A single capacitor can be an effective high pass filter. Combined with port plugging makes it easier to raise the subwoofer Hz, something many who have resisted found irresistible after trying. :)
YMMV.
My high pass filter experiment and a couple of questions
Prior to this "experiment" I was running my Maranztz SA10 with balanced Kimber Silver Streak to my Cary SLP05 and from there I was using balanced Kimber Silver Streak to my Cary V12; from my SLP05 I was going out of the RCA outs with some old Monster Cable to my ancient M&K MX-100.
Back in ’95 I bought a M&K LP-15 passive high pass filter and I liked it with the gear I was then using, but as the gear got bigger and better and I also started using balanced interconnects I quit using it.
A few days ago I dug it out and I left the balanced connections from CDP to the pre the same, but from the pre I went with some Kimber PBJ RCA (because I don’t have any Silver Streak RCA that is long enough) from my pre into the high pass filter, and from the high pass I went with Kimber PBJ RCA to my amp; I hooked up the Monster Cable (that I had been going from the pre to the sub with) to the high pass filter and went to the sub with that.
Initially I kind of liked it, but tonight I wasn’t so sure. (It almost seems as if I am prone to INITIALLY like any change I make.)
I have a lot less gain and a lot more real extate available on the volume knob of my pre. That part I do like. I assume that is because I am going into my amp with RCA connection versus balanced and less voltage?
The high pass filter does have a treble control and a bass control. Initially I was reticent to use it any way except with both controls turned all the way to full. However, I did find that by playing with the treble control a smidge I could take the hard (bright) edge off of certain (not all) CDs. I left the bass control turned all the way to full because I am thinking it is supposed to do the same thing that the level control on the sub is doing, so why defeat that on the sub?
Another question is: since the LP-15 is theoretically supposed to roll the bass off at 85 Hz and the Revel M126Be’s I am now using are supposed to be trying to go down to 54 Hz, if those speakers are only being sent 85 Hz and above from the amp, this should make them an easier load to drive? I would think that their sensitivity doesn’t change, but now the impedance should not have to dip as low?
And still another question(?) does balanced from CPP to pre and RCA from pre to high pass and then to amp seem problematic? And I suppose I should consider upgrading the PBJ RCAs to Silver Streak RCAs?
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Hi Erik, I am curious about your single capacitor solution. If I bi-wire my speaker connections, can I wire a single capacitor in line with the LF speaker wires to limit the low frequency signal going to the woofers? How exactly would you wire that capacitor, to the positive terminal of the LF binding posts, only? Would that have any effect on the high frequencies? Since that capacitor would come after the amplifier, would that solution benefit both the speaker (which would not need to reproduce the very lowest bass) as well as the amplifier (since the speaker wouldn't be drawing current to power the lowest frequencies)? How would I figure out the capacitor parameters to use for a certain high pass value, like 40Hz? If it were this easy, why aren't the speaker manufacturers recommending this solution and why do people purchase more expensive solutions as provided by Vandersteen or Marchand? FWIW, I owned the XM446 fully balanced high pass filter, which was in-line prior to the amplifier thus affected the entire signal. BTW, I am not challenging your comment, but sincerely want to understand. Also, my acoustic suspension speakers do not have ports. Thanks for any further clarification/explanation. |
I've been engaged in that experiment for a few months now. I bought a balanced HPF from Marchand. It filters below 80hz and is very effective at creating space for the sub to fill. I was quite pleased with the low end. However, I had issues in other areas that I couldn't solve with room treatments so I just purchased a high quality graphic eq. I decided to use that below 80 as well, and was able to dial it in nicely. So now, the sub is relegated to below 40 where my speakers fall off a cliff. If you're interested, I may sell the Marchand HPF.
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