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How good is the crossover in your loudspeakers?

 

I just watched a Danny Richie YouTube video from three weeks ago (linked below). Danny is the owner/designer of GR Research, a company that caters to the DIY loudspeaker community. He designs and sells kits that contain the drivers and crossover schematics to his loudspeakers, to hi-fi enthusiasts who are willing and able to build their own enclosures (though he also has a few cabinet makers who will do it for you if you are willing to pay them to do so).

Danny has also designed crossovers for loudspeaker companies who lack his crossover design knowledge. In addition, he offers a service to consumers who, while liking some aspects of the sound of their loudspeakers, find some degree of fault in those loudspeakers, faults Danny offers to try to eliminate. Send Danny one of your loudspeakers, and he will free of charge do a complete evaluation of it's design. If his evaluation reveals design faults (almost always crossover related) he is able to cure, he offers a crossover upgrade kit as a product.

Some make the case that Danny will of course find fault in the designs of others, in an attempt to sell you one of his loudspeaker kits. A reasonable accusation, were it not for the fact that---for instance---in this particular video (an examination of an Eggleston model) Danny makes Eggleston an offer to drop into the company headquarters and help them correct the glaring faults he found in the crossover design of the Eggleston loudspeaker a customer sent him.

Even if you are skeptical---ESPECIALLY if you are---why not give the video a viewing? Like the loudspeaker evaluation, it's free.

 

 

https://youtu.be/1wF-DEEXv64?si=tmd6JI3DFBq8GAjK&t=1

 

And for owners of other loudspeakers, there are a number of other GR Research videos in which other models are evaluated. 

 

 

bdp24
texbychoice
172 posts
 

@phusis 

Russbutton describes an active crossover providing signal to an amplifier for each driver.  For a three driver speaker, three separate amps required.  Six amps total for a typical 2 channel system.  That is increased complication. In no way is replacing a passive crossover with that an equal exchange. Numerous paths to problems include more connection points, more cabling, higher parts count=less reliable, multiple paths for EMI/RFI, matching amps to drivers, level adjustment for each driver to name a few.  The power transfer from amp to each driver is not vastly improved.  A passive crossover does not consume unreasonable power as has been implied either.

No doubt Class D amps will be recommended.  This recommended path is supposed to produce superior sound quality, right.  Six cheap Class D amps are the exact opposite of quality and reliability.  Better have a couple spares on hand at all times.

If an individual wishes to pursue active crossover, DSP, multiple amps, etc. that is just as acceptable as improving a passive crossover.  However, fact is the active path is not as simple or vastly superior as the claims made in this thread.  Pick your poison.

devinplombier
1,665 posts
 

We are respectful and inclusive so yes, everything is acceptable. However, an active crossover with DSP and direct amplification is most likely to yield superior results in terms of overall sound quality.

sns
4,218 posts
 

I'm with @texbychoice To believe all this equipment, software doesn't impact sound quality is illusory. I've assembled an entire system with a particular voicing I prefer, I don't want timbre, tonality touched. This includes my passive crossovers intentionally voiced with purposely chosen crossover topology, caps, inductors, wiring, drivers, all work harmoniously to provide preferred voicing. Speakers 103db sensitivity, 7 or 8 watt 300B monoblocks provide an excess of power, so much for passive crossovers sucking power.

 

As for an all analog system, why in the world would one want to add DSP, defeats the whole purpose of keeping a vinyl setup with it's unique sound qualities.

Post removed 
devinplombier
1,665 posts
 

@sns 

I understand and respect low watt, although it’s not my thing at this point in time. 

Have you auditioned Hørning speakers? They’re designed for very high efficiency; the Ephrodites have 10 drivers per channel, yet their crossovers consist of one single capacitor.

I would be curious to hear them. 

 

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