Digital crossovers


Are crossovers "tone killers" as Zu Audio says?

Are digital crossovers a solution?

Much of our source material is digital already: e.g., CDs, ripped CDs, downloads and internet listening.  I wonder if a digital pre-amplifier separating the music by frequency and sending the result via the analogue amplifier direct to the appropriate driver would/could produce awesome results?

(I wonder what the crossover slope would be? Would it be absolutely discrete, with absolutely no overlap between drivers? Or is a small amount of overlap necessary even in the digital world?)
jimspov

Showing 1 response by georgehifi


If your used to the sound of a dac or cdp that is "hi-end sound" with well implemented d/a converters, I/V stage, and output buffer, the there is the chance a digital xover which will take the place of your "pride and joy" will let you down.

As it will take the place of your well thought out cdp/dac. And from what I’ve seen there is no striving for perfection digital xovers with well implemented d/a converters, I/V stages or output buffers with digital xovers, they all run pretty much text book in this regard with no forward thinking at all. Like feedback free discrete I/V stages, discrete output buffers, clocks that are better than the norm. Sure they do the digital xover thing fine, but the rest of the sound may leave you "cold" like a run of the mill dac/cdp can sound.


Cheers George