AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Audio theory, Setup and Chat › Crossover Help
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Crossover Help

post #1 of 13
6/23/09 at 12:53pm
Thread Starter 
Here is my 5.1 setup:
Speakers are about 10 years old... and are "THX-certified"

A/V: Onkyo 876
Fronts: Jamo Concert 11 (freq range=30-22000Hz, crossover freq=150/2500Hz)
Center: Jamo Concert (freq=65-20000 Hz, crossover freq=1100/3500Hz)
Rears: Concert Surround (freq=50-20000Hz, crossover=2500Hz)
sub: Jamo SW-3015 (freq=30-200Hz, crossover= Adjustable 40-150Hz)

Anyways, I am trying to read and understand about crossover to get better sound out of my system, and was a bit confused. According to my specs above, I can set each speaker to lowest rating on my onkyo? Like I can set my front speakers setting to 150Hz? Sub setting to 40Hz? Does that mean my fronts will output frequencies above 150Hz? and my sub will output low frequencies above 40Hz? Or should I just leave all my settings on 80Hz (THX) since all my speakers are THX certified? What about my rears and center?

When I used the calibration on my onkyo, it set my fronts and center to "full range", my sub to 80Hz (THX) and when I try to configure the sub manually, it won't let me go below 80Hz.

My subwoofer sounds good right now, but I want to improve by letting the sub purely handle all lower frequencies

I appreciate your help
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 13
6/23/09 at 12:59pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by disb View Post

Here is my 5.1 setup:
Speakers are about 10 years old... and are "THX-certified"

A/V: Onkyo 876
Fronts: Jamo Concert 11 (freq range=30-22000Hz, crossover freq=150/2500Hz)
Center: Jamo Concert (freq=65-20000 Hz, crossover freq=1100/3500Hz)
Rears: Concert Surround (freq=50-20000Hz, crossover=2500Hz)
sub: Jamo SW-3015 (freq=30-200Hz, crossover= Adjustable 40-150Hz)

Anyways, I am trying to read and understand about crossover to get better sound out of my system, and was a bit confused. According to my specs above, I can set each speaker to lowest rating on my onkyo? Like I can set my front speakers setting to 150Hz?

No, that is the internal crossover frequency. Ignore it. The low end is 30Hz (optimistic, IMHO).
Quote:
Sub setting to 40Hz?

Again, that is an internal filter and you should set it as high as possible ON THE SUB.

Quote:
Does that mean my fronts will output frequencies above 150Hz? and my sub will output low frequencies above 40Hz?

Nope.

Quote:
Or should I just leave all my settings on 80Hz (THX) since all my speakers are THX certified? What about my rears and center?

In the Onkyo, set all to 80Hz except the sub. Set that to 120Hz.

Quote:
When I used the calibration on my onkyo, it set my fronts and center to "full range", my sub to 80Hz (THX) and when I try to configure the sub manually, it won't let me go below 80Hz.

See above.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 13
6/23/09 at 1:12pm
Thread Starter 
I thought subs output more lower freq/bass when it is set at 80hz instead of your advice of 120hz?
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 13
6/23/09 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by disb View Post

I thought subs output more lower freq/bass when it is set at 80hz instead of your advice of 120hz?

Opposite. It will reproduce from the lowest frequencies UP TO the one you set for it. That setting does not affect how low it goes but how high.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 13
6/23/09 at 5:04pm
Thread Starter 
In that case, I am assuming if I set my fronts to 80hz, it will output high frequencies until 80hz, and if it is lower than 80hz, it will send it to LFE/sub?
Same thing with the rest of my speakers... the only exception is my sub, where you say it outputs all lows up to the one you set it for?

I think I am getting it, but it sounds like what I questioned earlier, only in different words

I must have missed a link in this forum that explains this crossover well or something
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 13
6/23/09 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by disb View Post

In that case, I am assuming if I set my fronts to 80hz, it will output high frequencies until 80hz, and if it is lower than 80hz, it will send it to LFE/sub?
Same thing with the rest of my speakers... the only exception is my sub, where you say it outputs all lows up to the one you set it for?

I think I am getting it, but it sounds like what I questioned earlier, only in different words

Sounds like it.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 13
6/27/09 at 4:52pm
Thread Starter 
Here are my speakers:
Fronts
Center
Surrounds
I have the Jamo SW-3015 SUB, but couldn't find a link to it, so here is the closest I can find: 6510 SUB

So here is what I changed on my Onkyo 876
Fronts: it was "Full Range" to "80hz (THX)"
Center "Full Range" to "80hz (THX)"
Surround kept at "80hz (THX)"
Sub to "80hz (THX)"
and my doublebass automatically disabled when I changed my fronts from full range

I sound like I have less bass since there is no bass coming from my center or fronts anymore. If I want just a little more bass kick coming from my fronts, would I just change it form 80hz (THX) to say 100hz? From my experiment, i felt like i heard more bass when I set my fronts to 200hz instead of 40hz, which is the complete opposite of what I would thought... So confused, but im still learning,

thanks for being patient with me
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 13
6/27/09 at 4:58pm
Thread Starter 
also, would it be a bad idea to set my 2 fronts to "full range" and leave my center at "80hz"? and turn on doublebass?

I tried to turn doublebass to "Off (THX)" setting, but I don't get anything out of my sub if so.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 13
6/27/09 at 8:40pm
If your AVR allows, set the fronts at 40Hz, the center at 80Hz, the surrounds at 60Hz and the sub as high as it will go. As Kal pointed out, the sub will go up to the x-over, not down to.

That gives each a bit of play room, and room to tweak if needed.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 13
2/21/10 at 11:04am
Thread Starter 
I am learning bit at a time.. haven't really messed around with my speakers since last post... Lately, I've been reading that it is better for crossover to set speakers, such as mine, to "small" instead of large to eliminate problems such as phase. But the posts I have read throughout home-theatre audio forums were from 2003 to 2005. Is it still suggested to set speakers to "small" nowadays with newer technology, or up-to-date audio equipment?
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 13
2/22/10 at 9:40am
test
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 13
2/22/10 at 9:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by disb View Post

I am learning bit at a time.. haven't really messed around with my speakers since last post... Lately, I've been reading that it is better for crossover to set speakers, such as mine, to "small" instead of large to eliminate problems such as phase. But the posts I have read throughout home-theatre audio forums were from 2003 to 2005. Is it still suggested to set speakers to "small" nowadays with newer technology, or up-to-date audio equipment?

first off, check out this graph of loudspeakers frequencies :http://vitalstates.org/hma/pipi/img-167-response.jpg

Note where 80hz is. now when you set a crossover to 80hz on the avr for a speaker it will cut off any sounds lower (80hz down to 20hz) and send them to the lfe/sub channel and the sounds higher (80hz to 40khz) to the speaker you selected. now your lfe channel if set to 80hz will collect the sounds 80hz and lower and send to the lfe output/sub. if you setup your front speaker to say 40hz then your giving them more bass by lowering the crossover of the avr to 40hz and above going to that speaker/front. now how you adjust this is of course what sounds best to you but its better to understand why you are adjusting your avr crossovers and to what extent they are doing. i hope this helps you understand how to set up your avr/speakers a little more.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 13
2/22/10 at 9:46am
Quote:


now how you adjust this is of course what sounds best to you but its better to understand why you are adjusting your avr crossovers and to what extent they are doing.


Actually to do it properly measurement tools (manual or automated) is the best way. Most people have no clue what actually sounds good.

If you set the crossover too low on main speakers you will create dips/peaks in the Response curve because the slopes of the main speakers will not match the slopes of the sub(s).
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Audio theory, Setup and Chat

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Audio theory, Setup and Chat › Crossover Help