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Is this how a Subwoofer Crossover is supposed to work?

I bought two Starke SW12 subwoofers that I installed.  So far I'm not particularly happy with them.  They are way too loud even with the volume set almost to off.  More importantly, I'm having trouble integrating them into my system and I'm wondering if that is because their crossover setting is really functioning as I understand a crossover should. Attached please find measurements from Room Equalization Wizard with SPL graphs of the two subs (no speakers) taken at my listening position with the crossover set at 50 Hz, 90 Hz, and 130 Hz. Ignore the peaks and dips which I assume are due to room nodes.  All of those settings appear to actually have the same crossover point of 50 Hz. All that changes is the slope of the rolloff in sound levels. This isn't how I thought a properly designed crossover was supposed to work.  I thought the frequency the levels would start to roll off would change, i.e. flat to 50 hz then a sharp drop, flat to 90 hz then a sharp drop, etc. etc..  But Starke says this is how a subwoofer crossover is supposed to work.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8x4cr32pagwg48i/Two%20Subs%20Different%20Crossover%20Points%20No%20Speaker...
Any experts on here with an opinion about this?  Is it possible to buy an inexpensive active crossover that I could use in place of what is built into these subs?
pinwa
erik_squires
16,348 posts
 
Finally, someone around here posts measurements. ;-)

Unfortunately, it's of 2 subs, so things are much more complicated.  Turn one sub off and re-run your measurements.

And yes, miniDSP is a great alternative, which will add much needed EQ and very fine delay controls. :)
erik_squires
16,348 posts
 
It may help you to think of crossovers if your realize that the are not independent of the sub's own natural rolling off of higher frequencies.

The low pass filter in the sub ADDs to the natural low pass filter. To figure out what you are starting with, set the HP filter as high as you can and measure there.
imhififan's avatar
imhififan
2,211 posts
 
Not an expert, just my 2 cents.
I thought the frequency the levels would start to roll off would change, i.e. flat to 50 hz then a sharp drop, flat to 90 hz then a sharp drop, etc. etc..
Yes, but depend on the crossover, usually subwoofer low pass filter slope is 12 dB/octave instead of a sharp drop.
But Starke says this is how a subwoofer crossover is supposed to work.
I think this is how a Starke subwoofer crossover supposed to work.
Is it possible to buy an inexpensive active crossover that I could use in place of what is built into these subs?
Look like you can't bypass the built-in crossover! Any chance to return it?

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