PASSIVE or ACTIVE crossovers,whats best
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=936
Printed Date: August 25, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Topic: PASSIVE or ACTIVE crossovers,whats best
Posted By: Dan M C.
Subject: PASSIVE or ACTIVE crossovers,whats best
Date Posted: May 25, 2002 at 9:27 AM
Hi everybody,i was wondering if i should use an electronic crossover model SONY XEC 1000/S to replace the passive one that my Mb Quart came with,they are the entry level Discus series of a few years ago,they are not the fancy looking ones,they come in a black tube-like,even thow they are separates i want to get the best sound quality posible.The amp of choice is Nakamichi PA-1002 @ 50 w x2,the tweets can take 40~80 watts.My plan is to run the amp at full range then cross it from sony xec 1000/s instead of the cheap looking quart,please help.
I tried a few times to get info on pannel removal on my 1995 BMW 318i without any luck,so if anyone can post some info on kick pannel,door pannel and rear speaker removal procedure i'll be very greatfull,thank you and sorry to re-post this again but i'm desperate.
Replies:
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: May 25, 2002 at 10:18 AM
To remove the door panel , unscrew the lock button, remove the screws in the armrest and remove the interior door handle trim by prying it backwards. If its a front door, remove the mirror switch or the blank plate, depending on which side you are doing. These items will pop out if you gently pry on them with a small screwdriver. Behind them is a screw securing the top of the pull handle. There are two more screws along the lower edge of the arm rest. Gently insert a screwdriver between the door and panel and pry out the clips around the edge. When the bottom and both sides are free, lift the panel straight up and it will come off.No matter what you have the panel off for, make sure the drains in the bottom of the door are clear. When reinstalling a panel make sure the plastic cover is on the door. This plastic prevents noise, wind, dust and moisture from entering through your door. Rain water enters the door and is supposed to drain out the bottom, if this plastic is missing or torn, the door panel can be damaged by the moisture. Here's a site of interest for all you BMW do-it-yourselfer's : https://www.bmwworld.com/repairs/tips.htm ------------- Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: May 25, 2002 at 10:20 AM
BTW: go for the active crossover..... it's better to be able to change your slopes with a variable crossover than have to settle for one that is not tunable. ------------- Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: Dan M C.
Date Posted: May 25, 2002 at 10:46 AM
Velocity Motors, Jeff i would like to thank you for the valuable info you gave me,thanks a million !
-------------
Posted By: Velocity Motors
Date Posted: May 25, 2002 at 11:02 AM
Hope the BMW site comes in handy for you as I hope that it is applicable for what you are doing. From what I saw it would help , even if its not exactly your model of car.... it should be pretty close. ------------- Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
Posted By: NyxBass
Date Posted: May 26, 2002 at 6:22 PM
I would like to qualkify somehtig just said: the active crossover will probably give you better sound between subs and the component sets, but it can't be run inline afte rthe amp, the way the passive one's are. To use it, you'll need to have a 4 channel amp with 2 channels running the tweets and 2 running the mids. You can then use the crossover on the input of the amp to control crossover points. You'll need another amp to power the sub out from the crossover, or split the signal before the crossover and use the amp's crossover for subs. A word of warning on replacing the crossovers: Many (most) component systems with a passive crossover system have a very highly engineered crossover to get good sound. They align phases, and totally control the sound in every way. They are very specifically engineered for the particular speakers they are for. They control safe crossover points, and often have tweeter protection curcuits too. To remove them could cause a huge degradation in sound. I would not take the outside casing of the crossovers to be indicative of how good they are. It's the thought and design, as well as the quality of the components inside that matter. Be welcome to try the speakers without, but be wraned that it will take a lot of twaeking to get them sounding great, and even then it may not be as good as it was with the passive crossover (The best audiophile speakers in the world use passive crossovers). If I were you, I would run the actiuve crossover to control my point and slope between subs and components, but leave the passive crossover. I might try and see if I could get good sound out of the components without the crossover, just to see, but owuld probably us ethe crossover just to be safe. Unless you really know what you're doing, and all of the specs and such for the speakers, and have a good testing setup, it's easy to harm a tweeter or muddy up your sound with the wrong points/slopes. Just some things to keep in mind. ------------- /NyxBass
|