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?)
128x128jimspov
Ivan,

I believe that Salk offers (or at least once offered) an option along these lines.

You might also be able to do it with DEQx and something like the Linkwitz Orion. The Orion features a separate, active (analog) x-over box, which you’d either delete from the order or (if that’s not an option) discard. Instead, you’d run a digital source signal into the DEQx, adjust the x-overs to taste, and take analog out of the DEQx to the amps of choice - then onto the various inputs of the Orion’s drivers.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think it would work.
With the exception of an analog input, there are a number of digital EQ options like DEQX that can provide a digital output (as well as taking digital inputs), so there is no need for unnecessary A/D/A conversion if one wants a different DAC to handle those final analog out duties. The DEQX is remarkably transparent in its A/D conversion (I was pretty shocked, to be honest). And the quality of the DAC has not felt lacking to me. Of course there may be less successful A/D/A implementation in other devices. 
The DEQx has always indeed looked to me like an intriguing piece of gear and even more so now in view of Roscoe's comment above about the sound of the DAC. If I weren't enjoying my current setup so much I believe I could be tempted to "kick the tires" on that one and take a very hard look...all that and phase response correction, too. Thanks guys.

Are crossovers "tone killers" as Zu Audio says?

Are digital crossovers a solution?
That’s Zu Audio’s opinion & no wonder since they sell cross-over-less speakers! No conflict of interest here!! ;-)
No, cross-overs are not tone killers IF you implement this correctly & that takes some doing....

All digital cross-overs? Try the Meridian (Boothroyd-Stuart Meridian, a UK company) solution. They offer an all-digital system all the way to their speaker. The D/A occurs in their speaker + the speaker is active i.e. has its own amps inside the speaker box.
How many people you know & know of own Meridian? OR, own that style of audio solution?
Does the answer tell you something??