Active Crossovers

 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 13
Registered: Jun-06
What is the current thinking on best crossover circuit topologies? I'm asking about subwoofers, but also for multiamping in general.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 8798
Registered: May-04
.

The answer would depend on what you want to crossover to accomplish.


.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 15
Registered: Jun-06
Crossover would serve its usual purpose. One amp drives the subwoofer. Other amps drive the rest of the speakers. Its just like the old passive crossovers, except this is active, and comes before the amp.

This is how its generally been done with subwoofers for a long time now.

I just want to hear ideas about active filter topologies.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 8802
Registered: May-04
.

The answer would depend on what you want to crossover to accomplish.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 16
Registered: Jun-06
What I want to accomplish is a nice sound system. I just want to know what the current practices are.
 

Gold Member
Username: Timn8ter

Seattle, WA USA

Post Number: 1004
Registered: Dec-03
The typical sub plate amp will have a 12db/octave variable active low pass filter. Usually this works well enough. I've seen a few that employ 24db/octave slopes but they're a little hard to find.
There seems to be a lot of attention paid to FIR crossovers lately. Mostly, I think, because there's now software available for PCs to emulate a FIR crossover. There's also a very expensive external component being sold using this technology claiming the ability to rolloff at 100db/octave. The problem I have with it is you're taking an analog signal, digitizing it, processing it and converting it back to analog again. Excellent for pro sound however.
In the realm of active crossovers, I tend to prefer 4th order LR filters.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 19
Registered: Jun-06
Timn8ter, thank you and please go on. A FIR filter is obviously a digital filter. Please tell us more. In my mind I was envisioning and analog active filter.

I'm interested to know people's ideas. I'm also interested to know how most of the stuff sold on the market actually works.

Most active filter use Sallen-Key circuits. So you get two orders per op-amp.

This still means you have to have one for the low pass part, and one for the high pass part.

I'm wondering if anyone is doing it with just one type of filter, and then some subtraction?

This would give you flat summation, regardless of component tollerances.
 

Gold Member
Username: Timn8ter

Seattle, WA USA

Post Number: 1009
Registered: Dec-03
I'm not an EE but what I know is Finite Impulse Response filtering is digital signal processing. There are self-contained components you hook up just like any other audio component and there is computer software you can run on your PC.
PC based FIR filters allow the user to create multiple filter solutions. The art to doing this properly is knowing which window function to apply. The choice of window selection will depend on how steep you want your rolloff to be. The steeper the rolloff the more processing that is required. You want to use the least amount of processing to achieve your desired response. Essentially, you input your signal, perform A/D conversion, manipulate the signal in the FIR program, perform D/A conversion then send it to your amp.
Yes, Sallen-Key is the standard. I'm not aware of anyone using subtraction although I know it's been talked about. It's as you say, one op amp will produce a 2nd order rolloff, two will produce a 4th order rolloff.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 21
Registered: Jun-06
Timn8ter,Thank you. I'm interested in looking at all the variations in use, for home and commercial audio.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 24
Registered: Jun-06
Some of us are starting to talk about this subject on diyaudio.com -> loudspeakers -> subwoofers -> Active Crossovers.

I invite you all to come, register, and join us.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 3396
Registered: Dec-04
And I thought Brian Jones drowned, the Stones told me.
Who knew?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 26
Registered: Jun-06
Nuck, there are stories around. It happened in his own swimming pool. He had bought and restored the Winnie the Pooh estate.

He had gotten clean of drugs. He was doing dives, showing off in front of some girls.

Some say that some workmen at the house decided to mess around with him some, and started holding him under the water. He drowned, and these workers fled and denyed any knowledge of it.

Officially its been recorded as just an accident.

Nuck, you must be the most frequent poster here?
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 3430
Registered: Dec-04
I am familiar with the theories and conspiracy mongers.

I frequent the forum, but not in record form.

I kill a lot of time.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 27
Registered: Jun-06
I live in the San Jose area. How about you? Are you involved in other types of forum and online communities?

I am involved in newcafe.org, as well as diyaudio.com. I recommend both.
 

Gold Member
Username: Nuck

Post Number: 3546
Registered: Dec-04
Brian, I go to DIY, and find it quite good, although the sign in seems to be a bit of an issue.
Lots of posters here are also on DIY, and regularly talk about things that are regularly above my head.
Learn, learn,learn...
 

Bronze Member
Username: Zenmasterbrian

Post Number: 28
Registered: Jun-06
My interest is mostly the DIY angle. So I've shifted my attention there. Some highly knowledgable people there. I learn greatly with each visit.

What are you referring to about sign in?
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