Crossover between main speakers and Sub

[Klausd]

Hi All,

I have a little dilema. I got the sub from klipsch (RW12D) togheter with the Klipsvh Quintet 5.
Great system and sound really nice! But something is disturbing me and i need some advice.
The klipsch RW12D have a freq response of 24-120Hz +/-3dB. While the quintet have 110Hz-23kHz.
The best would be that i set my reciever at 120hz crossover, i guess. But unfortunately my reciever does not deliver that setting of 120hz.
It goes from50hz,80hz,100hz to 150hz and 200hz. So the question is, what should I do with that. If i set it at 100hz, it can be that my sattelites will bring distortion? Or will that difference (10hz) be to small to hear? The other solution is that i set the crossover at 150hz. But my subwoofer handles max 120hz. Means that everything between 120hz and 150hz will be lost because the sub can not handle it?

Many thanks in advance

regards

Klaus

 

[shadyJ]

What receiver are you using? The subwoofer may be able to swing a bit higher than its specs, maybe. If I were you, I would just try both 100 and 150 and keep whichever sound best. The specs on these things are never precise, and the room acoustics will change their frequency response to a degree anyway. The only way to know for sure is to get an SPL meter and measure the response at your listening position.

 

[Klausd]

Thanks ShadyJ

The reciever is a Pioneer VSX527.. I tried both settings (100hz & 150hz) but i could not make a difference...

 

[shadyJ]

If you can't really tell the difference, I would go with 150 Hz. The sub will be more localizable the higher you go, but that problem can't be avoided with those speakers and that receiver without leaving a FR gap. At least at 150 Hz, the speakers will be less taxed. Those little woofers on the quintets can only do so much, and the less of a burden you can give them, the better.

 

[Pyrrho]

If you can't really tell the difference, I would go with 150 Hz. The sub will be more localizable the higher you go, but that problem can't be avoided with those speakers and that receiver without leaving a FR gap. At least at 150 Hz, the speakers will be less taxed. Those little woofers on the quintets can only do so much, and the less of a burden you can give them, the better.

I agree. If it sounds the same at normal volume, you will likely be better off with that choice at high volume, because the little "woofers" in the main speakers cannot deal with low frequencies and will reach their limits quicker if asked to reproduce frequencies that they cannot reasonably do. On the other hand, if the volume is ALWAYS kept low (though this is very unlikely to be really applicable), probably the other would be the better choice, due to the localization issue. Although it will be possible to localize the subwoofer even with the lower setting, it would be less obvious.

Probably, with such speakers, putting the subwoofer somewhere up front is best because of that localization issue. Most sound ordinarily comes from the front, so it will be less objectionable up there than elsewhere in the room.

 

[Klausd]

Thanks guys. The Sub is up front. And I have to say that I don't have that localization issue. So no problem in that. Somewhere in the future I know I should replace something.
What would you replace? The main speakers (i whas thinking of the klipsch RB41 with klipsch RC42) or a reciever that deliver a crossover from 120hz?

 

[shadyJ]

I would go for a speaker upgrade, but I would go for better speakers than the RB-41. The RB-41 roll off before 100 Hz, which is not ideal. They are also a bit hot in the treble.