Frequency crossovers

Crossovers

Crossovers are assemblies or devices that play a fundamental role in the installation of speakers, but are little known. Yet they are responsible for ensuring that the sounds are played out with excellent sound and that you can enjoy pure listening pleasure. Crossovers belong in every system setup. As their name suggests, they are the distributors of frequencies. A crossover splits the audio signal into one frequency and one frequency into the other.

• upper,
• medium and
• low frequency range

and forwards them to the corresponding speakers: tweeters process the peaks and high tones best, low tones (from about 80 Hz down) run to the bass speaker. This distribution conditions a flawless reproduction and enables the maximum listening experience.

Areas of application of crossovers

In the private sector

An external subwoofer is necessary for the low tones on the home system for the cinema at home or the party cellar. Due to their design, the other speakers are not made for bass and would only reproduce it inadequately and flatly. However, a separate woofer is a must so that it really vibrates in the home theater or the bass line of the music piece comes out well. The upstream crossover ensures that the humming sounds arrive in the subwoofer. Its cables lead to the bass speaker as well as to the tweeters and midrange speakers. If you want to emphasize the vocals, you can slightly boost the mid and high tones. If you want it to really boom during your favorite track or action movie, you may emphasize the bass. A high-quality crossover enables you to do all that.

Everywhere where it may get louder

Concerts, party rooms, event locations - wherever a larger listening area has to be covered, different loudspeakers are inevitably used. Without a crossover, however, visitors would only perceive a noise mush. Crossovers are also essential when working with multi-channel amplifiers and spatial solutions. They control the loudspeakers precisely. The more correctly the crossover works, the "rounder" and fuller the result (linearization). For this, the crossover needs powerful filters that match the preferred music and the loudspeakers.

For all listening enthusiasts

Are you one of those people to whom a clean sound image is important? Perhaps you have already been bothered by the effect of the resonance frequency: Misdirected frequencies can lead to amplitudes above the desired deflection. Result: Some tones appear particularly loud or sound distorted. Does even the loudspeaker cabinet vibrate? This then leads to further interference resonances. A crossover nips this in the bud. If necessary, you can regulate the output levels separately for each frequency range. In addition, a crossover provides overload protection for your system through limiters or PTC thermistors.

Crossover: Active, passive or digital?

Crossovers consist of high and low pass filters, capacitors and coils. The filters sort the frequencies of the audio signals. Capacitors let high frequency ranges through and block lower ones. For balance, coils do the opposite. Depending on the application, the crossovers are equipped with additional resistors to achieve the desired filter functions.

Passive crossover

Only current-independent components are used in the passive crossover. Therefore, this type of crossover does not need additional energy. However, it can not amplify.

Active crossover

Operational amplifiers and transistors operating with external power supply make a crossover active. This provides not only electronic amplification but also overload monitoring and protection, as well as sufficiently equalized low-frequency paths.

Digital crossover

The digital representatives also belong to the active crossovers. They work with digital filters, signal processing processors and D-A converters. Advantage here: Even high filter orders above 8 can be implemented. Please note that you need a separate power supply and amplifier for each output.

Set the crossover correctly

For perfect listening pleasure, it is important to calibrate the system once, i.e. to bring the spatial and technical conditions into harmony with each other. To set the crossover correctly, you need to prick up your ears and have a desire to try things out. You can fine-tune both the input signal and the individual outputs. For this purpose, deal with the key figures and the possible power of your amplifiers.

High-quality crossovers from the event specialist trade

Our quality can be heard! In the LTT online store you will find crossover equipment from popular manufacturers such as Omnitronic, LD Systems, dBTechnologies and IMG Stageline. Let us advise you on how to achieve the best listening experience in your own four walls, at the event or at the large event. We will be happy to help you.