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Outboard crossover box location??

I will soon be changing rooms and system location. My question is whether it is better to have an outboard crossover closer to the amp, closer to the speakers, or does it not matter. It will be more convenient in my new setup to have the crossover boxes located about 1.5-2 feet from the amp, then run about 10 feet of speaker cable from the boxes to the speakers rather than the other way around. I would plan to hardwire the input wires at the crossover boxes and have spades on the amp end of those wires, then use my speaker cables for the 10-foot run to the speakers. Is there any reason why the signal exiting the crossover box needs different wiring than the signal from the amp to the crossover. Thanks for any help. - Tim
mitch2

Showing 2 responses by aarsoe

aarsoe
20 posts
 
Mitch2

In order to keep things consistent, you should at least make sure that you use the same speaker cable from the crossover, as the one used inside the speaker. Especially if this is a modification to a production speaker. Why? Well cables have different sonic fingerprints, and you never know if the designers calculated with this when they created the crossover.

On the placement of the crossover? In my oppinion it depends.. If your using a three way speaker, then the number of cables alone, would make me want to place it pretty close to the speaker.
aarsoe
20 posts
 
Mitch2

I cant think of any reasons why the cables after the crossovers should be kept to a minimum. After all the signal is pretty strong, so any loss due to cable lenght will be minimal. (all though I am a firm believer in keeping speaker cables to an absolut minimum)

Another thing to think about, is when you do move your crossover outside the box, then splitting the crossover so that the induction coils have a bigger distance between them, could also be worthwhile. They tend to be pretty sensitive to magnetic fields created by other coils. This is also the reason you see manufactors putting every other coil on its side in other to make the magnetic field go in different directions..

What are the speakers your modding?
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