CUSTOM MADE CROSSOVER NETWORKS
Available Crossover Circuits:
I presently offer two families of crossover electrical circuit. These circuits are second order (12 dB per octave). The Hiraga and the Altec N800 circuits are both less sensitive to speaker time alignment than are certain textbook second order crossover circuits. All crossovers offered are available in 8 and 16 Ohm versions. The Altec N800F circuit is for 16 Ohm drivers. The Altec N800K circuit is for 8 Ohm drivers. These crossovers are available in 2-way configurations, or with an optional capacitor blocked supertweeter circuit which can be switched in and out.
I also design and provide crossover circuits for special applications. An example would be a pair of special purpose 3 way crossover I designed and custom built for Cesare Dini, an Italian customer, using a JBL 4550 woofer cabinet with a 300 Hz rolloff using two 15 inch Altec 416 woofers per channel, a Sato WE66 snail horn (using a Lamar M1 driver) with a 200 Hz to 2 kHz bandwidth, and a JBL 2426 driver on a JBL 2370 horn playing 2 kHz and above. Photos of Cesare's speakers, taken during the shakedown cruise, are shown below. The snail horns with their large square mouths sits above the bass cabinets. The JBL tweeter is mounted in the mouth of the snail horn. Cesare is sublimely pleased with sound he has achieved.
I presently offer two families of crossover electrical circuit. These circuits are second order (12 dB per octave). The Hiraga and the Altec N800 circuits are both less sensitive to speaker time alignment than are certain textbook second order crossover circuits. All crossovers offered are available in 8 and 16 Ohm versions. The Altec N800F circuit is for 16 Ohm drivers. The Altec N800K circuit is for 8 Ohm drivers. These crossovers are available in 2-way configurations, or with an optional capacitor blocked supertweeter circuit which can be switched in and out.
I also design and provide crossover circuits for special applications. An example would be a pair of special purpose 3 way crossover I designed and custom built for Cesare Dini, an Italian customer, using a JBL 4550 woofer cabinet with a 300 Hz rolloff using two 15 inch Altec 416 woofers per channel, a Sato WE66 snail horn (using a Lamar M1 driver) with a 200 Hz to 2 kHz bandwidth, and a JBL 2426 driver on a JBL 2370 horn playing 2 kHz and above. Photos of Cesare's speakers, taken during the shakedown cruise, are shown below. The snail horns with their large square mouths sits above the bass cabinets. The JBL tweeter is mounted in the mouth of the snail horn. Cesare is sublimely pleased with sound he has achieved.
Capacitors:
I use Pete Riggle Personally Selected Crossover Capacitors. These are new old stock oil filled capacitors with a construction that I know to give superlative sound. It is quite a challenge to find these capacitors in sufficient quantity and at affordable costs. The quality of the capacitors largely controls the quality of the crossover circuit. I have never heard a metalized mylar capacitor do a good job in a loudspeaker crossover application. The problem with the original Altec crossovers is largely attributable to use of metalized mylar capacitors. The result is what I would call a grainy sound. In general it can be said that Altec Lansing speakers are delightful when used with high performance crossovers.
Inductors:
Original Altec crossovers are fitted with inductors having fine wire diameter and a closed silicon steel magnetic circuit. This gives me concern for operation of the silicon steel at high flux levels, which could conceivably result in distortion. That said, I have not measured or listened to Altec inductors in comparison with more conventional air core inductors or steel core inductors with open magnetic circuits
To get tonal purity in the woofer circuit, and low electrical resistance for good woofer electrodynamic damping, I use ERSE SuperQ inductors which have grain-oriented silicon steel laminated cores in a non-closed magnetic circuit configuration. To get purity in the high frequency circuit I use air core inductors. The resistance of high frequency circuit inductors is not particularly important, because it does not affect tweeter damping and slowly comes into play far away from the crossover frequency, at a frequency where the tweeter output is more than 20 dB down.
I use Pete Riggle Personally Selected Crossover Capacitors. These are new old stock oil filled capacitors with a construction that I know to give superlative sound. It is quite a challenge to find these capacitors in sufficient quantity and at affordable costs. The quality of the capacitors largely controls the quality of the crossover circuit. I have never heard a metalized mylar capacitor do a good job in a loudspeaker crossover application. The problem with the original Altec crossovers is largely attributable to use of metalized mylar capacitors. The result is what I would call a grainy sound. In general it can be said that Altec Lansing speakers are delightful when used with high performance crossovers.
Inductors:
Original Altec crossovers are fitted with inductors having fine wire diameter and a closed silicon steel magnetic circuit. This gives me concern for operation of the silicon steel at high flux levels, which could conceivably result in distortion. That said, I have not measured or listened to Altec inductors in comparison with more conventional air core inductors or steel core inductors with open magnetic circuits
To get tonal purity in the woofer circuit, and low electrical resistance for good woofer electrodynamic damping, I use ERSE SuperQ inductors which have grain-oriented silicon steel laminated cores in a non-closed magnetic circuit configuration. To get purity in the high frequency circuit I use air core inductors. The resistance of high frequency circuit inductors is not particularly important, because it does not affect tweeter damping and slowly comes into play far away from the crossover frequency, at a frequency where the tweeter output is more than 20 dB down.
Experience:
After writing about our Altec A7 Voice Of The Theatre Adventures I have filled a number of orders for custom built two way 580 Hz crossovers based on the Hiraga circuit as discussed by Jon Stronczer in his sound practices article. I have also filled a number of orders for crossovers using the Altec N800F circuit. I provided crossovers for Cesare Dini's remarkable system, discussed above. In addition I have also advised DIY folks on crossovers, provided customers with my Pete Riggle Personally Selected Loudspeaker Crossover Capacitors, and consulted on DIY crossover projects. The crossover components most important to the sonic quality of crossovers are the capacitors. Despite manufacturer's claims to the contrary, many capacitors sold as audio grade, particularly metalized polypropylene capacitors, do not work well in loudspeaker crossover applications. It is important to use capacitors or combinations of capacitors with high voltage ratings; they sound better than those with low voltage ratings.
After writing about our Altec A7 Voice Of The Theatre Adventures I have filled a number of orders for custom built two way 580 Hz crossovers based on the Hiraga circuit as discussed by Jon Stronczer in his sound practices article. I have also filled a number of orders for crossovers using the Altec N800F circuit. I provided crossovers for Cesare Dini's remarkable system, discussed above. In addition I have also advised DIY folks on crossovers, provided customers with my Pete Riggle Personally Selected Loudspeaker Crossover Capacitors, and consulted on DIY crossover projects. The crossover components most important to the sonic quality of crossovers are the capacitors. Despite manufacturer's claims to the contrary, many capacitors sold as audio grade, particularly metalized polypropylene capacitors, do not work well in loudspeaker crossover applications. It is important to use capacitors or combinations of capacitors with high voltage ratings; they sound better than those with low voltage ratings.
For web pages addressing the Pete Riggle Hiraga circuit crossovers and the Pete Riggle Altec N800 circuit crossovers, please use the drop down menu associated with this web page.
Pete Riggle Audio
2112 S. Olympia Street, Kennewick WA 99337, USA
shop phone: 509 582 4548 email: [email protected]
VTAF™ Trademarked. U.S.Patent No. 7630288.
Website content Copyright © 2021 Pete Riggle Audio, All Rights Reserved.
2112 S. Olympia Street, Kennewick WA 99337, USA
shop phone: 509 582 4548 email: [email protected]
VTAF™ Trademarked. U.S.Patent No. 7630288.
Website content Copyright © 2021 Pete Riggle Audio, All Rights Reserved.