Why do YOU use passive or active cross-over?

[bfish]

'owdy Mate,

Trick question. "Why do YOU use passive or active cross-over?" Because I have some drivers I want to combine?

I use both. Systems that are permanent in nature, with a full 2-way in one box have mostly OEM passives, as original. Engineered and proven for those components. Done deal.

I prefer active when I can though, like on whatever I'm tinkering with. Actives are adjustment friendly, and you don't need an electrical filters degree to tweek anything.

The Altec solution for your stuff was an N501 or one of the 1200 passives, then ultimately the 1224 biamp (or a 1632 and a couple of 9442s, or...). If you have the amps, you can get into the active world for just a little more than your black box cost you.

[Mike Gibson]

Feesh said it all for my case at least. "I prefer active when I can though, like on whatever I'm tinkering with. Actives are adjustment friendly, and you don't need an electrical filters degree to tweek anything. "

I barely have the ability to seek out the off/on switch so the active works for me. Also used active crossovers are fairly inexpensive unless you wander into the realm of Marschand crossovers.

I picked up a Rane AC-22 and made my own IC's for under 200.00.

[GM]

I prefer multi-amped all active on the woofer and active plus passive CD compensation on compression horns if SS driven since they want to 'feel' a ~matching impedance, though ideally you should drive the latter with a matching impedance tube amp with its 'smiley face' EQ that minimizes efficiency loss if the woofer section is efficient enough to keep up.

As always though, YMMV.

GM

[mah]

My a7 project components are 828 cabs, 416Bs, 808-8A(symbiotic), 511Bs and optional JBL 2404s. Room approx 12ft x 28ft. I haven't decided on the crossovers yet and I am interested in your experience.

[Twodawgz]

In my case the answer is simple. SOUND!

My 604e's, which I've had for 30 years or so, were passively crossed over for about 20 years when I switched to an active Marchand tube crossover. The difference has been night and day. The high-pass and low-pass filters in the Marchand do such a better job of blocking out unwanted frequencies to the woofer and horn, that the sound is much purer and cleaner. I'm never going back to passive!

[MERDY]

passive on altecs are fairly easy due to their easy 12 db slopes at 500,800,1200, sure you have time and phase issues depending on type of cabinet and driver setup, the a7 is more time aligned than say the 19, but has a crossover that deals with it
actives are the best way to get altec drivers to shine on their own merits as gm mentions impedance matching and so forth is critical
but you need patience as well finding the right amps etc
i use multi amps and multi crossovers which probably took 8 years to get right and lot more expensive that a n500,
dont mean to offend but passive to me are like wearing a condom

[gvasale]

I use passive, with bi-amplification. The circuit that was featured in Audio Magazine, in the '60s.

[LICORNE]

For home use passive is plenty good. As for Pro use Active is the only way to go.

.................

[valhallax]

as the amp rack fills..yeah im almost all active as well, for extended critical listening sessions, i sometimes change crossover points, an active makes this fairly easy. on the other hand, not many cheap actives are 4 way stereo, so two rane ac 23's are in order, then say theres the b system, which entails a whole 'nother crossover setup. for push button , on/off operation, like in the garage, i'll run passive and just a tuner, no eq or nuthin'..still sounds better than any other stereo...for miles and miles. or is that just how far away they can hear me?

[Tom Brennan]

I use an active crossover on my 605As but with my Model 19s I use the stock passives; if it ain't broke don't fix it. Whereas the passives with the 605s WERE broke.

Actives are great toys.