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Is Parasound on to something? Or, How important is crossover management in preamps?

How important is crossover management in mid-fi receiver?

I auditioned Parasound separates yesterday — P6 and A23+ and the dealer emphasized how useful it would be to be able to control the crossover *both* for the subwoofer (I have a Rel 328) and the bookshelves (TBD, but I'm looking at Dynaudios and Salk WOW1's). Not many preamps have this, and I'm wondering how important it is. I'm also quite interested in PS Audio's separates (Stellar Gaincell + S300) but they do not have these, nor do they have tone controls.

So how valuable is Parasound's controls? What is the significance (positive or negative) control over the crossover — especially of the *main* speakers themselves? The positive, I read, is that it (a) allows mains to do a more precise job by relieving them of the burden of the bottom end, and (b) it increase the efficacy of the power amp in driving the mains. Is there a negative? Is there something "improper" about limiting the demands on mains, especially given their designed frequency range?

As you can see, the answer to this question helps determine whether Parasound has a major value-adding feature in these crossover controls.

Obviously, at the end of the day, auditioning pre's and poweramps (or integrateds) is crucial, as is match to speakers, etc. But if this feature is very important for fitting sub and mains together — and fitting speakers to room environments — then it will help me weigh the Parasound or any other preamp with this feature.

P.S. To those who keep seeing my newbie questions, I hope they're not irksome. I'm posting so often because I'm researching purchases for a whole system, of some cost, and so I'm really digging into these questions about all aspects. And I'm having a blast.
128x128hilde45
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
If you're upgrading, look for integrated amps first. Ignore features like crossovers. In fact ignore all specifications entirely. Forget watts per channel. Forget whatever nonsense you heard about "matching". Focus on how it sounds. Period. 

Now go back and read the first paragraph again, only this time replace "integrated amps" with speakers.

Now go back and read it again, only this time replace "speakers" with turntable. CD Player. Speaker cable. Power cable.

Got it?

Buy whatever sounds the best.

Oh, and since you said this is for a new system "of some cost" take whatever that number is, divide by 5 for the 5 things you need (source, amp, speakers, cables, and tweaks- cones, rack, shelf, etc) and use that as your cutoff as to what to audition.
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hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,974 posts
 
Thanks, Erik. It sounds like all things being otherwise equal, the Parasound feature is a plus.
Thanks, Millercarbon. It seems like if everything sounds good, then the crossover is a plus. (I never said I wanted to make the decision without making listening the highest priority. That would make me a technophile gear head. But I like music.) The division into fifths is something to consider. Thanks for mentioning it.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
4,974 posts
 
Here's the take from PS Audio sales. I asked them why their stuff didn't have what Parasound did.

The reply: "We believe handling the crossover is actually detrimental to the sound quality. When a speaker designer finalizes a design for a speaker they have typically done so very carefully. A large part of this process is the crossover itself. So it’s a little bold to believe we can set a better crossover point than the person who designed it."

So, I'm surprised that Parasound, which gets good reviews and seems well-respected would do something so detrimental to the sound quality. Seems gimmicky and non-audiophile to do that. 
cal3713's avatar
cal3713
1,421 posts
 
Someone has to control the crossover point.  As you pointed out above, it can be convenient to have the option in a preamp, but it's also more circuitry that could be done better with a separate component or within the speaker itself.  I don't see any sense in which it is wrong, and certainly there are some situations/gear in which it could sound better than not using it.  If not, why would they ever have put in the feature. 

Hell, if you really want to control the crossover you can put a Pass Labs XVR1 after your preamp, buy the gear to biamp/triamp and then pull all the inductors/caps/resistors out of your speaker and connect your amps directly to the drivers.  That'd probably sound better once you find all the correct crossover values and levels, but it would potentially double the cost of your system and you'd have to spend many many hours working with the XVR settings.  A first order crossover?  Second?  Fourth?  How many poles do you want in your LP filter?  Plenty of people do that, but they're mostly over on DIYAudio, not here on Agon.  
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