# Crossover Location.....



## SC400GUY

So I've searched google a little bit, and couldn't find anything regarding Crossover Locations. I've seen some install the crossovers in the door panels near the speakers, and I've seen some people install crossovers in the trunk near the amp locations. 

Now in my car, the stock crossover is built into the stock speaker enclosure. It's so simple, it's understandable it's located there. 

However in a few aftermarket audio installs I've seen people mount their crossovers in the door panel with their speakers, and I've seen others mount it to the rear deck and/or near the amp they were using. 

Now I know door panels are sensitive and they are easy to break panels on them and what not, my car especially, so in order to only take the door panels off once, I wanted to mount my Crossovers in the rear near my amp. The reasoning behind this was so if I needed to adjust the DB of the tweeters, I wouldn't have to remove the door panels just to do so...

So my question is...where do you guys recommend crossover locations? Does it really matter?


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## REGULARCAB

I have always mounted them near the amp. I think most would agree.


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## ATOMICTECH62

The doors are not really a good place to put anything.All the slamming and moving motorized parts cant be good for them.
Plus every door Ive ever seen has some kind of water leakage.


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## nismos14

mine usually go in the kick panels or on the firewall.


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## caraudioworld

trunk aside the amp... easy to adjust, troubleshoot, and upgrade to an active configuration when I get the $


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## tima4h

Sound wise as long as they're properly mounted, it wont make a noticeable difference. If you need to be able to adjust them, then in the trunk near the amps would make sense, then you only need to go to one place in the car to adjust things. If no adjustment required, then they could still go near the amps, or behind trim panels if you want less clutter in the trunk


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## MADXF

I've currently got mine mounted on my IB baffle board.
I'm concerned of the vibration they might receive so I've used some rubber tube between the crossover and and the board. 
Do you think this will be enough to isolate the vibrations?


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## TheBlindMan

Kick panels. Keep in mind that if you mount them further, you'll need extra speaker wire.


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## cajunner

two things matter.

getting extra wires through the door jamb, and the cost of extra wire runs through the vehicle.

speaker crossovers are durable enough to mount in or on a door, but if you're hiding them, then they are likely in the wet zone, which is not so good.

the molex only has room for one pair of wires, or you're using the factory wiring?

no room inside of the door to mount a big passive?

got one crossover body for both sets of drivers?

sort of just depends on the install constraints, then.

and the better the crossover, the bigger the components which makes it even harder to go passive inside the door, with air coil or foil inductors and big poly caps.


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## a390st

I try to put them in the kicks or secured under the dash. I run 10-12 GA from the amp to the xo and 14 GA from the xo to speakers. I don't generally mess with the xo very much once it's in. It's also half the wiring to run through the floor mounting them up front. I've never had a problem getting the wiring through the rubber grommets into the door, though it is a little tight sometimes. I've also seen the inside of doors wet, so that always made me nervous to have a xo in there.


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## g7kobayashi

cajunner said:


> two things matter.
> 
> getting extra wires through the door jamb, and the cost of extra wire runs through the vehicle.
> 
> speaker crossovers are durable enough to mount in or on a door, but if you're hiding them, then they are likely in the wet zone, which is not so good.
> 
> the molex only has room for one pair of wires, or you're using the factory wiring?
> 
> no room inside of the door to mount a big passive?
> 
> got one crossover body for both sets of drivers?
> 
> sort of just depends on the install constraints, then.
> 
> and the better the crossover, the bigger the components which makes it even harder to go passive inside the door, with air coil or foil inductors and big poly caps.


I second that.
It won't be easy to hide these so I decide to locate them beside the amp.


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## a390st

Nice xo's. While they're nothing too special in home audio, Solen caps are about as good as I've seen in a car audio xo. Wish more were like that.


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## luisc202

By the amp as it is easier for any future upgrades.


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## Gary S

ATOMICTECH62 said:


> The doors are not really a good place to put anything....
> ...Plus every door Ive ever seen has some kind of water leakage.


 - This.

Plus, you should bi-wire if the passives are capable... it reduces a type of distortion. In this case, mounting them closer to the speakers does not save any wire. Zipcord is pretty cheap anyway?


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## ccapil

I would try to mount them a close to the amp as you can. It will depend on how your setup is and where all your components are placed etc. But IMO I wouldn't worry about using passive crossovers anymore. I would recommend to anyone to go active for many reasons, no big passive crossovers for one.


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## Hanatsu

Gary S said:


> - This.
> 
> Plus, you should bi-wire if the passives are capable... it reduces a type of distortion. In this case, mounting them closer to the speakers does not save any wire. Zipcord is pretty cheap anyway?


What type of distortion?

Tapaaatalk!!


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## rton20s

Hanatsu said:


> What type of distortion?


"A Type."


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## Gary S

Hanatsu said:


> What type of distortion?
> 
> Tapaaatalk!!



- Honestly, I don't remember, but it was Joseph D'Appolito, a famous speaker designer who said it. All I remember is he said while it did not make sense from an engineering/electronics standpoint, in practice, it reduced (some type of... there I go again!) distortion.

See link:

Bi-wiring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## rally

Better beside the amp have enough space


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## Tweeky

I've always wondered if mounting them near the amp with 20 feet of speaker wire downstream of the passives adds some resistance that can slightly alter the crossover points?

Probably negligible but I've always wondered.


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## glassman3333

a390st said:


> Nice xo's. While they're nothing too special in home audio, Solen caps are about as good as I've seen in a car audio xo. Wish more were like that.





Gary S said:


> - This.
> 
> Plus, you should bi-wire if the passives are capable... it reduces a type of distortion. In this case, mounting them closer to the speakers does not save any wire. Zipcord is pretty cheap anyway?


Isn’t this the thing that’s also referred to as “buy-wiring?” I’d be curious to see the same designer sit down in a blind listening test among multiple systems in each configuration to see if he could pick out a noticeable difference.

In regard to the water, how would that be an issue, especially with a passive? Unless it’s soaking in water, there are multiple active and passive electrical components in the door that seem to operate just fine - actuators, window motors, electrical switches, speakers … etc. I would think a door location is just fine, unless you need to make adjustments to the crossovers - that seems like it would be the only downside.


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## nismos14

glassman3333 said:


> Isn’t this the thing that’s also referred to as “buy-wiring?” I’d be curious to see the same designer sit down in a blind listening test among multiple systems in each configuration to see if he could pick out a noticeable difference.
> 
> In regard to the water, how would that be an issue, especially with a passive? Unless it’s soaking in water, there are multiple active electrical components in the door that seem to operate just fine - actuators, window motors, electrical switches, speakers … etc. I would think a door location is just fine, unless you need to make adjustments to the crossovers - that seems like it would be the only downside.


Those posts are 8 years old dude. 🤦🏽‍♂️


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## glassman3333

nismos14 said:


> Those posts are 8 years old dude. 🤦🏽‍♂️


I understand that. However, the information contained in them doesn’t make my comment any less relevant. As far as I’m aware, bi-wiring is still common, and there are people out there that question where to place components such as crossovers. I mean, that’s how I found this thread, as I’m unsure myself. Anyone that adds to the thread with relevant info/experience will only help the next person that comes along.

For instance, I notice you have upwards of 1800 posts. I’m guessing you have a lot of install experience. If using passive crossovers, what are your thoughts on placement? Does it matter, or do you have a preference?


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