# How to tell if a crossover is bad...



## zblee (May 18, 2010)

So, how can you tell if a crossover is bad? will it just not work at all resulting in no sound for the speakers? or will it not properly split the signal between mids and highs and result in tweets playing lows and mids highs?

Is there a way to test the xover to see if it is functioning correctly? DMM readings? unplug each speaker and check with test cd of different frequencies?

I am asking these questions because I recently bought a 2-way set that came with some xovers and some extra ones, the seller had told me that one of the xovers was bad... so im wondering if i happend to install the bad one because the tweeter on that side started crackling at certain frequencies and then finally just stopped playing music, while the mid is still goign strong...

and the other set of speakers on the right side are working with no problems still...

could it have just been a bad tweeter? or could it have been the xover?

want to figure this out before i buy some new tweeters and find out it was the xover and blow another tweeter/mid....

THANKS!


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## Wy2quiet (Jun 29, 2010)

If they are passive, the signal will degrade and then just cut out. Mine is blown, so only the tweet output works, the mid won't put out any sound. Active x'overs would be different.

Play music, check for A/C voltage between the output (tweet or mid) on the crossover. If voltage is 0, then you know its dead.


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## laxcat73 (May 19, 2010)

generally it's capacitors that go bad and you can usually see if a cap goes bad - they usually deform the casing in one way or another.


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## zblee (May 18, 2010)

so from what it sounds like is... if the xover is not good, it will not put any sound out at all? 

is it possible that it can be bad and just be putting out the wrong sounds?

thanks for the responses... sounds like i might have bought some "overly" used tweets.... or im pumping too much juice into them :/

jl 300/4 bridged to 150x2 -- going to xover where it splits to cal25 silk tweets and the mids...

gains are set properly using DMM and JL voltage charts... but might not help that i had volume at 75% ( which is what i used to set the gains )

bah, need some new tweets...guess i learned the hard way :/


EDIT: oh and yes they are passive , they are in between the amp and speakers...
hopefully its not the xovers.. cuz that would be a pain to replace ONLY the crossovers...


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## laxcat73 (May 19, 2010)

not necessarily that it wont play at all because some components could be wired in parallel so if one goes bad the power goes through the other side of it.

it won't do the desired affect. it's pretty easy to make an inexpensive passive crossover but it wont be perfect


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## zblee (May 18, 2010)

laxcat73 said:


> not necessarily that it wont play at all because some components could be wired in parallel so if one goes bad the power goes through the other side of it.


ahh, thats what i was afraid of...

i just need to pop a test cd in and see if the mid plays any high frequencies...

if it does i need new xovers AND tweets .. ugh


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## sqshoestring (Jun 19, 2007)

Hook a mid to the tweeter out and see if any mid comes out. You should have speakers of same (original) ohm on all outputs for them to work right. If any mid gets into the tweets they will crack and cook. You may be able to replace the caps in the xover, or any tech can, not that hard, the cap is what keeps the bass out of something which is usually what trashes something.


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## laxcat73 (May 19, 2010)

sqshoestring said:


> Hook a mid to the tweeter out and see if any mid comes out. You should have speakers of same (original) ohm on all outputs for them to work right. If any mid gets into the tweets they will crack and cook. You may be able to replace the caps in the xover, or any tech can, not that hard, the cap is what keeps the bass out of something which is usually what trashes something.


that wouldn't really work if they were different impedance because capacitors filter differently from 8 ohms to 4 ohms, i cant recall which way it goes but i think an 8 ohm resistance on the line makes the cap filter at an octave higher or vice verse


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## zblee (May 18, 2010)

laxcat73 said:


> that wouldn't really work if they were different impedance because capacitors filter differently from 8 ohms to 4 ohms, i cant recall which way it goes but i think an 8 ohm resistance on the line makes the cap filter at an octave higher or vice verse


i think the woofer and tweet are both 4ohm


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## laxcat73 (May 19, 2010)

cant hurt to try. try the woof on the high pass section. try the tweet on a very low powered full range signal too. if the woofer doesnt play anything connected to the tweet section, you know that the signal isn't getting through for some reason


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## zblee (May 18, 2010)

oh and some more bad news... my right tweeter seemed to be going out .. it was playing good, then it just cut out and didnt play anymusic... so i may be turning up the volume too high.... oh and this one didnt have the same crackling noise as a warning, it just stopped playiing, so it might not be the xovers, but me just turning up the volume too high... BAH


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## zblee (May 18, 2010)

laxcat73 said:


> cant hurt to try. try the woof on the high pass section. try the tweet on a very low powered full range signal too. if the woofer doesnt play anything connected to the tweet section, you know that the signal isn't getting through for some reason


well i hooked up the woof to the high pass it it did not play any mid bass... so i believe i can conclude that i basically just blew the tweet unfortunately....

my right one still works so i at least i have one until i get new ones...

i think i figured out what i did wrong ( this being the first time doing a complete install,... especially adding amp for front stage and doing components... both new to me ) 

i did some reading and i think what is happening is that i had my max volume too high for my HU and i was clipping the actual HU output... so what i plan on doing is adjusting my gains again with my max HU volume at about 60% instead of 75%, this should reduce the chance of the HU clipping... im not 100% this is the reasoning behind the blown tweet... but from what i read online...it sounds about right for my scenario..

cross my fingers when i get my new tweets ( who knows when that will be... ANYONE HAVE SOME RAINBOW CAL26's they want to sell me??? and anyone want a single CAL25???? ) and adjust the gain, hopefuly i can keep the new ones for longer than 2 weeks... i hate learning the hard way.. well noob mistake!


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## jkumler (Oct 24, 2020)

So if a passive crossover is bad...will any sound come out of the speaker?


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

jkumler said:


> So if a passive crossover is bad...will any sound come out of the speaker?


A crossover could have an issue, and it could still play music. Might be best to start a new thread and ask that question. Supply as much detail as you can as to why you think your crossover might be bad.


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## jkumler (Oct 24, 2020)

In what section should I post? Sorry Im clearly none too good at forums.


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## jkumler (Oct 24, 2020)

miniSQ said:


> A crossover could have an issue, and it could still play music. Might be best to start a new thread and ask that question. Supply as much detail as you can as to why you think your crossover might be bad.





miniSQ said:


> A crossover could have an issue, and it could still play music. Might be best to start a new thread and ask that question. Supply as much detail as you can as to why you think your crossover might be bad.


I think I got it. Ty.


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