What difference does the "order" make with x-overs


Hi all,
I notice that some speaker cross-overs (passive) are "1st order", "7th order", etc. What does this mean and is one better than the other? Why? Any suggested readings/sites for getting information about this or cross-over/designs in general?
Thanks and happy listening!
myraj

Showing 1 response by trelja

As is always the case, Sdcampbell's opinion is the kind of offering that proves he is a real world guru in this hobby.

One thing that I would like to add to his wisdom is that in addition to the issue of integrating the drivers into a "system", as the order of crossover goes up, so does the difficulty in driving the loudspeaker. I cannot deny that a more complicated crossover looks impressive, on paper.

However, in reality, each component in a crossover network acts as a "spring" to an amplifier's power output. If you will, a speed bump. Requiring more and more current to overcome the crossover, to get the drivers moving. Often, brute force solid state is the only way to go. A large number of this type of amp can sound etched, shrill, slow, ponderous, overripe, bloated, hashy, or electronic.

In my opinion, the more simple a crossover topology, the closer one is to the amplifier itself. The closer one is to the music itself. Not always a good thing. Especially, if the upstream components are not musical, natural, or grainless. But, for those of us with an appreciation for tubes, it is EXACTLY where we WANT to be.