Measuring and designing for time delay between drivers of a 3 way speaker

[selim]

Thanks for the explanation. I will check the phase tracking between the drivers. What is your opinion on my current xo order being 4th or 8th? Since the mid and woofer are so far apart and drivers' respective usable upper and lower limits are so close would it make sense to go higher in order as a compromise?

 

[jtalden]

I'm just a hobbyist and have no strong opinion. There are too many considerations to make a general recommendation. Excellent speakers are made using electrical XOs from 1st order to 4th order for sure. 8th order isn't used very much but may have its places.

 

[selim]

Thank you both. JT, I was also aiming for both drivers to be in phase at the XO point but assumed that the mid wasn't out of phase (because of the XO order) and I was surprised to see that it was when you suggested reversing the polarity. Thanks for showing me phase tracking on the graphs. sm52 suggested lower-order XO's and I'm trying those now. What are your thoughts on crossing the woofer to the mid based on the drivers' capabilities. (1,1kHz woofer breakup, etc.)

 

[sm52]

I always check all options by ear. If you hear an improvement, then you can use this option. I have a categorical view on the possibility of installing negative polarity on the mid and high frequencies. I always hear the sound is wrong if the polarity of the midrange or treble is negative. Negative polarity can only be set to low frequencies, in some cases. It’s just that many people don’t hear this discomfort, so they freely change the polarity. Your Altec is designed for bass, it doesn't need to play 1kHz. But the midrange has a pit at 800 hertz. Therefore, I would choose a frequency of 900 hertz for the low frequencies, and 1-1.1 kHz for the midrange.