File talk:Active Crossover.svg

definition of "Active"
The drawing shows a Bi-amped two way loudspeaker with a crossover that is labelled: "Active crossover". However this drawing would be equally correct if the crossover was passive in the same position. As it stands it serves to perpetuate the confusion that is now widespread that a multi-amped speaker system is called an "active crossover" rather than what it is ie: "A multi amped speaker system". A crossover is called active when it uses frequency selective feedback in a gain stage containing active components (ie silicon, germanium or thermionic devices etc)and does in no way have to be connected to a multi-amped system, similarly a multi amped system does not have to use an active crossover and can easily use a passive fequency selective network in the same position, which is then (usually) buffered with a broadband gainstage to mitigate the loss caused by the passive filtering and to give stable impedance load to the filters to maintain the accuracy of the frequency selection. To summarize: this drawing needs to be correctly labelled along the lines of: "Bi-amped speaker showing active crossover" because it does not show the essence of active filtering (crossover) but does show the essence of bi-amping. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cannissolis (talk • contribs)


 * Yes, a passive crossover can be used in the position of the active crossover in the image. Yet the image is correct as it stands: it accurately shows the signal flow of a very common bi-amped loudspeaker system. Passive crossovers in that position are not commonly found—they are very rare.


 * Your definition of "active crossover" having frequency selective feedback is contrary to common usage which encompasses any crossover circuit requiring power independent of the audio signal. Do you have a source for your definition? Binksternet (talk) 16:53, 21 August 2010 (UTC)

Rarity does not mitigate something that is incorrect, you first agree then try and deny it by saying how rare it is? that is strange a way to debate. also you say "contrary to common usage which encompasses any crossover circuit requiring power independent of the audio signal" but any unity buffer amp also requires power independant of signal, therefore actively buffered passive components do not an active crossover make.

also the image is only correct as it stands because the title was changed leaving only the filter block saying "active" instead of title saying "active" therefore technically correct but not fully informative. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Cannissolis (talk • contribs) 06:46, 31 July 2011 (UTC)