The speaker Crossover
What is a Crossover for speakers?
A speaker crossover is a crucial technology used in audio production to optimize the performance of loudspeaker systems. The ‘passive’ crossover splits up the audio signal into the different frequency spectrums for each driver. It ensures that each drive unit receives only the frequencies it can accurately handle as low-frequency bass energy will damage small high-frequency drive units. The crossover also adjusts the output level of each driver to achieve a natural sound balance. It influences the phase and transient response of each drive unit, which is important to get right for achieving three-dimensional music reproduction. Passive crossovers are typically built into the loudspeaker cabinet and use passive components like capacitors and inductors.
Creating high-quality passive crossover networks requires precise measurements of impedance, frequency response, and phase response. Without proper measuring tools and design software, achieving optimal outcomes becomes challenging, but even the most sophisticated measurement equipment can guarantee the tuning of a speaker system only to a certain level. The last 20 to 30% can only be reached by many hours of listening, adjustments and more measurements. Most important is the experience of the development team and the ability to find the right settings. When two measurements are the same, it is the intuition of the highly experienced Peak engineers to decide the final configuration.
A well-designed loudspeaker crossover is like a conductor directing an orchestra, ensuring that each instrument plays its part beautifully, whilst ensuring that the whole performance is perfectly coordinated, perfectly balanced and always playing at the correct tempo.
The Peak Consult Loudspeaker Crossover
Quality components: Peak Consult loudspeakers are equipped with the finest quality components, employing capacitors, coils and resistors that simply sound amazing, regardless of their cost. Most of these are handmade. Each driver section has its own designated crossover. Correctly mounted: To avoid microphonic effects, the separate parts are mounted using a special damping glue. For the same reason the finished crossovers are totally separated from the drive unit cabinet. This philosophy means that no acoustic energy can influence or obstruct the goal of the crossover. Correctly protected: To minimize vibration and heat issues, these dedicated chambers are then filled with sand (0.3-1.0mm grain size) and sealed airtight from any negative external effects. Amplifier friendly: PLIC – Peak Loudspeaker Impedance Control. All Peak loudspeakers have an integrated equalization of the impedance. This makes the impedance curve exceptionally flat. As a result, it creates a significant advantage for the amplifier because it can then perform as intended, as the crossover does not trouble the amplifier with unwanted heavy loads.
Constantly refined: The selection of all crossover components and further development is done through countless listening sessions. The sensitivity of human hearing is outstanding, as our ears can tell differences that cannot be measured. Our experienced engineers (who have a combined 100+ years of design experience) work in close cooperation with dedicated audiophiles.
Using all these ‘tools’ is vital to complete our breathtakingly capable loudspeakers.
Find out where you can experience our ultra-high-end loudspeakers here.
“But most important, and perhaps because of that high crossover frequency, instrumental harmonic structures, and especially the human voice, were exceptionally lifelike and coherent. I can't think of a loudspeaker that better reproduces instrumental and vocal touches and textures. I could consistently rely on the Diablos to provide long evenings' worth of entertainment without producing boredom or fatigue. They always invited me in and never pushed me away."