How do I Match Passive Crossover In-Home Audio Speakers Projects?
Passive crossovers are found in nearly every speaker, existing to route the correct frequencies to the correct driver in the speaker. Even in the best-laid home stereo systems, however, a woofer, midrange or tweeter driver may occasionally fail. If this happens, you can use the manufacturer's original specifications to match the replacement driver to the crossover, which helps ensure similar performance before the failure.
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver (Phillips, Allen or Torx)
- Replacement driver
- Speaker manufacturer's specifications page (optional)
Instructions
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1
Unscrew the screws on the individual driver bezel, using the appropriate screwdriver. Remove the damaged driver from the front of the cabinet. Pull off the leads by hand.
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2
Turn over the driver to examine the specifications printed on the magnet. If the specifications are not present, you can find this information in the specification documentation supplied with the speaker or on the manufacturer's website.
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3
Purchase a replacement driver that is the same as (or as similar as possible to) the original in terms of size, materials, power handling and frequency response. These are available from speaker and electronics parts retailers online. Use these options only if manufacturer's direct replacements are not available.
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4
Slide the wire leads onto the tabs on the back of the new driver.
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5
Place the new driver into the plastic or metal cosmetic housing, if present. Unscrew the old driver from the back of the old housing, screw the new driver into the old housing and re-insert the assembly.
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6
Screw the driver assembly into the cabinet, using the original screws.
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Tips & Warnings
Replace both drivers if one fails (midrange from both speakers, for example), as over time the suspension compliance and general degradation will make even otherwise identical speakers sound slightly different.
To provide a high-quality sound in a home theater system, replace the same drivers for the center channel as on the mains to retain proper timbre matching.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Speaker image by Aleksandr Lazarev from Fotolia.com
