Crossover Point

The crossover point is where the low-pass filter on one driver and the high-pass filter on the next driver cross. At this frequency, each driver is typically attenuated by 3 dB or 6 dB from its passband level, depending on the filter topology. The combined output at the crossover point depends on the drivers' phase relationship and the filter alignment. Butterworth crossovers at the same frequency produce +3 dB summing at the crossover point because the two -3 dB outputs are in phase. Linkwitz-Riley crossovers produce 0 dB summing (flat through the crossover) because the -6 dB outputs are in phase, and -6 dB + -6 dB in phase equals -6 dB + 6 dB = 0 dB. This is why Linkwitz-Riley is the professional standard. In practice, achieving flat response through the crossover region is challenging because the drivers' acoustic centers are at different physical locations. The high-frequency driver is often several centimetres in front of the woofer, creating a time offset that varies the phase relationship with observation angle. This causes off-axis lobing and uneven coverage in the crossover region. Speaker system processors allow precise adjustment of crossover frequency, filter slope, and relative delay between drivers to optimize the crossover behavior. The goal is flat magnitude response, smooth phase transition, and minimal off-axis anomalies through the crossover frequency range. SonaVyx's transfer function measurement reveals the actual crossover behavior of a speaker system by measuring the combined output. Dips or peaks at the crossover frequency indicate phase alignment problems, and the phase plot shows whether the drivers are summing constructively. Individual driver measurements can be compared to verify the crossover frequency and slope.