Wiring speakers in a system with active crossover

[TurboFox93]

In a system that is based around a CD43 feeding an AudioControl's EQX would I be required to then dedicate 4 channels (one for each tweeter and woofer) ?

Id like to run a 5 channel amp to power the entire system, including sub. However, if I have to dedicate a channel to each tweeter that idea is going out the window. Thanks for any clarification you all can provide.

[Jean]

It's up to you. If you can send highpass 60-100hz and up sound to the front amp channel you can then amplify that and use passive crossover on the components. Say you use an active crossover to send 80hz and up signal to the front two channels for your front 2way speakers or components. The amp will amplify it and the passive crossover will further split it to feed the mid/tweeter. The rear two channels you do thesame or whatever your goal is (like maybe rear fill or bandpass) and another channel for lowpass for the sub(s) only.

in a fully active system you would use 1 amp channel per speaker. highpass for the tweeter, bandpass on the mid, low pass on the midbass or bass driver(s).

[TurboFox93]

If you still using the passive crossovers, are you defeating the purpose of even having the EQX in the mix?

[Jean]

You end up with a half active/half passive system. If the amplifier has the high/pass/lowpass crossovers you can do the same w/o EQX. There are too many variables. The crossover of the amplifier might be of lower quality vs the active, the active crossover might also be a "line driver", it might have balanced output...many differences.

The main point of going with active is being able to easily tune each crossover point and more vs. passive (you can still tune with passive but not as easily for obvious reasons). Along with getting more outputs out of your headunit. Making sure you don't have any turn on/off thump with active system is also important as tweeters are directly connected to the amplifier w/o anything in between so a single turn on/off thump can blow them. For that reason sometimes people add passive highpass on the tweeter or leave the mid/tweeter section passive. If you have good/high quality components, the passive crossover on the mid/tweeter is probably fine and you won't gain much by ditching it and going all active. The next best thing is bi-amping the passive crossover...this way you use 2 amplifer channels for each crossover section mid/tweeter. Not all manufacturers/models allow for bi-amping, this goes for car and home audio.

[TurboFox93]

I was considering using the JL HD900/5 to power the entire system (fronts,rears, and sub) Would I configure the EQS to send the full range of frequency to the passive crossover on the component? I'd like to go full active but, not wanting to buy another amp, and the loss of rear fill, kind of sticks me in this situation.

BTW Jean, thanks for taking the time to answer these newbish questions.

[Jean]

If you are not going full active, you will want to run the front at highpass to keep the very low. freq. out of the mid and increase the power handing. The passive crossover will handle the rest (the mid to tweeter crossover point etc). If you send the full range to the passive crossover it will still work, but the mid will try and play everything and will limit it's power handling / distort / bottom out on the 20-100hz range. It depends on what components use, and how well you install them but a good rule of thumb would be to highpass them at around 80hz unless they are small and you go higher then.