Using Passive Crossovers - Rockford Fosgate 350S Installation & Operation Manual

I
NSTALLATION
Bridged/Mono Wiring
2-Channel Wiring

USING PASSIVE CROSSOVERS

A passive crossover is a circuit that uses capacitors and/or coils and is placed on speaker leads
between the amplifier and speaker. The crossover delegates a specific range of frequencies to the
speaker for optimum driver performance. A crossover network can perform one of three functions:
High-Pass (capacitors), Low-Pass (inductors or coils) and Bandpass (combination of capacitor and
coil).
The most commonly used passive crossover networks are 6dB/octave systems. These are easy to
construct and require one component per filter. Placing this filter in series with the circuit will
reduce power to the speaker by 6dB/octave above or below the crossover point depending on
whether it is a high-pass or low-pass filter. More complex systems such as 12dB/octave or
18dB/octave can cause impedance problems if not professionally designed.
Passive crossovers are directly dependent upon the speaker's impedance and component value for
accuracy. When passive crossover components are used in multiple speaker systems, the crossover's
effect on the overall impedance should be taken into consideration along with the speaker's
impedance when determining amplifier loads.
CAUTION: These amplifiers are not recommended for impedance loads below 2Ω
!
stereo and 4Ω bridged (mono).
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