Crossover with the drivers in series

[WhiskeyRebel]

Every crossover design I've see so far would have the drivers in parallel if you shorted past the filtering components. Would it work if you put the woofer and tweeter in series, with an inductor paralleled with the tweeter to shunt lows around it and a cap paralleled with the woofer to shunt highs around it? What effect would this have?

 

[GordonW]

That's called a Series Crossover, and yes, it's a very valid way of designing speakers. In fact, some of the Vandersteen speakers used to be wired this way.

If you look over on the Madisound message board, there are many people on there who have experimented with this crossover topology, with good effects. In fact, they've gone beyond the simple first-order filter mentioned (cap in parallel with the woofer, inductor in parallel with the tweeter, and made higher-order slopes, as well.

if you want to check further on this, there is a fellow named Ken Perkins who has done a considerable amount of tinkering with these crossovers, and has made, I must say, some pretty darn respectable sounding speakers using them (I've heard 'em! :thmbsp: ). Here's a link to some of Ken's thoughts about them:

http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_files/Articles/perkinsxo.htm


Regards,
Gordon.