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Speaker crossovers

I want to dip my toe in making a pair of DIY open baffle speakers using one 15 inch coaxial driver per speaker. Can anyone explain (at the 4th grade level  :)  why I need crossovers for coaxial drivers? Seems to me if I need crossovers, I might as well use separate drivers. I ask because I'd like to use a couple of these: 

https://www.bcspeakers.com/en/products/coaxial/15-0/8/15cxn76 

To complicate things the specs recommend XO-4 crossovers which I've found only to be manufactured in Italy. I thought the whole advantage to using coaxial drivers was so one wouldn't have to bother with crossovers. Guess I'm wrong. Please explain why and how one would hook up the crossovers. Also, what would happen if I didn't use crossovers (decrease the sound quality of the drivers or amp? Destroy or damage one or both)? Are there any high quality 15 inch coaxial drivers with "built-in" crossovers? I need "simple"  :(
mewsickbuff
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
When it gets to where guys who know less than kenjit are building them you can be pretty sure the open baffle fad has just about run its course.
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oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
I looked up the specs. That driver is not a good driver to start with in an OB set up. Total Q is way to low (.21) needs to be over .50 or more.
99 and 105 on the sensitivity, there is a footnote on that measurement too, a "2" and a "5" for whatever reason. Probably different distance.
Anything to confuse you...and get a better measurement... Tannoy uses drivers that are coaxial. Cures a lot of problems in some cases...

It says in the information you need the aforementioned XO..
Gives every spec you need.
TO BUILD A BOX.. sorry had to say that... :-) No mention of OB unless I missed something.

Regards
mewsickbuff OP
237 posts
 
millercarbon, how (besides reading) do we learn if we don't ask? Even students have teachers. Nobody starts out an expert  :)  oldhvymec, sounds like you might've built speakers. What kind? Never knew there were specific drivers for open baffle. Once I get a grasp on crossovers I'll get to work. One things for sure, coaxials take up less space...


mewsickbuff OP
237 posts
 
Thanks to you all pointing me in the right direction, I've spent some time doing due diligence. I now have Lii Crystal 10 full range drivers burning in (almost 200 hours) on open baffles and am expecting a pair of Acoustic Elegance dipole 15 woofers within the next week or so. These speakers are recommended specifically for OB. Slowly but surely learning about and how to build crossovers specific to my speakers. Hopefully, @millercarbon, when this old gal (who knows less than kenjit) is done, I'll let you know how they sound and post a picture or 2  :)
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