Active Crossovers

[DasguteOhr]

I have a big air core their now. I think 14awg and fairy close spec to stock. I got it a while back. I forget where and what it is.

@Ron Resnick
What is woofer cook?

Never ever in 14awg, the bigest aircore in 10awg have double resistance

L106.8

6.8mH 10awg Litz, 0.49ohms DCR, 45mm H x 178mm D

solen.ca

P.S
The largest I've ever seen is a 6 square millimeter wire aircore in Audioplan speakers.
Handmade

 

[Ron Resnick]

@Ron Resnick
What is woofer cook?

In a two driver loudspeaker -- say a woofer and a midrange/tweeter -- woofer-cooking uses bi-amping -- one amplifier on the woofer and one amplifier on the midrange/tweeter -- to manipulate the SPL of the woofer versus the SPL of the midrange/tweeter.

Woofer-cooking allows you to dial-in the relative output of each driver, thus creating a custom tonal balance. This is in contrast to level matching the amplifiers in a bi-amp configuration.

 

[Atmasphere]

In a two driver loudspeaker -- say a woofer and a midrange/tweeter -- woofer-cooking uses bi-amping -- one amplifier on the woofer and one amplifier on the midrange/tweeter -- to manipulate the SPL of the woofer versus the SPL of the midrange/tweeter.

Woofer-cooking allows you to dial-in the relative output of each driver, thus creating a custom tonal balance. This is in contrast to level matching the amplifiers in a bi-amp configuration.

The distinction is not clear. FWIW this is a phrase I've not heard before as well.

Are you saying that in the first case the passive crossover of the speaker is being used and in the second case it is not?

 

[Ron Resnick]

FWIW this is a phrase I've not heard before as well.

I love contributing to the language of audio: sonic cues, woofer-cooking.

Are you saying that in the first case the passive crossover of the speaker is being used and in the second case it is not?

No, it has nothing specifically to do with crossovers, active or passive. Of course there has to be some way to divide the full range signal between two drivers.

It just has to do with having a configuration which lets you amplify one driver to a higher output than the other driver. Woofer-cooking can also be accomplished by attenuating the amplifier drive to the tweeter. Although this might be more appropriately described as "tweeter-trimming."

 

[Atmasphere]

It just has to do with having a configuration which lets you amplify one driver to a higher output than the other driver.

Ok... I'm going with this really isn't a thing. The reason being you need a means to vary the output of one with respect to the other. That implies a level control somewhere. It might be in the crossover (my speakers have level controls on the back for this purpose) or might be in the electronic crossover.

Why do you call it 'woofer cooking'??

 

[Ron Resnick]

Why do you call it 'woofer cooking'??

Because one uses much more power to drive the woofer than to drive the other loudspeaker driver. Using 2X or 3X the amplifier power on the woofer is cooking the woofer.

 

[DasguteOhr]

If I have two identical power amplifiers, I would try vertical biamping. Lay longer RCA cables and short speaker cables for the power amplifiers as close to the loudspeaker as possible. Advantage: higher channel separation. Disadvantage: second pair rca cables
Flexibility: Any level controls on the amplifiers enable fine-tuning between bass and mid/treble. I would try both horizontally and vertically.
P.S
The amplifier's power supply has more headroom at vertical biampimg

 

[Atmasphere]

Because one uses much more power to drive the woofer than to drive the other loudspeaker driver. Using 2X or 3X the amplifier power on the woofer is cooking the woofer.

You normally do use more power on the woofer. Bass is where most of the music energy occurs. I guess I don't get it- by this metric it would seem we are all woofer cooking all the time.

 

[Ron Resnick]

You normally do use more power on the woofer. Bass is where most of the music energy occurs. I guess I don't get it- by this metric it would seem we are all woofer cooking all the time.

Hi Ralph,

I understand that your comment here is technically correct, but it also applies to a single amplifier driving the entire speaker. That's not what I am talking about here.

 

[Atmasphere]

Hi Ralph,

I understand that your comment here is technically correct, but it also applies to a single amplifier driving the entire speaker. That's not what I am talking about here.

OK I think in that case it needs a bit more clarity. Whether one or two amps are used, the woofer is always going to see more power.

 

[Ron Resnick]

OK I think in that case it needs a bit more clarity. Whether one or two amps are used, the woofer is always going to see more power.

Fair enough. With woofer-cooking we are deliberately offering to the woofer via its own amplifier significantly higher power than we are offering to the other driver.

 

[Atmasphere]

Fair enough. With woofer-cooking we are deliberately offering to the woofer via its own amplifier significantly higher power than we are offering to the other driver.

That is something most people do anyway? For example a powered sub might have a 700Watt amp in it, but the main speakers might otherwise be powered by an amp of only 50 Watts. Since the woofer always needs more power a larger amp is often used; IMO if you use an amp of the same power for top and bottom, you are wasting amplifier power. On this account, I've seen people use a solid state amp on the woofers, a push-pull tube amp on the midrange and a type 45 SET to run the tweeter.

 

[morricab]

That is something most people do anyway? For example a powered sub might have a 700Watt amp in it, but the main speakers might otherwise be powered by an amp of only 50 Watts. Since the woofer always needs more power a larger amp is often used; IMO if you use an amp of the same power for top and bottom, you are wasting amplifier power. On this account, I've seen people use a solid state amp on the woofers, a push-pull tube amp on the midrange and a type 45 SET to run the tweeter.

Mixing amp types will never give you a very cohesive sound. A better idea is 45 set on highs, 300b on midrange and a GM70 or parallel 845 SET on the bass. All the same basic SET topology will give a much better coherence.