DSP vs. active analog crossover vs. passive analog crossover. What is your take?

@panzrwagn wrote:

Active crossovers remove coils, capacitors and resistors from the amp-speaker interface with huge benefits in overall system performance: dynamic range, 'speed' and control of drivers. The benefit is due to lacking those energy storing or energy dissipating components, the amps have an easier load, less phase shift and less time smearing/latency/hysteresis and more control over the driver.

Exactly. 

Considering that Mobile Fidelity got away with sneaking a A/D conversion and a D/A conversion into their Original Master LPs for fifteen years perhaps analog purist aren't as able to hear digital processing as they have believed themselves to be.  Online I have been called a tin eared apostate heretic because I use a DEQX DSP to crossover, control and regulate my DIY fully horn loaded triamplified speakers. I've been asked by analog purists why I even bother to play LPs on my Clearaudio turn table since the digital process is going to "obviously" screw up the sound.

My system wouldn't be possible with analog crossovers since I use folded corner horns for the bass and midrange and super tweeter horns well out into the room for better imaging.  Counting the horn path inside the bass bins plus the actual physical separation between woofers and mids the acoustic centers of those drivers are nearly seventeen feet apart.  Yet with DSP the timing is adjusted so that they sound as though the acoustic centers of those drivers are within less than 1/8" of each other.  Also I really like the blend of the three drivers with all roll off slopes set at 96dB per octave.  Neither I nor my audiophile friends are able to hear the 200 Hz crossover point between the woofer horns and midrange horns with test tones, frequency sweeps or music. The same is true of the mid to super tweeter crossover.

I  don't doubt that the DSP exacts some toll on the SQ though I can't hear it.  But then so would analog crossover with even the best component parts.  Obviously my vote is for DSP.

There are high and low frequency limitations with full range speakers and therefore higher distortion at those frequency as well and not the best dynamics either. But I get your point. Better live with good midrange where most of the music is instead of 20/20 full range frequency with compromised midrange.

agree, that’s why many of us like full range speakers. However, what do you do with two, three, or got forbids, four way speakers?

From what I understand you're using a 3 way speaker and sub and calling it 4 way well With Genelec you can build a 5 way but it needs to be calibrated with GLM,  these are fully DSP speaker systems and are very easy to integrate in a variety of rooms. You're making this way to hard. I know some are discussing DIY but that's not the same as what's being with  SOTA from  companies like Kii, Dutch and Dutch,  Genelec, Dynaudio  etc...

djones51

These are all good suggestions, but if I had learn anything from the past, there is no substitute for large drivers.  If I'm not wrong, the speakers on your list are relatively small monitors. Thank you for your input - greatly appreciated.