X overs, the difference with and without

[Bam!]

Hi guys

I am playing around with 1st order crossovers on my open baffles. Right now I have a wideband driver that rolls off at 8K's naturally at 6db/octave. I have a Supravox tweeter that cuts in at 5K, that is non directional.

<<the sound>> it can get very forward and extremely dynamic in this configuration

with a first order x over, being a .5 milihenri coil that (couldn't measure it ops: ) probably cuts the driver at around 5K at 6db / octave and then the tweeter kicks in at 5K that has a 5mfd capacitor.

<<the sound>> better coherence and never gets forward, the sound always stays at the level of the speakers. Imaging seems a little more transparent. It seems a little more polite and refined then without though which is where my soft spot is. That is a compromise I can't accept.

So, what are your experiences with and without x overs. Do you guys find they tend to suck the life out of the music, affect the weight of the sound, and lastly do dynamics really suffer ?

Thanks

[ToddAnisman]

Hmmm...Kind of a loaded question....

I have found in my experience of Contructing Mixing theaters that Crosssovers need to also have EQ's to smooth the "Bumps" out. If your room is small, I would say stay far away from a super complex monitooring system, you're never going to be able to get the pieces time aligned corrrectly - it's just too drastic to ask that separates be focused in together within 15 or 20 feet.

let's put it this way...JBL spec's a 2-way system for a theater up to 500 people. Only then do they go to a 3-way. Tuning a 3 way is a cast iron B***h. Tuning a 2 way is no easy task either. I'd say fix your room first, then look into the expense of crossovers.


-Todd A.