Subwoofer crossover choice for a 2.1 system

[MeZoX]

I have a Pair of KRK 8G4 monitors connected to a KRK10S2 Subwoofer , I have crossover options from 60 to 90Hz on the back side of the woofer

I am not an audio professional I just use them for listening to music and watching movies , I started testing with my ears and using my mobile app phone made by krk to generate an RTA spectrum and see which option gave me the most flat response from my listening position

I Have found that the best crossover frequency for me is at 60Hz as It allows me to increase the volume of the subwoofer to get a better response for the Sub-bass frequencies up to 60Hz and at the same time preventing this subwoofer volume from adding to the energy of the bass frequency range (which is also produced very well by the monitors) in 60-90 too much which would muffle the rest of the Bass frequency . Vocals are much clearer now with sub bass frequencies more present and felt

However I have seen several people recommending that crossover frequency should be 80Hz , which is not working well for me because when I do that I have the 60-90 range being a lot louder than the rest of the frequencies because its reproduced by both the monitors and subwoofer, which forces me to turn down the volume on the subwoofer too much which causes the 20-30Hz rumble to be not present , also I think having the vocals frequency split between the woofer and the monitors would not provide a good result unless you can have a very well suited crossover roll off which I think isn't doable with those built it crossovers in the subwoofer

I am a complete amateur as you can tell lol , so I can very much appreciate your input on how I can validate further if I made the right choice with the crossover frequency @60Hz , and why do most people recommend setting it at 80 Hz ?

 

[Yasuo]

Most consider 80hz to be the optimal "compromise", maybe because it's also the THX standard. There are a lot of variables when choosing the right freq, you'll have to experiment a lot, and keep in mind not all songs are mastered the same nor one is limited to listen a certain music genre. Sometimes I like it a bit higher like 120hz...

 

[NTK]

Welcome to ASR.

The reason 80 Hz is chosen as the "standard" subwoofer cross-over frequency is it is generally considered that sound below 80 Hz cannot be localized. Therefore, if the goal is to offload as much as possible of the low bass duty to the sub(s), it is a safe choice. The reason to offload the low bass duty from the main speakers is that producing low bass requires large excursions from the woofer, and the larger the driver excursions, the higher the distortions from the speaker driver. If the speaker driver also needs to reproduce sound at higher frequencies along with the low frequencies, the highs will distort more too.

The usual method to address the problem you are having is EQ, and often with some room treatments to help fix the room mode problems. To do that properly, you will need to invest in a measurement mic and start making some measurements so you will know what to correct. You'll also need the necessary equipment for the EQ. If you source of music is from a PC or your music runs through a PC, you can use it to perform the EQ. It will be a lengthy learning process. There are commercial auto-eq software package such as Dirac Live to make the process a bit more painless.

 

[DVDdoug]

and at the same time preventing this subwoofer volume from adding to the energy of the bass frequency range (which is also produced very well by the monitors) in 60-90 too much which would muffle the rest of the Bass frequency . Vocals are much clearer now with sub bass frequencies more present and felt

If you pass the L & R signals through the subwoofer you should get a proper crossover with minimal overlap, with the signal from both the mains & subs attenuated at the crossover frequency for a flat overall response.

But you can adjust the levels above & below the crossover frequency (like a "shelving filter") so different frequencies will give you different adjustment options.

 

[MeZoX]

Yeah I know my room is definitely not optimal since the back wall is too near to my listening position , definitely would fix that when i move to the new house , thanks alot for the advices , would try to find a suitable mic and play around a bit with the equalizer on the pc would be good practice until I move

I guess most of my problems that I'm having with the overlap is due to my room not the built in crossover