Setting the Optimum Crossover (1 Viewer)

[JackIR]

I'm still working with my new HT setup:

Revel F30 (Front)

Revel C30 (Center)

Revel S30 (Rear left, right & center)

SVS Ultra (sub)

B&K Ref30 (Peamp/Processor)

B&K 7270 (Amp)

Crown K1 (Sub Amp)

I'm trying to set the best crossover point between the Revel's and my sub. I have it set at the standard 80Hz now. On the Ref 30 I have the front speakers set as large and the center and surrounds as small. It sounds fine but I want to make sure its at the best setting. Some help would be appreciated.

 

[Chris Zell]

I am in a similar situation, so I am also very curious about the best crossover choices. I have:

Revel M20s as mains

Revel S30 Surrounds

Revel C30 Center (ordered, but not yet received)

Sunfire Signature sub

I am currently in the market for a pre/pro - very interested in the Outlaw (next choice is a B&K if they add-in DPLII). Hard for me to justify huge $$$ for a pre/pro when things are changing so rapidly and the used market will be inundated with whatever I buy in a few years anyway For example, just look at all the Lexicon DC1, DC2, MC1s people are selling now. Not to say the Lexicons are bad - they are excellent units, but let's face it, there is always new stuff on the horizon, and upgrades are painiful to wait for, and don't always even happen.

Also will likely add in an Outlaw ICBM for added felxibility. I prefer to be able to have different Xover frequency options for the different speakers.

My thoughts on where I'll start is with the surrounds and Center at 80Hz, and the mains at 60. I'll play with the mains - 50, 70, but probably won't go higher than 80. The M20s don't go as low as the Excellent F30s, but even so, I suspect you may be better off with the F30s set to small. Low bass from multiple sources can get really difficult to tune - cancellations etc. Dual subs seems like a great idea, but anything other than placing them right next to each other is really hard to get right. I had dual subs for about 10 years, and I'm not sure I ever got it right.

What are the high-pass and low-pass crossover slopes on the B&K? Are all speakers set to small forced to the same crossover frequency? To get around that, I wouild set the mains to large, then have an external crossover (the ICBM) for the mains and the sub. That will potentially include some LFE stuff (which can be up above 100 Hz) in the mains. I think that seems like a good idea, not having anything that high in the sub, but I really don't know that much about LFE content and potential overloading the mains.

I'd love to hear your honest, detailed impressions of the S30 and C30. I have not had the S30s that long, so I do not have a complete opinion yet. I think the ability to go between dipole and monopole is great, and they do seem blend well with my M20s. I ran them as my mains for a while as a test (monopole mode obviously), and they sounded great, and obviously cut from the same cloth as the M20s.

My C30s have not yet arrived, and I'm anxious and nervous on whether I'll be happy. Although a blended center will be great for home theater dialogue etc, I'm mainly a music guy. My VERY limited experience with Center channels shows an appealing continous sound left to right, and a rock solid center presence regardless of seating location. But at the same time, it seems to flatten the depth and lose some of that appealing, airy. phasey (probably inaccurate and unrealistic but fun) 3D feeling you can get in the sweet spot from a well set up stereo pair. What do you think about music performance?

Where do you place your C30? Your S30s? Relative volumes for both for music?

Sorry for the novel here - got carried away. Just so on edge waiting for my C30 that I had to unload, I guess!!

Cheers,

Chris