SAX-100.4D Crossover

[pogothemonk3y 1]

I recently installed this amp with a pair of HAT Clarus 5.25 and I was wondering if the LPF on channels 3 and 4 are not functioning properly. I'm currently running active and I was attempting to bandpass my mids using the Subsonic and LPF. When I select LPF the mids produce that range I selected, however there is a buzzing sound coming from the mids and they sound slightly distorted. When I select HPF they play just fine. The Subsonic is set to 70HZ and the LPF is set to around 5500HZ.

Thank you

[jcarter1885 995]

Try turning your crossover down on the LPF, set way to high for you mids. I honestly would never play my mids above 3,000hz, thats when the tweeters should start to take over.

[Shogen 325]

+1 on the cross over frequency, not sure what mids you are using but typically 2-3kHz seems to be normal...

[Kanaworm$ 292]

As stated above your running your mids way to high, turn them down. Also you must have the x10 switch on. Play around with the crossover settings until you find your sweet spot.

[pogothemonk3y 1]

The reason I selected that frequency is because the LPF/HPF on the passive crossover is set to 5700HZ. I was using it as a reference point but I will try to set it lower to see if that helps with the noise/distortion.

Thanks for the input, guys.

[jcarter1885 995]

You dont have the same understanding of the speakers and the crossovers they do so it will be hard to use there crossover points that they use on there passive crossovers as a starting point. Trying to get your speakers to sound good running active as they did passive will be hard especially at your first couple of times trying, you wont get active down pat with just picking crossover points. You have to do some listening and tuning, it will take some time to get it to the levels your used to with the passive crossover set. Just my .02

[pogothemonk3y 1]

I crossed my mids and tweeters at around 3500Hz and they sound great. I gave myself multiple eargasms listening to Metallica's S&M Album. I also misinterpreted some of the range numbers and it turns out I was crossing my mid way too low thus causing the extra noise.

Thanks guys.

[Shogen 325]

ahh... good to hear man... what speakers/components are you using for your active setup? I'm just curious...

[pogothemonk3y 1]

I'm running a set of Hybrid Audio Clarus 5.25 Comp Set paired with a SAX-100.4D.

[Shogen 325]

Nice.... Must sound great...

DO you:

[pogothemonk3y 1]

Absolutely.

I'm pleased with HAT. I went passive when I initially installed them, and yesterday I figured since I had the capabilities I might as well try active.

[///M5 2,833]

Don't be so quick to judge, that may not be a ridiculous crossover point. Sure you will get some beaming, but if that tweeter's Fs is high it may even be necessary. It could also sound better. They sure seem to recommend the fr of the L4 to be dang high and the 5.25 isn't all that much bigger.

You should first figure out what the tweeter can take and then figure out where the woofer can play to "nicely". (do this independently). Then start to experiment with combinations and phase and such. Going to take some hours to get it dialed right.

[Rainman215 0]

I need to cross my mids/tweets at around 2500. With the 10x switch making the highest frequency 5000, would about halfway on the dial be about 2500?

[pogothemonk3y 1]

It would be slightly more than half way because the range is 500-5000. Half way would put it at 2000Hz.

Just curious, what mids/tweets are you running?

Edited April 28, 2011 by PogoTheMonk3y

[Impious 1,476]

I need to cross my mids/tweets at around 2500. With the 10x switch making the highest frequency 5000, would about halfway on the dial be about 2500?

If you have access to a DMM, you can get the xover set to 2500hz.

Let us know and we can explain to you how to do this.

[edouble101 314]

I need to cross my mids/tweets at around 2500. With the 10x switch making the highest frequency 5000, would about halfway on the dial be about 2500?

If you have access to a DMM, you can get the xover set to 2500hz.

Let us know and we can explain to you how to do this.

Please explain how. I would imagine you just test the output of the amp until it starts to fall of but I hope there is an even better method.

[Rainman215 0]

I have a dmm.

[///M5 2,833]

Play a 2500Hz signal, turn on the crossover and adjust the dial until it is 3dB down. That will be a 2500Hz cross point.

[Rainman215 0]

What setting on the mm? What will the reading difference of the dmm be once I reach the 2500hz crossover point.

[altoncustomtech 773]

What setting on the dmm? What will the reading difference of the dmm be once I reach the 2500hz crossover point.

^^ This guys, not everyone is as familiar with this process as some of us may be.

[Impious 1,476]

What setting on the dmm? What will the reading difference of the dmm be once I reach the 2500hz crossover point.

^^ This guys, not everyone is as familiar with this process as some of us may be.

Like Sean said, play a 2500hz tone with the crossover set to off or flat and measure the output voltage (DMM should be set to measure AC Volts). It doesn't really matter what the voltage output is at this point. We are simply measuring the output voltage now so that we have a baseline to work from.

To find the -3db point, and your target voltage, you would multiply the voltage you measured by .707. Then turn the crossover back on and adjust the crossover dial until the voltage decreases to the target voltage you just calculated. When the voltage reaches that target voltage, the crossover is set to 2500hz.

So, for example, let's say you play the 2500hz test tone and measure an output voltage of 5V with the crossover set to flat (or off). Then your target voltage for a 2500hz crossover point would 5 * .707 = 3.535V. So turn the crossover on and measure the output voltage while adjusting the crossover knob. When the output voltage drops to 3.54V, that's the -3db point of the signal.....meaning you successfully set the crossover to 2500hz.

For those that don't know, for a standard Butterworth crossover (the type of crossover found in most, but not all, amplifiers) the crossover point is defined as the -3db point of the signal. Hence why we know that the crossover is set to 2500hz when the signal has decreased by -3db. And we calculate the -3db point of the signal as the point where the signal has decreased to .707 of it's original value because for voltage the conversion to decibels is 20*log(Voltage1/Voltage2). So 20*log(1 / .707) = 3.01db. Therefore, the point where the signal has decreased to .707 of it's original value is the -3db point of the signal, and the -3db point of the signal defines the crossover point

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

[Rainman215 0]

I get it.... I think lol.

[altoncustomtech 773]

What setting on the dmm? What will the reading difference of the dmm be once I reach the 2500hz crossover point.

^^ This guys, not everyone is as familiar with this process as some of us may be.

Like Sean said, play a 2500hz tone with the crossover set to off or flat and measure the output voltage (DMM should be set to measure AC Volts). It doesn't really matter what the voltage output is at this point. We are simply measuring the output voltage now so that we have a baseline to work from.

To find the -3db point, and your target voltage, you would multiply the voltage you measured by .707. Then turn the crossover back on and adjust the crossover dial until the voltage decreases to the target voltage you just calculated. When the voltage reaches that target voltage, the crossover is set to 2500hz.

So, for example, let's say you play the 2500hz test tone and measure an output voltage of 5V with the crossover set to flat (or off). Then your target voltage for a 2500hz crossover point would 5 * .707 = 3.535V. So turn the crossover on and measure the output voltage while adjusting the crossover knob. When the output voltage drops to 3.54V, that's the -3db point of the signal.....meaning you successfully set the crossover to 2500hz.

For those that don't know, for a standard Butterworth crossover (the type of crossover found in most, but not all, amplifiers) the crossover point is defined as the -3db point of the signal. Hence why we know that the crossover is set to 2500hz when the signal has decreased by -3db. And we calculate the -3db point of the signal as the point where the signal has decreased to .707 of it's original value because for voltage the conversion to decibels is 20*log(Voltage1/Voltage2). So 20*log(1 / .707) = 3.01db. Therefore, the point where the signal has decreased to .707 of it's original value is the -3db point of the signal, and the -3db point of the signal defines the crossover point

Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.

Thank you for replying. I knew you could do a better job of explaining it than I could.

[Rainman215 0]

Thanks. I get it just need to get my meter on it. Tuned it by ear an it sounds good.

[///M5 2,833]

Ear is better than meter. Who cares what frequency it is if that is where your drivers sound best together.