I have just acquired a pair of Linn Tukans. I want to build a crossover to take them active. I cant find any specs in Linn docs on XO frequencies, but given they use the same tweeter as Keltiks would I go far wrong in going for 2.7K with a 24DB/octave slope?
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Linn Tukan active crossover frequency
- Thread starter JaMmy
- Start date
Keith_W
Major Contributor
Don't guess crossover points and slopes because you might damage your drivers if you guess wrong! You should do this:
1. If you are going to make them active, you will have to open them up to bypass the passive crossover anyway. You could directly inspect the components and take note of their values. This will tell you what the crossover point and slopes are. You could also use REW to electrically measure the crossover response. See this thread.
2. When you open them up, take note of the manufacturer of the drivers and the model number. You will be able to look up the Thiele-Small parameters online, and you will be able to determine your own crossover points and slopes.
3. Your Tukans have bi-wiring posts at the back which allows you to separate the tweeter and woofer crossover. Use REW and a microphone to measure the tweeter and woofer response separately. This is the easiest method, and does not involve opening up the speaker. But it measures both the electrical and mechanical slopes together so although it is less useful, it will give you some information.
1. If you are going to make them active, you will have to open them up to bypass the passive crossover anyway. You could directly inspect the components and take note of their values. This will tell you what the crossover point and slopes are. You could also use REW to electrically measure the crossover response. See this thread.
2. When you open them up, take note of the manufacturer of the drivers and the model number. You will be able to look up the Thiele-Small parameters online, and you will be able to determine your own crossover points and slopes.
3. Your Tukans have bi-wiring posts at the back which allows you to separate the tweeter and woofer crossover. Use REW and a microphone to measure the tweeter and woofer response separately. This is the easiest method, and does not involve opening up the speaker. But it measures both the electrical and mechanical slopes together so although it is less useful, it will give you some information.
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That's the acoustic targets. The actual crossover might be quite different.
All of the above. A lot of passive crossovers EQ the driver as well as achieve the right slope. Driver response is seldom ruler flat, which complicates life if you're just adding say, an LR4 filter in DSP. You won't really get LR4 unless you flatten the driver response.
DSJR
Major Contributor
I think Tukans could easily be converted to active form by cutting stout wire links on the crossover boards if it's anything like 'aktiv-ating' same period Keilidh's 
It may be worth Googling old Linn docs to make sure but i can only find a product description on the Linn site rather than how to convert (something a dealer would do as the bass unit needs to be removed to get at the crossover).
Is it worth it? All I can say is that Linn tended to keep the passive models almost hobbled up until the Ninka and Katan (the active cards went into slots in the matching power amps for ease) - the LK140 stereo power amp paired up is ideal overall and cheap enough used these days. I never measured the responses, but the aktiv versions always sounded more open and more smoothly integrated to me...
It may be worth Googling old Linn docs to make sure but i can only find a product description on the Linn site rather than how to convert (something a dealer would do as the bass unit needs to be removed to get at the crossover).Is it worth it? All I can say is that Linn tended to keep the passive models almost hobbled up until the Ninka and Katan (the active cards went into slots in the matching power amps for ease) - the LK140 stereo power amp paired up is ideal overall and cheap enough used these days. I never measured the responses, but the aktiv versions always sounded more open and more smoothly integrated to me...
There are Linn made active cards for Tukan you can buy second hand for almost nothing .
Two Linn lk100 or two lk140 is good power amps where you put the active cards inside .
The gain in better sound quality with the active crossover is very big.
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DSJR
Major Contributor
LK140's used to be really good general purpose amps I remember, even outside a Linn system and are now good used value (try to get the last ones with a sculpted 'indent' in the power button and a sharper 'crackle' paint finish. The aktiv cards may well add some eq tuning as well as crossover slopes and the Tukan (which could sound a bit 'small in passive form) as well as the Keilidh's (no mids in passive form) could be transformed for the better by going active.
The 5125 amp tested here is another great choice (slightly more 'spacious' sounding I recall and yes, I know that's a personal subjective view) and wasn't that expensive in the UK as the US price was if Amir's price quote is accurate -
www.audiosciencereview.com
Use four of the channels and leave the middle one spare
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audiophilemusings.blogspot.com
The 5125 amp tested here is another great choice (slightly more 'spacious' sounding I recall and yes, I know that's a personal subjective view) and wasn't that expensive in the UK as the US price was if Amir's price quote is accurate -
Linn AV5125 5-channel Amplifier Review
This is a review and detailed measurements of the Linn AV5125 5-channel amplifier. It was kindly sent to me by a member. It is out of production but originally cost US $2999. I only see one used one on ebay for $2100 which seems pretty expensive for an old amp. Then again Linn is a high-end...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Use four of the channels and leave the middle one spare
Inside an Active Linn AV5125
Some photos of the inside of the AV5125 five channel amplifier with 2 x stereo active cards installed - 1 x stereo treble and 1 x stereo bas...
audiophilemusings.blogspot.com
Tukans are a kind of ”aperiodic” bass tube speaker - on the inside of the small tube on the back there is foam blocking the port. I guess this is done to damp the cone at the tuning frequency ( like an ordinary bass reflex speaker ) and at the same time lessen the output from the tube mirroring the behaviour of a closed box speaker. This gave an impressive sound that also could play rather loud.
one day i really will try getting some old keilidhs, chop out the crossovers and use some sort of dsp with a suitable amp just for the lulz. I love keilidhs but most linn stuff i've seen measured measure badly. many years ago after uni i worked in a hifi store that sold linn/naim. lovely looking gear, but i only managed about a year because of the audio bullshit they enforced.I think Tukans could easily be converted to active form by cutting stout wire links on the crossover boards if it's anything like 'aktiv-ating' same period Keilidh's
Is it worth it? All I can say is that Linn tended to keep the passive models almost hobbled up until the Ninka and Katan (the active cards went into slots in the matching power amps for ease) - the LK140 stereo power amp paired up is ideal overall and cheap enough used these days. I never measured the responses, but the aktiv versions always sounded more open and more smoothly integrated to me...
DSJR
Major Contributor
Passive keilidhs aree like a high quality 'loudness switch' - all bass and sparkle with a sucked out midrange/presence area. The mesh covered tweeter can be acidic - especially in active Kabers (and I believe it seriously takes off over 20khz too with a humongous resonance, not that we can hear it obviously, but some digital sources have noise [SA-CD I gather] and not all vinyl sources are well behaved up there either with significant tip-mass resonances to fool a phono stage with marginal headroom) and the rib covered tweeter version was better we thought. The bass mid drivers had three or four 'versions' during the speaker's life, adding extra magnets on the back early on to tighten the perceived bass and lift the mids further. Going active means pulling them half apart to extract and modify the crossovers.. So, only consider the later ones with veneered front baffles rather than the grey fronted ones under the negligée grilles
Main issue with Keilidhes is that they're too damned 'short' and the MTM arrangement has the tweeter firing too low and into your knees (heard close up) or waist (mid-field) and to me, this made the issues worse with the inevitable cancellations of this arrangement. In passive form, the impedance curve from memory was 4 ohms average in the bass and twelve ohms or so at high frequencies (I don't have the 'Choice review with measurements so working on twenty five year old memories now)
Going 'Aktiv' with them using a Linn crossover and amps transformed them into something very much better and using three amps made them pretty neutral I remember.
A FAR better Linn speaker for all this is the replacement Ninka, which is taller and placing the tweeter nearer ear height (so avoiding the MTM cancellations), it's balanced better in passive form and going active simply means changing some connector plates round on the back so no surgery required. Subjectively, the Ninka 'sounded' more like active Keilidhs in passive form (very slightly 'grubbier' from memory) but going active with them (5120 with aktiv cards inside) lifted them into what I then regarded as a really serious speaker for the early noughties. Linn then seriously began to chase the higher earners and prices for each new model began to rocket upwards, but by that time I was gone, the tweeter array offered on subsequent models offering a nice sparkle for domestic use and a clean midrange, although reviews have shown that all isn't exactly neutral up there it seems...
Anthony LoFi
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Hi Jamy.
Im late to this thread and am doing the same as you with a pair of Tannoy DC Monitors.
I can see your dilemma as it is very unusual for a company such as Linn not to specify the crossover point of the woofer and tweeter.
Im lucky where Tannoy specify the exact frequency.
I personally believe you need to at first to use the manufacturers crossover point to start the project.
The cross over point is specific not only to the drivers but also the cabinet size and porting.
I would try emailing Linn directly.
They may be on a mission to sell the matching amp and crossover active cards if you want to actively power them.
Hence their view that an owner doesn't need to know, just buy the active system from us?
If you luck out with Linn then as other here hve indicated, you can use REW to measure a set of frequency sweeps across each driver using the speaker connection links removed.
The two plots can be seen on the same screen and will show you where the woofer takes a rolloff and the tweeter then crosses and carries on to its end.
The mid point where they intersect could be a starting point.
Passive capacitors in crossovers can change over time from their original values. My two crossovers aren't exactly the same using REW.
I did un-solder them and found about a 10% difference from each other and about 5% out from the manufactured value.
But this may not always be the case where higher quality could prevail in your case.
KeithW is correct in his advice about the danger of altering the crossover point to far from its designed value.
You havent mentioned what type of active control you are going to use?
Actibe DSP (Minidsp, dbx) or active analogue?
Are you also going to use a sub? as I notice these do not go too low (70hz)
Im late to this thread and am doing the same as you with a pair of Tannoy DC Monitors.
I can see your dilemma as it is very unusual for a company such as Linn not to specify the crossover point of the woofer and tweeter.
Im lucky where Tannoy specify the exact frequency.
I personally believe you need to at first to use the manufacturers crossover point to start the project.
The cross over point is specific not only to the drivers but also the cabinet size and porting.
I would try emailing Linn directly.
They may be on a mission to sell the matching amp and crossover active cards if you want to actively power them.
Hence their view that an owner doesn't need to know, just buy the active system from us?
If you luck out with Linn then as other here hve indicated, you can use REW to measure a set of frequency sweeps across each driver using the speaker connection links removed.
The two plots can be seen on the same screen and will show you where the woofer takes a rolloff and the tweeter then crosses and carries on to its end.
The mid point where they intersect could be a starting point.
Passive capacitors in crossovers can change over time from their original values. My two crossovers aren't exactly the same using REW.
I did un-solder them and found about a 10% difference from each other and about 5% out from the manufactured value.
But this may not always be the case where higher quality could prevail in your case.
KeithW is correct in his advice about the danger of altering the crossover point to far from its designed value.
You havent mentioned what type of active control you are going to use?
Actibe DSP (Minidsp, dbx) or active analogue?
Are you also going to use a sub? as I notice these do not go too low (70hz)
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