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Best audio crossover point for RP-600m


Boomzilla

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I have a larger (33x15x9) room and a new set of Klipsch RP-600m speakers.  I also have a pair of 15" downward-firing subs.  My crossover (JL Audio CR-1) is capable of discreet R/L stereo bass management.

 

At what frequency should this pair of satellites be crossed over to the subs for stereo audio use only?  I've had audio amigos advise me that I should set the crossover as closely as possible to the -3dB roll-off point of the satellites, but as I see it, this has numerous potential disadvantages:

 

1.  The acoustic roll-off of the speakers will be added to that of the upstream electronic crossover, causing asymmetrical crossover rates between the satellites and the subs.

2.  The intermodulation distortion of the satellites will be increased because of the higher woofer excursion on the satellites.

3.  The single 6.5" woofers of the satellites will be stressed at high volumes in my room.

 

I've (conversely) also had other audio amigos recommending to me that since I do have two subs, and because those subs will (initially) be located as closely as possible to the satellites, that I set the crossover to as high a frequency as possible (150 Hz. with the JL).  As I see it, this does have some advantages, but also some disadvantages:

 

On the plus side:

 

1.  The intermodulation distortion of the satellites should be minimized because the longer excursions required for lower bass will be handled by the subs (whose larger cone area will minimize distortion for the same volume).

2.  The amount of current required to run the satellites will be greatly reduced allowing the use of much lower wattage tube amplifiers if desired.

3.  By judicious use of the phase knob on the sub's plate amps, I can move the subs more independently of the satellite locations.

 

But on the minus side:

 

1.  Having a higher crossover frequency may allow the transition from satellites to subs to become more audible.

2.  At higher frequencies, acoustic localization of the subs may become more likely.

3.  The downward-firing design of the subs may muffle the higher frequencies.

 

The specific subs being used are Powersound Audio S1510DF models, a sealed-box design that has worked well in my room before.  I plan to use the JL crossover with 24dB / octave slopes, rather than the more ubiquitous 12.

 

So noting that movie soundtrack use is NOT a priority for this system, where should the crossover point be set?

 

Thanks in advance for your help - Boomzilla

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  • 1 year later...
  • 1 year later...

Hey Boomzilla,

 

I know this thread is old but that is awesome you have two 15s. Has your setup changed at all or are you still using the 600s?

 

I got the 600s with one 15" sub. The sub hasn't came in yet though. Unfortunately I can not set the crossover on my amp, only on my sub. 

 

I agree with your point that the 6.5" could hypothetically take a beating at high volumes with the lower frequencies.

 

However, I wanted to ask what ended up working best for you? Have you found that the 600s have any issue if they are being forced to play down to 45-60hz like they are rated, especially at low volume?

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[Link to photo removed] my personal favorite subwoofer crossover for the RP-600M - running from an integrated amplifier using the high level inputs on the sub rather than the RCA input or Low Level/ LFE inputs. Very musical with this setting and still very detailed. I make minor tweaks to the level but try to keep the crossover setting right in that spot. Fyi my crossover is adjustable from 40hz to 110hz in case you can't see the number, so I'd say try 85-90hz, which is slightly higher than the typical 80hz recommendation, but these are not bass or low-mid heavy speakers so I feel this best fills in the sound spectrum making them sound quite full and well rounded. Give it a try, I highly doubt you'll be disappointed, even if you enjoy another crossover frequency point as well. Like I said, this is strictly for a musical presentation of the speakers and I would highly recommend using high level inputs (if your subwoofer has these) over the normal subwoofer inputs because you get a much better musical dynamic presentation of the sound that blends so much better with your speakers imo. (10" 250 Watt front ported subwoofer for reference) 

 

 

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10 hours ago, HiFiClay said:

[Link to photo removed] my personal favorite subwoofer crossover for the RP-600M - running from an integrated amplifier using the high level inputs on the sub rather than the RCA input or Low Level/ LFE inputs. Very musical with this setting and still very detailed. I make minor tweaks to the level but try to keep the crossover setting right in that spot. Fyi my crossover is adjustable from 40hz to 110hz in case you can't see the number, so I'd say try 85-90hz, which is slightly higher than the typical 80hz recommendation, but these are not bass or low-mid heavy speakers so I feel this best fills in the sound spectrum making them sound quite full and well rounded. Give it a try, I highly doubt you'll be disappointed, even if you enjoy another crossover frequency point as well. Like I said, this is strictly for a musical presentation of the speakers and I would highly recommend using high level inputs (if your subwoofer has these) over the normal subwoofer inputs because you get a much better musical dynamic presentation of the sound that blends so much better with your speakers imo. (10" 250 Watt front ported subwoofer for reference) 

 

 

Welcome to the Forum.  You can up load the photo to your post if you wish rather than linking it to an outside source.

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