law school.  I don't write that to prop myself up in any way, I would simply assert that if a concept is adequately presented I am confident that I can at least come to some base understanding of that concept or ask appropriate follow-up questions until I do.

Having said that, it is my goal this summer to acheive the best possible sound quality from my system under my somewhat limited budget.  I listened to the available equipment in my price range, with the exception of the ID subwoofer, before I bought.  Although I was not experienced with installation, I took the time to do research the correct way to install the amplifiers and the components myself.  Yesterday I just finished damping each door with over 20ft^2 of dynamat xtreme.  The drivers are mounted to a foam gasket with the back cut out on 3/4" MDF brackets sealed to the door with silicone caulk.  The inside of the door is also lined w/ xtreme everywhere I could reach and directly behind the speaker is a cascade audio deflex pad.  The tweeter is installed in the coax position and I spend considerable time trying to get the imaging right before mounting the speaker.  I adjusted the l/r balance with test tones and an spl meter and set the time correction based on the Eclipse manual. I only tell you this to let you know I'm serious about achieving the best possible sound this summer on my budget.  With the exception of my soldering laziness (see a previous post), the system has come a long way toward that end so far.

My friend and I drove out of town last night to demo some b&w, mirage, and energy home theater systems.  We spent hours with the dealer doing a/b tests before buying.  While I don't claim to be an audiophile, I can recognize and appreciate what sounds good.

Now, haemphyst, your conclusion was that the Eclipse's crossovers could provide me better sound with the proper tools.  I'm assuming that you'd say my analog spl meter and autosound test tones aren't going to cut it, correct?    If there is a substantial improvement to be gained by using my active crossovers in the deck, I am willing to at least consider what I'd need to do to get there.  Suggestions everyone/anyone?

Thanks again,

Aweome.  That unit looks fantastic and is in my price range.  It looks like a true investment piece that could serve an owner for years.  Thanks for the suggestion - I am seriously considering it.  You said you're also considering this unit, do you have any reservations about it?  Being a computer guy, I'm curious about what sound card/mic/software RTA packages are available for laptops.  It seems like that combination could be quite flexible.  Do you have any opinion about a setup like this or any experience with some packages? 

Unfortunately, the new home theater system was my friend's purchase.  He went with the energy connoisseur line.  I thought the Mirage was the smoothest and best sounding system, but he didn't like the effect of the omnipolar tweeters.  It was a close call between the b&w 600 series and the energy.  We picked the energy over the b&w because the high end of the vocal range sounded dry and strained when pushed during peaks on the b&w.  heh .. don't worry, I learned a long time ago that blose's smoke and mirrors setup doesn't impress me.  :-)

Don't worry, you didn't push any buttons.  ;-)   Thanks for the welcome.

haemphyst + others,

How would you feel about this RTA setup:

True RTA software, level 3 or 4:  http://www.trueaudio.com/rta_abt1.htm

Behringer ECM8000 mic

I've been wanting to upgrade to an audigy 2 based soundcard anyway, so this might be a way to kill 2 birds with one stone.

Thanks in advance, kfr

DYohn, that's a good idea.  It would be much more convenient to setup an rta on my laptop than the desktop.  What sound card do you use for that application, a usb based solution?