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Full Active or Semi Active?

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Old Jun 29, 2011 | 03:52 PM
  #1  
-=Jeff=-'s Avatar
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Default Full Active or Semi Active?

Is full active better with the equipment I have?


here is what I have

Tuner:
Nakamichi CD400

Amps:
2x Arc KS 300.4

Front Stage:
1" Tweeter 4" Mid, 6.5" Midbass

Rear:
6.5" woofer (might swap to an 8")

Current setup has one amp bridged to the rear and one amp bridged to the front with a 3-way Passive per side

I just bought a XM6 which will give me the last piece to go active in one of 2 ways:

Active Option 1:
Amp 1
2 channels to a passive for the 1" and 4" (I have a set of 2 way passives)
2 channels for the 6.5 midbass

Amp 2
Bridged for the Woofers

Active Option 2:
Amp 1
2 channels for 1" tweeters
2 channels for 4" midrange

Amp 2
2 channels for 6.5 midbass
2 channels for Woofers


Active Option 1 uses the XM6 for crossover duty and a Passive for the 1"/4" combo

Active Option 2 uses the XM6 as well as the crossovers on the Arc for the midrange and midbass along with the XM bandpass. The XM6 with be the high low bandpass overall and the Arc the Low pass the midbass and high pass the midrange

AMP Specs:

Power output RMS @ 4 ohms 4 x 90 watts
Power output RMS @ 2 ohms 4 x 175 watts
Power output RMS @ 4 ohms bridged 2 x 350 watts

Thoughts and/or opinions?
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Old Jun 29, 2011 | 05:09 PM
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doesnt matter cause in 6 months you will change it anyways jeff :-)
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Old Jun 29, 2011 | 10:13 PM
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isn't' the rms rating of the speakers relevant? are you over-powering your speakers and turning down the gains?
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Old Jun 29, 2011 | 11:41 PM
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Default

Originally Posted by pentavolvo
doesnt matter cause in 6 months you will change it anyways jeff :-)
True


Originally Posted by kedar
isn't' the rms rating of the speakers relevant? are you over-powering your speakers and turning down the gains?
Yeah I guess it is.. I don't know off hand but they are CDT TW24, CL4 and EF6

woofers will be fine with either config

and yes the XM6 is Coustic XM6
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Old Jun 30, 2011 | 12:22 AM
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Jeff,

Based on the speakers, I would go with setup two. and eliminate all the passive crossovers.

but I would recommend looking at other processors options that will give you more tuning and adjustability options and better filtering.

Bryan
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Old Jun 30, 2011 | 08:00 AM
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Originally Posted by IAS
Jeff,

Based on the speakers, I would go with setup two. and eliminate all the passive crossovers.

but I would recommend looking at other processors options that will give you more tuning and adjustability options and better filtering.

Bryan
Thanks Bryan,

For now, I just want to remove the passives, I was looking into a pair of 2x4 MiniDSPs with the parametric option, but the cost for a basically new, unused Coustic XM6 was a good deal.

I do think that putting the Coustic XM6, while it may not be the greatest or the best, beats the Passives it will replace

Reason I asked about option one was I felt the 90W per tweeter was a bit much, while 90W per rear woofer, might not be enough.

I do want to be able to hear it @ 65mph with the roof off
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Old Jun 30, 2011 | 11:23 AM
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You want to keep the front stage active for sure IMO given the two options. Dialing in your mid and tweet with an active crossover is far more important and needs a wider range of control than your midbass/sub combo will need.

G'luck man
Fej
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Old Jun 30, 2011 | 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by -=Jeff=-
Thanks Bryan,

For now, I just want to remove the passives, I was looking into a pair of 2x4 MiniDSPs with the parametric option, but the cost for a basically new, unused Coustic XM6 was a good deal.

I do think that putting the Coustic XM6, while it may not be the greatest or the best, beats the Passives it will replace

Reason I asked about option one was I felt the 90W per tweeter was a bit much, while 90W per rear woofer, might not be enough.

I do want to be able to hear it @ 65mph with the roof off
Jeff,

The Coustic piece will definitely be better than the passives that is for sure and to fit within your current budget then by all means start with that. when you look to upgrade beyond that look for a processor that is going to give you the ability to use time delay to equal out the arrival time of all the speakers to help accomodate for the differences in path lengths.

The Arc amp should be plenty of power to the midbass as well. they typically rate the amps conservatively so they will be good power there.
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