best crossover points for my system?

nadams

Okay, so I have a Pioneer DEH-P330 head unit, driving stock components in the front and nothing in the rear. This HU allows for lots of different crossover levels for the speakers and sub output. So many, in fact, I'm getting a bit confused.

When I say I have stock components, I mean that the factory system has a door midwoofer and a dash-mounted tweeter. I am assuming that the factory speakers should not be made to dig down low, if at all possible, so I'm trying to eliminate the low frequencies from that output. I have the option for a High Pass Filter, and the available settings are 50, 80, or 125 hz. Anything below whatever it's set at, gets thrown out.

I'm guessing.... just guessing... that I should set the High Pass at 125. My two DB104 subs should be able to reach up that high without any issues.

NOW, with the subs. I am once again ASSUMING, that I want to set my Subwoofer to 125hz as well. The way I'm reading the manual, it will then send anything under 125hz to the subs. The available options here are also, 50, 80, or 125.

Am I right? Should I forget about the sub output setting, and just send a full signal to the subs so that I can adjust the cutoff point higher at the amp? What's going to give my DB104's the best sound?

vawakemonster

sit in your car put the volume at moderate level and swithc between the two and see which one you like. start at 80 HZ as a base.

MacLeod

125 is a little high Noah.

Anything over 100 is going to be way too boomy and annoying. Not to mention, it will pull the bass to the rear like a ****!!

Actually, factory speakers are made to have more low frequency response due to the fact that theyre made to work by themselves whereas aftermarket speakers are usually made to work with a sub. So I would say start off with your sub low passed at 80 Hz and your mids high passed at 80 Hz and then give that a try and adjust as you see fit.

nadams

MacLeod wrote:

125 is a little high Noah.

Anything over 100 is going to be way too boomy and annoying. Not to mention, it will pull the bass to the rear like a ****!!

Actually, factory speakers are made to have more low frequency response due to the fact that theyre made to work by themselves whereas aftermarket speakers are usually made to work with a sub. So I would say start off with your sub low passed at 80 Hz and your mids high passed at 80 Hz and then give that a try and adjust as you see fit.

I passed the mids at 80 and have the subs at 125. It doesn't seem too boomy, and it actually seems to lack a lot of punch, especially in anything drum-wise. I still need to fiddle around and get my other crossover settings figured out. This HU can adjust crossover slope and all that crap, and I just don't know what I'm doing with "Q" values and that kind of thing.

MacLeod

Q means the bandwidth. Its the slope at which the frequencies on either side of the one youre adjusting, roll off. A narrow bandwidth or Q means they roll off faster where a broad bandwidth means they roll off a lot slower.

The punch of a kick drum is around 60 Hz.

nadams

The kick drum is not so much the problem. I can tell the subs are getting that. It's the other drums that are the issue. Snare, and toms... it just isn't giving a lot of punch.

vawakemonster

the snare is tweeter and the toms are mid bass.

nadams

vawakemonster wrote:

the snare is tweeter and the toms are mid bass.

a good snare recording will also capture the underlying snap of the tom...

vawakemonster

the toms are still mid bass. I have an illistration in one of my books I will scan tonight.

MacLeod

The snare is not in the tweeters. The guts of a snare are at 200-300 Hz with the bottom end being around 80 Hz.

Toms are also at 200-300 Hz for the body but their attack or slap is about 5 KHz.

So basically, its a midbass problem youre having and not really an issue with the sub.