Bass management--high/low pass filtering


A few days ago I posted to this forum seeking recommendations for a new subwoofer, and that discussion has turned out to be very enlightening, offering advice about subs and integrating them into my system. One reply mentioned the advantages of bass management for my main speakers (Ryan R-610 bookshelf speakers), but rather than sidetrack that discussion I thought I'd ask this separately:

It was suggested that I try cutting off the frequency response of the Ryans at 60 or 80Hz and letting the sub take over from there, thus relieving the mid/bass woofers of that substantial burden. On paper, this seems like a promising avenue to pursue, so I'm wondering if anybody has tried this and if there is a hardware device that can accomplish it. I'm certainly not an electrical engineer--far from it--so trying to design and build one is way beyond me. 

My integrated amp is a Modwright KWI200 and my previous sub (which is now dead and not repairable) was connected via speakon (speaker level) cable, though the Modwright does have a pre-out that can also be used to connect to a sub.

While pretty much all active subwoofers have adjustable low-pass filters, it appears that this would entail a high-pass filter somewhere in the chain. Is this something I can buy as an add-on? Couldn't find anything online, so I'm hoping that somebody may have some suggestions. Thanks.

cooper52

Showing 2 responses by cooper52

That's pretty much what I figured after failing to find anything online. I'll just deal with things as they are and integrate the new sub (yet to be decided upon) accordingly. My previous sub, a REL S/2, worked seamlessly once I got the settings to my satisfaction. Don't really have any interest in doing a wholesale system change just for this. And anyway, I really like the Modwright and would be hard-pressed to find anything within my budget that I think I'd like half so well. 

Once again, this has been quite the education. Thanks to all for your suggestions and input on the subject. In the end, this seems like too many hoops to jump through to get the high-pass filtering to work in my system, and my previous experience with a sub (my late, lamented REL S/2) tells me that, as interesting as it would be to try, it's just not going to be practical. In particular, I'm not willing to invest $3K plus in JL Audio's CR-1 just to see what would happen. 

My room and my setup preclude using a pair of subs. I can only fit one in that space, and the REL sub filled things in admirably. For our listening tastes, at the volumes we are comfortable with, one sub is more than adequate. 

Still, I've learned quite a bit from all your responses, so again, thanks!