Audio crossover
Audio crossover is an electric circuit that separates low and high audio frequencies in a signal. It is needed because very small loudspeakers (tweeters) would break if fed by low frequencies. Likewise, bigger speakers (subwoofers) are not able to play higher frequencies purely.
Audio crossovers are divided to passive or active crossovers. Typical components used with passive crossovers are capacitors inductors and resistors. If passive crossover uses resistors to adjust loudness, those generate heat. Instead, active devices typically use resistors and capacitors with other audioelectronic components and those typically don't consume so much electric power. Also, active crossovers are easily built to be adjustable. Still, that doesn't mean that using passive crossover means low quality.
Audio Crossover Media
A passive 2-way crossover designed to operate at loudspeaker voltages.
Comparison of the magnitude response of 2 pole Butterworth and Linkwitz-Riley crossover filters. The summed output of the Butterworth filters has a +3dB peak at the crossover frequency.
A passive crossover circuit is often mounted in a speaker enclosure to split up the amplified signal into a lower-frequency signal range and a higher-frequency signal range.
Implementation schematic of a three-way active crossover network for use with a stereo three-way loudspeaker system.
Fourth-order crossover slopes shown on a Smaart transfer function measurement.
Series and parallel crossover topologies. The HPF and LPF sections for the series crossover are interchanged with respect to the parallel crossover since they appear in shunt with the low- and high-frequency drivers.
Other websites
Media related to Audio crossover at Wikimedia Commons
