Xover Frequencies. Why so low, pros and cons of setting higher than 80-100.

[Databyter 10+ year member]

I'm looking for a bit of insight on why people say to set sub xovers at 80 HZ.

Below are the specs for my 2way speakers and my subwoofer.

It looks like my Subs useable prime range can go significantly higher than 80 and still be right at home (25-250 Hz), whereas my 2 ways cut off at 70 HZ (70-22000 HZ), so I'm assuming that at 80 they are at thier very limit of capability. why am i pushing them so low when my sub can easily fit the bill on paper?.

What would the harm be in setting my xover at 150HZ?

It seems unheard of from what I've seen so far but it makes sense to me on paper at least. What am I missing?

Keep in mind I'm not bumping rap or competing I'm just listening to a variety of genres but want them to sound like they do live as much as possible.

It seems like the sub can go a bit higher than 80 and be in it's prime efficeincy whereas the low end of the 6 1/2s is really probably at the end of it's capability to reproduce that low.

Any thoughts (obviously I'm going to try it when I get around to it, just wanted to see what people think)

One thought I had was that at a certain frequency it might become more obvious that the bass was coming from all behind me., I don't know what the frequency might be. But I'd guess it's higher than 80 HZ.

I'm also considering overlapping the frequencies a bit, i.e. keeping the compnonents at 80-100 but letting the sub try on it's wings at 150ish.

It's a good tight sub so it seems like it might make my low end even more impressive and blend more, although I've no complaints now as far as blending goes.

My 6 1/2" Alpine SPS-600's (X4)

# 6-1/2"/6-3/4" 2-way speakers (pair)

# polypropylene-mica woofer cone with air-injected rubber surround

# 1" silk dome tweeter

# power range: 2-80 watts RMS (240 watts peak power)

# frequency response: 70-22,000 Hz

# sensitivity: 88 dB

My JL Audio 10" Sealed Wedge

# sealed enclosure with one 10" W3v3 subwoofer

# 4-ohm total impedance

# power handling: 100-500 watts RMS (1,000 watts peak power)

# frequency response: 25-250 Hz

# sensitivity: 85 dB

Click to read more...

 

[IamDeMan 5,000+ posts]

Well when all is said and done the best thing to do is to try different settings and choose what YOU think sounds best. You have to listen to it, not us.

The reason people advise on low XO point for subs is for imaging. A sub is really only supposed to reinforce sound. IMO it should only play the absolute lowest octave for effect and nothing more. The higher you get in the bass frequencies the more you can tell where it comes from. When was the last time you went to a concert and the drummer, guitarist and singers were on stage in front of you while the bassist played right behind you? Only sub bass is omnidirectional.

Ultimately I would like to have a setup in my car where I can set the LP to 60hz on my sub.

 

[nateberrier 10+ year member]

I dont like the sound of any bass much over 60hz coming from my sub. Sounds like poo. Y'know those lil' wayne songs where they put those 70-80hz tones in and draw them out thinking it sounds cool when in reality youre changing the station cause it sounds like your GF's vibrator is on the back deck.

 

[Databyter 10+ year member]

Thanks guys.

 

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

depends how deadened your car is as well as the size. Realistically, you want the sub to not localize at lower volume levels, the highest crossover you can get that effect, the better. Midbass coming from a sub sounds better than subbass coming from a mid. A 15inch cone with a 3inch coil will handle those frequencies better than a lil 6.5 with a .5inch coil. At higher volumes all vehicles pull to the rear a bit, so you just gotta figure out how much you can live with. Also smaller cars you can usually cross the sub higher before it pulls backwards. Technically most cars are a purely modal environment up until 250hz, so nothing above that should pull to the rear. However, panels vibrate due to the trememdous amount of midbass a sub can produce, so that produces higher order distortion.

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

In most PA and sound reinforcement applications, the subwoofers are crossed over between 150 and 300 hz.

Like everyone else has said, the low crossover point is for imaging purposes.

 

[KyleBechtold 5,000+ posts]

something to think about is gain with the xover higher.. when I open my ht sub up I have to turn the gain down