Understanding Active Loudspeaker Crossovers

A correctly set up active sound system can have greater clarity, realism,
and freedom from inter-modulation distortion
Active systems can be 2-way, 3-way, or 4-way.
The line level signal from the preamplifier or mixer is electronically filtered into the correct frequency bands to be sent
to independent amplifiers that drive the bass loudspeaker, mid loudspeaker and tweeter separately.
The auditory difference between an active and passive loudspeaker system is noticed by everyone. A correctly set up
active sound system can have greater clarity, realism, and freedom from inter-modulation distortion.
For an active system to be compact and affordable the amplifiers can be included within the loudspeaker cabinets.
Traditionally, the audio retail market had been opposed to selling active systems, but this is changing. Audiophile
retailers make greater profits marketing magic and mystical components, not technology.
Magical loudspeakers connected to magical amplifiers with magical cable producing a magical sound which only they
can hear. This may sound silly but these fraudulent business practices are real and highly profitable.
The pro audio market is mostly driven by brand image and trends, rather than technology. Merchandisers gain
greater control in how they profit from a sale by selling loudspeakers, cable and amplifiers separately.
The primary problem is greed, ego, ignorance, fear of technology and lack of education. Also, most sound
engineering courses are superficial with little or no meaningful electro-acoustic content.
An active system incorrectly set up will perform worse than a passive system. Active systems require technical skill to
set up correctly. People who make loudspeaker systems sometimes do not have electronic knowledge. Most
electronic people have limited electro-acoustic knowledge. Most active applications are 2-way. An extra amplifier and
loudspeaker for sub-bass.
Active systems are often used for high-powered professional applications. Active is rarely taken to its fullest extent as
a 4-way across the frequency spectrum, because of cost, time and limited technical understanding to manage the
complexities.

Electronic crossovers can be purchased as a rack mount unit 2-way, 3-way for stereo but rarely as a stereo 4-way.
Crossover points can easily be changed.
Slope (2nd-order) 12 dB/octave (Q 0.707) -3 dB at crossover point (Butterworth) will give the best performance with
least complications. Higher order slopes 4th-order 24 dB/octave with -6 dB at the crossover points can be utilized to
provide greater control over the loudspeakers, but are more critical to calibrate.
The compression driver and bullet tweeter must have a Capacitor in series with the amplifier. The turn on/off pulses
and DC offset from amplifiers could easily destroy driver and tweeter. 47F for the compression driver and 4.7F for
the bullet tweeter will provide an extra -6 dB/octave roll off. This will insure no bass energy will get to the drivers.
Linkwitz-Riley. Professional electronic crossovers referred to as Linkwitz-Riley, have fixed slopes, 4th-order 24
dB/octave (Q 0.5) and -6 dB at crossover point (Bessel). The crossover points can be changed.
This has been adopted as the standard for professional systems. The steep 24 dB/octave slopes give maximum
protection, control and power capability for the drivers. This Linkwitz-Riley benchmark is a mathematical calibration
that is dependent on the listener being unable to make changes once the system is calibrated. (www.linkwitzlab.com)

Theory behind this method is comprehensive and can be questioned, not as being right or wrong, but suited to the
outcome. One part of the theory states that, at the crossover point, sound comes from two sources, acoustic
directivity is increased, therefore power to each speaker should be reduced -6 dB (1/4).
This increased directivity is on-axis only, off-axis energy decreases. The total sound energy remains the same. For
near-field monitor listening, -6 dB at the crossover point can be argued as correct, but for far-field -3 dB can be
argued as correct.
This Linkwitz-Riley bench mark is dependent on the listener being unable to make changes after the system is
calibrated. But with active systems, level to each loudspeaker can simply be changed to whatever balance the
listener wishes to enjoy.
Choice to change levels between loudspeakers for personal musical enjoyment makes bench marking technically
meaningless. The decision between right and wrong, now becomes one of choosing or not choosing the right to
choose.
Listen to a mid loudspeaker crossed over in isolation. 2nd-order 12 dB/octave crossovers attenuate the music without
hearing a tone or color change. Higher order crossovers attenuate the music causing a subtle but noticeable tone or
color change (hardening) in the music. When recombined with the other loudspeakers, this tonal change is not
directly noticeable.

Active crossovers are created by electronic L. C., resonant circuits, or software digital assimilations of them. The
slopes of crossovers represent a part (one side) of a resonant note. This note is not heard directly, but the steep
slopes of third and fourth order crossovers can reflect harmonic interference (sideband distortion) within the music.
Early research referred to this ghost resonance as transient distortion. Conclusive research in this area has not been
completed.
Chebychev, Butterworth, Bessel. These names are often used by people who wish to impress but do not know
what they mean. They honor early physicists and represent the math behind filter shapes, used by electronic design
engineers. The Q of the slope (Quality of resonance), refers to the circuit, and its D (Damping), including the
geometry of shifting phase in the slope.

Some electronic crossovers are designed for research and use computing power to change filter shapes, slopes,
crossover points and time alignment. These crossovers are complex to set up.
Some live sound engineers love to randomly twiddle with these functions during live performances. This irresponsible
behavior often guarantees distorted coloration in the sound system and destruction of compression drivers.