# JBL 2206H w/DNA360 Front Mains: Active or Passive crossover?



## cattskinner (Nov 8, 2012)

I'm planning an upgrade on my front sound-stage, and am planning to build some L/R sat's for use over a subwoofer. My goal is solid extension down to 70 - 80 hz. I have a pair of JBL 2206H's that I could pair with what appears to be a well regarded compression driver and waveguide combo, the Denova DNA-360 with SEOS-12.

QUESTION: Active or passive crossover? I have the amps and crossover to go active, but my concern is with how it would sound. I would have no problem with going passive, but do not have even a smidgen of the expertise needed to construct one. I've located nobody locally who builds custom ones (I'm in Idaho, where cows vastly outnumber people -- especially audiophiles)

I'm swapping out my Big Box Store special AVR for an older Denon -- their 3808CI, which has the Audyssey MultEQ XT. If I simply run the speakers bi-amped, get the gain on the respective hi-lo matched as closely as hearing permits, and then run the Audyssey ... ???

:help:

Thanks ahead of time


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## fusseli (May 1, 2007)

Running Audyssey on bi-amped speakers would not be adequate for a crossover, you'd still risk things like destroying your tweeter and bad sound in general. Audyssey is a benefit though, it should help anything sound better.

DEFINITELY go active since you already have the equipment. That's preferred over passive crossovers anyways, active filters are immensely more flexible and easy to tweak. It takes a decent amount of skill and time to get a passive crossover correct.


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## cattskinner (Nov 8, 2012)

Active is the route I will pursue, then. That was kind of my inclination anyway. 

Now, in addition to the electronic crossover and separate amps for the lo and hi drivers, what will I need? I guess I had been mistaken in assuming that after the hi and lo signals were divided by the electronic crossover and sent to their respective amplifiers, the amp outputs wired directly to the driver(s) and that everything else was bi-passed. 
What else am I going to need?


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## fusseli (May 1, 2007)

Your assumptions are correct, why did you think that was wrong? You'll need to make sure that your speaker cabinets have two sets of input terminals, each wired directly to each driver and not wired to each other.


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## cattskinner (Nov 8, 2012)

After re-reading my initial post, it occurs to me I phrased my intentions and questions pretty badly, and got confused when I read your reply :doh: Maybe I should try posting when I've had a little sleep, and same for putting together my shopping list before I start buying components lol. 

BUT, it looks as if all is well, I have what I need, and I'll feel much better having that flexibility and control than entrusting the end result to someone I don't know a thousand miles away building me a passive crossover with no more to go on than manufacturer's spec's and a couple impedance curves taken under unspecified parameters.

I really am new to the DIY thing, but wonder what took me so much time (and money) to getting around to it.

Great appreciation for your help! I'll post when they are working.


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## fusseli (May 1, 2007)

As long as you have enough discrete amplifiers, an adjustable electronic crossover, and speakers with separate inputs, you are good to go. I made a diagram for you assuming a stereo setup with 2-ways:


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## natehansen66 (Feb 20, 2011)

fusseli said:


> DEFINITELY go active since you already have the equipment. That's preferred over passive crossovers anyways, active filters are immensely more flexible and easy to tweak. It takes a decent amount of skill and time to get a passive crossover correct.



Immensely more flexible and easy to tweak I agree........though it takes a decent amount of skill and time to get an active crossover *correct* as well. You still need a basic understanding of filter design and how to use the individual drive units where they can be used. It's a great way to learn and get started in speaker design without collecting drawers of passive components.

OP, what kind of active crossover do you have? Or are you thinking a receiver will cut it?


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## cattskinner (Nov 8, 2012)

Okay, clear on that. That is a relief. The combo should be pretty potent, in a 3m X 5M room, opens into a staircase. MLP is 3m from the FCL, I've got a Peavey electronic xover with sub-out, a QSC USA 850 with a very conservative output of 279w per @ 8 ohms, an easy 2 db headroom, Those are on the JBL 2206H's. I just picked up a really clean Haffler TA1100 Studio amp to drive the DNA-360's. Should be good down to 80hz easy, and have enough power to rock the man-cave.


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## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

Yay mains are being upgraded also.


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## cattskinner (Nov 8, 2012)

Hi *natehansen66*. Guess I hadn't seen this reply, and it's taken me awhile to duck my head back in.

The active crossover is nothing special, a Behringer CX2310, but the price was right and I checked it out pretty well (within my humble abilities, at least). 

I'd had a fair amount of experience with PA equipment in a past incarnation as a small potatoes rock musician, and typically bi - or tri - amp'd our systems. BUT, I truthfully had no idea -- and still don't --what happens to the signal once it disappears past the input jacks of the speakers.

My current satellites (JBL E-110's w/ JBL 2404H's, sealed .5 cu ft, 3k crossover) I put together with pre-made crossovers and wired in L-pads to attenuate the horns. Crude, but they turned out surprisingly well. BUT, I'm retiring them to surrounds.

I'm going to run the L/R Fronts (the new cabinets with the JBL 2206H's/DNA-360's) using the receiver as a pre-pro >> crossover >> hi and low amps, then the rest of the sat's off the integral receiver amp. It's a Denon 3808CI that seems to have a pretty gutsy set of internal amplifiers. My hope is to get the hi - lo levels on the mains as close as my ears can manage, then see how Audessey does smoothing it out from there ... fingers crossed. 

Currently I'm using a pretty screwy setup with my Sub-out from a smaller AV receiver run through a cheap Pyramid electronic crossover and dividing the 200hz and below in two at 80hz, since the sat's I'm using really don't respond with much authority below 200hz and my larger sub (B&C 21") is too big to fit anywhere close to the center of the soundstage. It sounds a bit too boomy in the upper bass registers and too directional in that range as well .... so I cobbled together a a mid-bass cabinet with a 93L BR mounting a JBL 2035H that sits centered under the screen running 80 - 200 hz, the B&C 80 and down, high-pass at 30 hz. QSC USA850 and Behringer EP4000 respectively, each bridged.

I'm building a somewhat absurd 1100 liter front-loaded horn for the 21", but... hobbies aren't supposed to be practical. My intention is to eliminate the mid-bass cabinet in favor of mains that can cover that range (not to mention pick up about 15dB in the~20hz range, and a significant gain through the music playback range too)

*Chrapladm,* howdy! Yeah, infinite revisions on the sub build ... this house is selling, so I'm not going to build fixed. LTD has put together a really nice looking alternative, it's on AVS. 
"Postpone, but persevere!" I don't know if anyone famous ever said that, but ...


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## cattskinner (Nov 8, 2012)

JBL 2206H's: Check!
Denovo DNA-360's Check!
SEOS-12 Waveguides: Check!
DIY SEOS 1 ft Flat Pack: Yesterday, Sir, Check!
Amps, active x-over: Check check!
Denon 3808CI: Check!
Adequate time: ........uh, working on it, Sir! :gulp:
!! Get cracking, I'm sick of your disorganization!!! addle:

Now a little refinement on the porting (I am going to have to go with a slot port in order to make everything fit on the baffle). Small, but pretty potent combo that I anticipate sounding pretty good. I've resolved to go with a 4.1 system and liquidate a few of my existing drivers *sniff* to offset cost, but with the right "toe-in," angle and mounting height on the L/R surrounds, and the Audyssey Mult EQ, I think it will be pretty rewarding.

Cut the lumber for the B&C 21" FLH, pictures soon. Need to get some time when I have an extra pair of hands and air tools my bud has to put things together. YAY!!


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## chrapladm (Jun 17, 2009)

YAY!!!!!! Gets this party started. :hsd:


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

All right !!! Looks like it will be a fun build


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## dougc (Dec 19, 2009)

Where's the build thread?!?! I want to see some photos of this awesome build


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