the dB/octave specification of the crossover?


Hello,
I have a dumb question the dB/octave specification of the crossover. A speaker designer wrote on his Facebook that dB/octave is like the resolution of a television. For example, for the same set of drivers, if we apply a crossover with 12dB/octave, the sound won’t be as detailed as with a 50dB/octave crossover. If this is true, I wonder why there are many speakers with 12dB/octave only. Why isn't there a race in dB/octave just like 4k, 8k TV?
Thank you. 
Huy
quanghuy147

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

There are many who are proponents of 1st order, time coincident crossovers as well. Vandersteen and Thiel among them.

If you are curious, build some. :) How about the Seas A26 kit?  Has 1 capacitor and one resistor for a single order (6dB/octave) slope on the tweeter only. Can easily be converted to 2nd order (12db/octave) as an experiment.

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2-way-speaker-kits/seas-a26-10-2-way-kit-pair-based-on-the-cla...

I have a dumb question the dB/octave specification of the crossover. A speaker designer wrote on his Facebook that dB/octave is like the resolution of a television. For example, for the same set of drivers, if we apply a crossover with 12dB/octave, the sound won’t be as detailed as with a 50dB/octave crossover.

Bullshit. :)  Utter and complete nonsense.

The crossover slopes are chosen to be complementary to the other drivers as well as to minimize interference from one driver to another as you go off axis.

It does not improve your resolution in the way it is stated. There are some benefits to high slope crossovers, but even Joseph Audio, the most well known proponent of high slope crossovers seems to have decided they are not that useful.*


Best,

E

* I'm going from recent measurements of his speakers, which seem to use more conventional crossover designs.