Inline capacitor or 2 way crossover for my tweeter

Thread Starter

PaPiャSly

Joined Dec 25, 2022
47
So my tweeter has this capacitor but i want to use a crossover for better quality, now my question is do i remove the capacitor and just connect it to the crossover?
 
So my tweeter has this capacitor but i want to use a crossover for better quality, now my question is do i remove the capacitor and just connect it to the crossover?
No no no! Ur capacitor alow only AC current so you need that one. Just connect it with a 1k resistor or up to 3.3k. Should do
 

ronsimpson

Joined Oct 7, 2019
2,989
Can you send information on the crossover? It was designed to drive the speakers without other components. I say remove the old capacitor, and use the crossover alone. Inside the crossover there should be a new capacitor for the speaker.
The old capacitor is a simple crossover in that it passes only the high frequencies.
I think using a "crossover" and a capacitor will not be good.
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
I agree with Ron.
If the new crossover is designed for two speakers, then you would remove the present capacitor, and connect the tweeter to the designated terminal on the crossover.
 

Audioguru again

Joined Oct 21, 2019
6,674
Of course you should remove the original capacitor that was a poor crossover circuit when a "better crossover circuit" is used to replace it.

Does the "better crossover circuit" match the crossover frequency recommended by the tweeter manufacturer? If the crossover frequency is too low then the lower frequencies at high levels will damage the tweeter.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
Of course you should remove the original capacitor that was a poor crossover circuit when a "better crossover circuit" is used to replace it.

Does the "better crossover circuit" match the crossover frequency recommended by the tweeter manufacturer? If the crossover frequency is too low then the lower frequencies at high levels will damage the tweeter.
Lots of differing opinions for sure.

Well, I half agree with AG2 and half disagree. The crossover will send only high frequencies to the tweeter. The original capacitor only filters out the lower frequencies. If it sees nothing but high frequencies then it's not doing much if anything. But I don't believe it will pose a problem.
Remove it. It would interfere with the operation of the crossover.
This might be true. A lot depends on HOW the Xover is designed. There is a chance it could interfere with it. But the benefits of removing the original cap probably outweigh leaving it in place. But if the tweeter manufacturer deemed that frequencies below the cap set point might be harmful then leaving the cap in might have its benefits.

For sure the best way to determine which is better is to use a jumper to bypass the cap and see how the speaker performs. Personally? I'd probably remove the original cap. And I'd hope for the best.
 

Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
Back in the 70's I built an audio system for my car. Consisted of two Peerless Dome Tweeters mounted in the headliner, two sealed guitar speakers in the doors, four 6X9 coaxial speakers, two in the back window, two side mounted adjacent to the back seat with the extra speakers disconnected, two passive 3 way crossover networks (one for each channel) and I had the best sounding stereo system on the streets at that time. I also needed extra power to drive all that stuff. An amplifier, I believe 25 watts per channel (50 watts) was mounted underneath the seat. And a whole mess of wiring going everywhere. (not to mention the CB radio) (70's geek for sure)

On the street means cruising Whittier Blvd in Whittier California. I also had a siren, wolf whistle, arooga horn, Oldsmobile horns (in a 72 Chevy Nova) and the original Chevy horn mounted under the back bumper. That Chevy horn malfunctioned. I drilled out the rivets and cleaned it up. Since it worked I mounted it where it could be useful. A young couple behind me was making out at a red light. I beeped the back horn and the guy flipped the car behind him off. Good thing nobody got out of their cars and started shooting. I would have felt horrible if someone got injured because of my stupid horn. But on the boulevard I was known as "Horny". Because of the ability to sound like a traffic jam all by myself.
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
The crossover will send only high frequencies to the tweeter. The original capacitor only filters out the lower frequencies.
How are those two statements different?
In both cases the lower frequencies are suppressed and the higher frequencies are passed to the tweeter.
 
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Tonyr1084

Joined Sep 24, 2015
7,853
How are those two statements different?
The end result is the same but the methodology is different. The crossover sends only high frequencies where as - as you said - the cap blocks only low frequencies. Hence, the do the same thing - pass high frequencies - but they do it differently. The crossover blocks low and mid frequencies and sends high frequencies to the tweeter while simultaneously sending mid range to the mid range speakers and low range to the low range speakers. The cap doesn't direct traffic, it just stops unwanted frequencies.
In both cases the lower frequencies are suppressed and the higher frequencies are passed to the tweeter.
Yes, in both cases. But AG2 said:
Of course you should {bold edited in} remove the original capacitor that was a poor crossover circuit when a "better crossover circuit" is used to replace it.
Again, yes, this is true that the cap was the poorer method. But "removing" it may be a superfluous act. I doubt it would change anything by either way - removing it or not. I merely question the need for removal of the cap since the cap at best prevents unwanted frequencies from reaching the speaker. And if the manufacturer has deemed that frequencies below a certain level, if left unattenuated, would possibly damage the tweeter. This is why I would suggest leaving it in place for that sole purpose. High frequencies are going to the speaker AND cap. The cap will probably do nothing, and I don't think it will interfere with the circuit or the performance of the speaker.

Both methods, cap or X-over, accomplish the same thing. Removing the cap just presents one more chance for accidental damage. I'd use a jumper to bypass the cap. If sound quality doesn't improve then I'd leave it alone. If it DOES improve with the cap out of circuit then I'd move forward with that step. If, however, if it performs best with the x-over AND the cap - then I'd choose the option that gives the best performance.

When I was a teen I had an in-home stereo system consisting of one 15" woofer, one 12" woofer, four 10" woofers (to per channel) four mid-range speakers, two horn tweeters and four Peerless dome tweeters in my room. I played drums. LOUDLY. The source was Gerard turn tables (two for mixing tapes), a cassette tape recorder/player, stereo receiver, Bogen mixer, Magnavox amplifier (for the 15, 12 & horn tweeters) (don't remember the power), a 100 watt stereo amplifier and an 8 track player/recorder. While I don't think I come anywhere CLOSE to AG2's expertise, I did mess around a bit with audio. My then girlfriend brought over some of her albums. When playing them she asked "Who's that?" Wanting to know if I was playing the same artist but a much higher quality recording than what she was used to. She heard things she never knew had been recorded on her albums. Vinyl - wax. She had a fold down record player with fold out speakers. Sound quality in my car and my room was absolutely fantastic. And I got MANY complements on my systems.

As I said, I played drums. For eight years. I have the ringing in my ears to prove it too. Public Safety Warning: Always protect your hearing, whether loud music or machinery - if you take my advice and protect your hearing you will never thank me. If you don't - you'll wish you did.
 

Ian0

Joined Aug 7, 2020
9,678
No no no! Ur capacitor alow only AC current so you need that one. Just connect it with a 1k resistor or up to 3.3k. Should do
There will be a series capacitor in a second-order filter so remove the original capacitor if you want to use the new crossover.
However, it is generally accepted that first order crossovers sound better than higher-order crossovers due to the lower rate of change of phase (this isn't "golden ears brigade" or "audiophool" stuff), but they don't remove the lower frequencies as well, and the lower frequencies can damage a tweeter.
The datasheet for the tweeter should state the recommended crossover frequency, and order of crossover.
 

LowQCab

Joined Nov 6, 2012
4,029
When modifying a Speaker,
of the type that comes with only a single Capacitor glued to the "supposed" "Tweeter",
adding a more sophisticated Crossover-Network is unlikely
to make a very noticeable difference, because of the low quality of the Drivers.

However, to get the full benefit of the new Crossover-Network
the original Capacitor should be removed to prevent altering
the Tuning / Frequency-Response of the new Crossover-Network.

A new, more sophisticated Crossover-Network,
is not going to improve the quality of the Drivers.

Start with some reasonable quality Speakers,
and then modify them by adding a good Crossover and
stuffing them tight with Fiberglass Building Insulation.

Spend a few days on the "Parts-Express" website,
they also have an on-line-community / forums that are
in to all kinds and levels of Speaker building.
https://www.parts-express.com/

Top-Notch, Bookshelf sized Speakers, can be had for cheap,
but You have to have a reasonable idea of what You are looking at
and WHY certain aspects are important, and why others don't really matter.

If You want to get really loud,
go to ........ https://billfitzmaurice.info/
.
.
.
 

Audioguru again

Joined Oct 21, 2019
6,674
A crossover network that is a "better crossover circuit" has a much steeper cutoff slope than a simple capacitor. The better circuit completely removes the tweeter resonant frequency. Then the tweeter sounds best producing only sounds within its frequency range and the tweeter with only a simple capacitor might buzz and be damaged at the resonant frequency. for the simple capacitor to properly remove the resonant frequency of the tweeter, it must also attenuate important middle frequencies sounding like "a hole in the middle frequencies".

Here are the specs of a fairly good 15W tweeter sold at Parts Express. It resonates at 2005Hz but its useable frequencies are above 3500Hz because these specs assume that a "better crossover circuit" is used:
 

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crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,285
The end result is the same but the methodology is different.
Not significantly.
A proper crossover network still uses capacitors to block the low frequencies from the tweeter.
If you left the original capacitor in place, you likely would end up with two capacitors in series, which could adversely affect the crossover frequency of the network.
 

Audioguru again

Joined Oct 21, 2019
6,674
Another problem with using a single capacitor or a two-way crossover is the woofer producing shrieking "cone-breakup" sounds.
A good crossover circuit is two-way and has a highpass filter on the tweeter and a lowpass filter on the woofer.
 

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Ian0

Joined Aug 7, 2020
9,678
The converse is also true - if you get a bass speaker with a nicely controlled roll-off at the high-frequency end, then you don't need a crossover at all - the inductance of the speaker will have taken its impedance over 16Ω so a treble unit (with its crossover) can be connected in parallel without overloading the amplifier.
 

AmeliaGrey

Joined Dec 30, 2022
19
So my tweeter has this capacitor but i want to use a crossover for better quality, now my question is do i remove the capacitor and just connect it to the crossover?
The capacitor in your tweeter is most likely there to protect it from high frequency signals that could damage the tweeter. Removing the capacitor and connecting the tweeter directly to a crossover would likely result in a higher quality sound, but it could also potentially damage the tweeter if not used properly. It's best to consult the documentation for your specific tweeter and crossover to ensure that they are compatible and to understand any potential risks or precautions that should be taken.
 

bassbindevil

Joined Jan 23, 2014
824
If you leave the extra capacitor in series with the tweeter, you'll create a 3rd order filter with a higher crossover frequency. I think. It would be best to simulate it or measure the response.
 

Ian0

Joined Aug 7, 2020
9,678
If you leave the extra capacitor in series with the tweeter, you'll create a 3rd order filter with a higher crossover frequency. I think. It would be best to simulate it or measure the response.
depending on which order you connect them. Crossover followed by capacitor = 3rd order, Capacitor followed by crossover = 2nd order at a higher frequency.
 

ronsimpson

Joined Oct 7, 2019
2,989
We do not know what the new crossover looks like, and we only know the old one has a capacitor. Each of us have a different idea of what is happening.
Say the old circuit looks like this. Likely there is no L1 but we just don't know. If you do not remove C1, then there will be two capacitors in series. C1-new and C1-old. This will probably move the tweeter role off frequency up 2X and cause a hole in the frequency response.
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