Home theater crossover question

Thanks. I knew that re-routed bass and LFE were separate, but there is no info on the receiver as to the frequency response for the former, so I assumed it was the same. In any case, my subwoofer's frequency response is listed as 29hz-150hz, so I'm not sure it can produce the 150hz-200hz sounds even if the receiver re-routes that range from the other speakers. On the other hand, my receiver wouldn't have put that burden on the sub if it wasn't producing sound in that range during the test, would it?

For now, I've changed the main speaker crossover from 200hz to 120hz. I didn't want to chance missing the occasional 188hz note that will make all the difference. When I have time, I'll A/B Dianna Krall and decide whether to change it back.

I'm having an epiphany at the moment, as I don't think I'm properly processing your quandary. I think you are correct, if your sub doesn't have a bypass, then you're limited to crossing over at or bellow that 120 hz setting. But I could be missing a brain cell on this one. Doh! It must be late.
Anyway, email your sub manufacture.
Let us know.

Kal says "all's well" and Kal knows what he is talking about, but I disagree with him anyway. If your subwoofer puts out anything much higher than 80 Hz, then it will be localizable. In other words, you will be able to hear it thumping away in the corner of your room, or against the wall, or wherever. Sound loses its omnidirectionality above 80 Hz. So you should manually override the crossover settings and set both the subwoofer and the front mains to 80 Hz, for upper and lower crossover points respectively. If your front mains are so small that they can't get down to 80 Hz with ease, then you must have two identical subwoofers, placed beside or under each front main speaker, and then you can make the crossover as high as you like.

Javachip is certainly correct about the localizability of the sub when it is asked to perform much above 80Hz but that was not the problem asked about.

In fact, I see more problems in lowering the crossover from 200Hz to 80Hz, more than an octave, if the main speakers really are incapable of low frequency output. Doing so will force them to reproduce, with requisite power, an octave or more below their abilities. Since we do not know what they are, we cannot be certain but I would proceed with caution.

IMHO, better a localizable sub than blown speakers. The solutions include repositioning of the sub close to the main speakers and/or replacement of the main speakers with more competent ones.

Kal

Like Kal said, the slope of the crossover is also important. That will take care of the 120 to 200 Hz range.

However. also like Javachip says, if your sub is crossed over that high, you're going to localize it. Even more problematic in my view is the fact that your crossover is is the audible mid-range for human voices, to which the ear is most sensitive.

You may not want to hear this, and you didn't ask in your thread, but I think you should seriously consider new front speakers if they have to be crossed over that high. There are many respectable, inexpensive, smaller speakers that don't have to be crossed over that high. There are too many problems that your settings will cause that will noticeably detract from the enjoyment of your HT.