speaker setup small or large? (1 Viewer)

[dannyG]

Maybe I am just confused about this.
If you have speakers set to small and crossover set at 80hz. What is the difference if you had speakers set to large and crossover set at 80hz?
In both cases doesn't anything below 80 get sent to the sub?

Dan

 

[DavidVT]

Dan,

Most folks recommend doing it this way as it saves wear and tear on your speakers and in peticular, your amp.

They relate that the subwoofer does a better job than your mains and surrounds because the sub is specifically designed to handle the lows.

Heres my opinion... Try it both ways and choose the one that sounds best to you. Just because MOST folks like chocolate, does not mean that you have to like it as well.

 

[MingL]

Just becareful about the volume level when setting speakers to large.

I'd bet the sound a main speakers bottoming out or burning up will give ya nightmares when watching Matrix Reloaded (Hammer ship scene) at full reference volume.

 

[gene c]

I think different manufacturers handle this differently and go to great lenghts to keep us from knowing! I have an H/K 520 and I think this is the way it works. When the fronts are set to "small", I have the option of 80 or 100 as the crossover, with under the chosen point going to the sub and over to the fronts (the sub automatically swithes to "SUB") More on that later. With the fronts set to "large" the numbers are 40 and 60. In this configuration, either 40 or 60, the fronts receive the full response and the sub only gets the hz under the chosen number. When the fronts are set to large I can also chose LFE, LFE/L+R or NONE for the sub. When in LFE, the sub only gets the signal the dvd disc sends it (the .1 in 5.1) regardless of the signals hz. I think the fronts are still "full range" but I'm not sure. I don't know if they share the LFE with the sub or not but I'm inclined to think they don't. When the sub is set to LFE/L+R, the fronts are full range and the sub gets the LFE plus shares bass under the crossover with the fronts. IN "NONE", the fronts get it all and the sub gets nuthin'. When the fronts are set to small, the sub gets the bass and the fronts don't. The center and surrounds can still be set to large when the fronts are set to small. In this mode the center and/or surrounds are full range even though the fronts are not, with no center/surround signal going to the sub. Are you confused? So am I and I think the manufactures like it that way! I can almost hear them laughing as I struggle to write this! As I said, this may not be true for other makes, and maybe not for H'K either, but I did my best. The quick answer to your ? would be: when set at 80 and small, the speaker gets nothing under 80 and the sub gets nothing over 80. When set to large the sub still gets only under 80 but the speaker is "full range" and gets the whole frequency response. Hope this helped. Gene

 

[John Garcia]

With most receivers, large means full range sound is sent to the speakers set as large. If you set all your speakers to large, your sub will only get the LFE portion of the track (DD, DTS, etc...). When set to small, everything below the x-over point AS WELL AS the LFE channel, is sent to the sub. The difference is, your receiver doesn't have to work as hard with the main speakers set to small, as when they are set to large trying to reproduce lower frequencies and using up more power.

 

[Zack_R]

The quick answer to your ? would be: when set at 80 and small, the speaker gets nothing under 80 and the sub gets nothing over 80.

Not quite but close. Crossovers have a roll-off slopes below the crossover point. The slope rate varies between receivers but when main speakers are set to small and if crossed at 80Hz they will still have a signal sent to them but at a much reduced level. Usually at 80hz the speaker will automatically cut -3db from the mains and then roll them off anywhere from 6db to 24dbs an octave. So at 40 Hz your mains may be sent a signal that is -9dbs to 27dbs below the input. Your sub picks up the slack in between 40-80 so the sound can blend together. At 20 hz your mains will still be sent a signal but it will be -18db to -27db lower.

By doing this, your crossover greatly saves precious receiver amplifier power and makes it much easier on your mains. While your sub amp and woofer is devoted to doing what it does best.

The same is true on the other side of 80Hz. The input signal to the sub is reduced and the mains pick-up the slack so that the two speakers can blend.