2nd Order Crossover Network Experiment For Car Audio

When I building multi way speaker system, I mostly using the 2nd order crossover for the starting point. Then, one by one I experimenting to the higher order cross over slope to get the better result from each drivers.

The tweeter installation previously on my car here is only using the first order cross-over for both drivers. This is by only using 1 capacitor for the tweeter and 1 inductor for the mid-range. I know at that time I had a short time installation but I will revised it in today upgrade. I will rebuild the cross-over and upgrade it to the 2nd order slope.

A short brief about what is this cross-over order slope is actually a 6 dB elevation of the attenuation starting from the 1st order to 2nd order and even to 3rd & 4th order. This means the higher the slope, the more sharp attenuation after the cross-over point made.

Back to this project, the tweeter drivers is Vifa D26NC. I choose it because it is affordable and good sounding tweeter. Sound quality is okay but there still some peaks in the sound presentation that need to correct with this new cross-over network.

Upgrading this cross-over network is very simple, I am using previous crossover that using for the tweeter and midrange but right now this cross-over only for the mid range driver only.

I rework the connection between the capacitor and the inductor so it is now become the 2nd order cross over for the mid range speaker.

Then, I split the input speaker cable that goes to this cross-over into another one. This will connecting to the new tweeter cross-over network.

The new component for this 2nd order high pass cross-over is using 3,3 uF capacitor and 0,22 mH.

I adding a resistor for attenuate the loudness of the tweeter, so the sound will be more coherent with the mid-range.

Once the cross-over is finish, then I attach to the tweeter housing using glue.

In depth about the cable connection, because this is the 2nd order slope, then the tweeter polarity cable should be put in reverse from the mid-range connection. The positive polarity goes to minus polarity and vice versa. This is because of the phase shift in 180 degree between the drivers.

All of this work is complete in just bellow 2 hours.

My first impression for the sound in this 2nd order cross-over is very positive. The sound presentation is more coherent.

I can only tell that this 2nd order crossover network is working like charm and say goodbye to the 1st order cross-over.

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