Audio Asylum Thread Printer

Get a view of an entire thread on one page

FAQ / News / Events

Tweakers' Asylum

A stupid Question about crossover wring.

97.97.49.97

chopper87@aol.com

Ok, I have no idea why my mind is not as confident as it should be about the answer that I am almost certain of.

But, I am getting older and it's best to check rather than make "stupid" simple mistakes.

So, I have built a simple 2nd order crossover to filter my Lowther PM2NKII full range srivers at 7,700 Hertz. Then I use a Dipole RAAL Ribbon tweeter 1st order crossed over at 9,000 Hertz (I will be trying a 12 db per octave crossover on the RAAL soon)

All of my crossover Inductors and capacitors are Duelund cast copper types. I have the Inductor and caoacitor for the snd order 7.700 Hertz filter to the Lowthers Velcro'd (really strong industrial stuff) to a slad of Baltic Birch Ply Wood just big enough for the two parts on each slab of wood. I then Velcro'd the crossover slab to the Open Baffle adjacent to the Lowther (the big Duelund cap to the RAAL is seperate and adjacent to the tweeters).

Here is whbere I am loosing my limited IQ. I have the positive Audience Au24e speacker spade junctioned together with one lead out wire from the Duelund Inductor. The other lead from this Inductor is cnonected to the negative Lowther speaker teminal (180 degrees out of phase for 2nd order crossovers, right?)

I then connect the black (negative) AU24e speaker spade to the red/positive Lowther terminal directly.

Now for the part that I am stupid about. I then DIRECTTLY connect the right and left Duelund capacitor leads to the red and black binding posts on/of the Lowther PM2MKII drivers.

I know that the crossover configuration is correct, but does connecting the actual speaker cable connectors (well, one Inductor lead) and the capacitor leads directly to the drivers' binding posts simultaeously (at the same time) cause the capacitors not to do their job as they would if all was connected to lugs on the wooden crossover's slab and then seperate leads then ran out to the Lowthers binding posts?

Is the 2nd order crossovers' capacitor doing it's job connected directly to the + and - Lowther binding posts at the same time as the speaker cables?

I told you that it was a stupid question. I apologize in advance and ask that you be as kind as possible with your response. Thank You.

Lance

Follow Ups:

There's not such thing as a stupid question... - slownlo 13:21:15 08/26/11 (1)
...and electrons appreciate traveling as short a distance as possible (unless you are purposely trying to simulate inductance/resistance).

Good question...
- RE: There's not such thing as a stupid question... - � 15:24:42 08/26/11 (0)
  I'd kind of like to know why he is low passing at 7.7KHz but high passing at 9KHz. A 1.3KHz gap? Also why he decided on a second order low pass and a first order high pass. I'm also in a bit of a quandary as to why someone who is capable enough to design a crossover would have any problems figuring how to connect it up appropriately. He apparently didn't like my answer, but I didn't see a whole lot of answers coming in. I don't mind helping him out if I can, maybe he could post a wiring diagram, or a pictorial view. Some pics?
RE: A stupid Question about crossover wring. - � 23:11:33 08/12/11 (2)
Your question is giving me a headache. Familiarize yourself with a few simple schematics and you'll be just fine.
- There are stupid questions, but they are often asked by nice people in need of help. - chopper87@aol.com 08:35:40 08/13/11 (1)
  AE,
  
  I Have been building crossovers since the mid-1970's. This is one of the few Asylum sites that I had not participated, if ever, in years. (hopeful anonnymity)
  
  A number of friends, and all FORMER Asylum members and participants claimed that general responses to novice questions (often perceived as "stupid") on the Asylum Topic Sites have become increasingly costic. To the point of out right rude arrogance. Not exactly a way to help attain, retain and grow the ranks of a quickly dwindling audio community.
  
  Your actual advice isn't bad. Certainly does not attempt to answer a question that should have required maybe two instead of one line.
  
  Of couse, then your "HEADACHE" may have grown to twice it's one line investment magnitude.
  
  I am proud to be able to say that I have never responded in an overt rude manner to a novice type question on this or any forum. However, I have often displayed my own manner of rudeness by simply ignoring MANY novice type inquries.
  
  By the way: The simple answer to a novice might be, it's ok if the capacitor leads are joined at the drivers binding posts. However, make certain that the Inductor lead coming from the positive speaker cable junction attaches to the negative binding post on the driver (because in most cases 2nd order crossovers mean 180 degree out of phase wireing of your speaker cables).
  
  Also, make certain that the Inductor is 1st in line on the trip to the driver's binding post. Otherwise, the capacitor leads connect to the binding posts, red and black, + and - ahead of the lead from the Inductor attaching to the black/- binding post.
  
  But, like the guy with the "HeadAche" said spend some time learning the basics of crossover design from many easy to find on-line sources.
  
  Lance A.
  
  I disagreed and decided to test their opinions.
  
  Unfortunately, your example proves their point.
  - RE: There are stupid questions, but they are often asked by nice people in need of help. - � 10:25:39 08/13/11 (0)
    I think you should have posted your question over in the "Speaker" forum, you may have gotten more responses.
    How was I to know how much experience you have or do not have? I've been building crossovers for a long time too, though not quite as long as you but long enough to know how. I read through your question a couple of times and it was really difficult for me to draw a mental picture of what you were explaining. Sometimes it's just better to start at the beginning with something simple and straight forward. Hopefully the schematic I posted will get you thinking in that direction. I would volunteer to show you how if perhaps you lived down the street a ways, but that isn't the case. To try and explain a circuit of even nominal complexity would be lengthy, quite lengthy, more than lengthy.
    You cannot always teach a person how to ride a bicycle by explaining it to them, sometimes you just have to put them in the seat and push them until they get enough momentum, confidence to gain their own balance. Falling is part of the learning curve.
    
    Edits: 08/13/11 08/13/11 08/13/11

Post a Followup:

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?

Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
	Remember my Moniker & Password (What's this?) Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:

Message:	(Posts are subject to Content Rules)

Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:	Automagically notify you when someone responds.

To view your new posting or follow-up, click on the RELOAD or REFRESH button on your browser.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

The Cable Cooker