Monsoon Speaker Upgrade
10-07-2011, 07:27 AM
#23
This is one of those "purist" vs. practical discussions. Is using the crossover that came with the speakers better? Certainly. Will using the factory filters work? Sure, plenty of people have done it and been very happy with the results.
Designing and/or selecting crossovers is a very complex subject. Even the crossovers included with the speakers aren't always the "best" option because they don't take into account the positioning of the speakers in the car, the type of music played, the other speakers in the car, etc. There are variables such as crossover point and slope that affect the overall blend of sound. Also, depending on the speaker brand, the included crossover may be nothing more than a passive high-pass and low-pass filter packaged in a box - basically the same thing the car already has.
The discussion is somewhat like the one about whether you should have speakers behind you. Audiophiles will argue that all directional sound (everything except bass) should only come from in front of the listener - a front sound stage like listening to a concert. They're not wrong. Yet surround sound has become increasingly popular since the '70s and virtually every car made now has speakers all around.
Bottom line, technically it is better to use the included crossover but it's more work to install (especially with some of the larger crossovers) and the benefits for the average listener in the noisy environment of a car are not substantial. Playing both setups back to back, you might notice the difference but you won't miss it if you just use the factory filters from the start.
And rumors of speaker damage from the wrong crossover are highly exaggerated. In a high-end system with lots of power... perhaps. But in a Monsoon system, not likely.
Designing and/or selecting crossovers is a very complex subject. Even the crossovers included with the speakers aren't always the "best" option because they don't take into account the positioning of the speakers in the car, the type of music played, the other speakers in the car, etc. There are variables such as crossover point and slope that affect the overall blend of sound. Also, depending on the speaker brand, the included crossover may be nothing more than a passive high-pass and low-pass filter packaged in a box - basically the same thing the car already has.
The discussion is somewhat like the one about whether you should have speakers behind you. Audiophiles will argue that all directional sound (everything except bass) should only come from in front of the listener - a front sound stage like listening to a concert. They're not wrong. Yet surround sound has become increasingly popular since the '70s and virtually every car made now has speakers all around.
Bottom line, technically it is better to use the included crossover but it's more work to install (especially with some of the larger crossovers) and the benefits for the average listener in the noisy environment of a car are not substantial. Playing both setups back to back, you might notice the difference but you won't miss it if you just use the factory filters from the start.
And rumors of speaker damage from the wrong crossover are highly exaggerated. In a high-end system with lots of power... perhaps. But in a Monsoon system, not likely.
10-07-2011, 07:44 AM
#24
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Bottom line, technically it is better to use the included crossover but it's more work to install (especially with some of the larger crossovers) and the benefits for the average listener in the noisy environment of a car are not substantial. Playing both setups back to back, you might notice the difference but you won't miss it if you just use the factory filters from the start.
F-bodies are not quiet cars from the factory and most of us have, or plan to have, a louder exhaust which will only exaggerate the issue. If you were talking about a high end system in a luxury car, the difference would be more noticeable. Plus, the crossovers would just add more weight.
Last edited by WhiteBird00; 10-07-2011 at 07:53 AM. Reason: fix quote display
10-07-2011, 07:49 AM
#25
TECH Addict
Mine was very quiet - as quiet as my G8 or quieter. I can very much recommend Second Skin Luxury Liner.
I haven't seen anyone argue a valid point for reasons NOT to use the CDT crossover. Only ~15% of your power is going to the tweeter so the difference from biamping is a pretty moot point, and it's not even biamped on a Camaro, just biwired.
Also, there is no low-pass for the woofer on the stock setup, which is a bad thing. If you do upgrade speakers and for some reason think that using the stock wiring is okay as-is, you must get a set with a paper coned woofer or it will shriek at higher frequencies from cone ringing.
I haven't seen anyone argue a valid point for reasons NOT to use the CDT crossover. Only ~15% of your power is going to the tweeter so the difference from biamping is a pretty moot point, and it's not even biamped on a Camaro, just biwired.
Also, there is no low-pass for the woofer on the stock setup, which is a bad thing. If you do upgrade speakers and for some reason think that using the stock wiring is okay as-is, you must get a set with a paper coned woofer or it will shriek at higher frequencies from cone ringing.
Last edited by dragonrage; 10-07-2011 at 02:52 PM.
