I had met a guy last week that deals in ultra high end audio for the car and the home. We got talking and I said if he could get a great deal on a Focal 165w comp set I would take them. He then asked me if I wanted the micro tweet or the standard size tweet and if I wanted the crossovers that came with them or custom built crossovers. I like great sounding equipment but will built crossovers be THAT much better than stock? What do micro tweets do that standard tweets don't. Thank you for your help.
as the name implies, the microtweeter is smaller, so easier to fit into tight locations. I'd keep the normal one myself. as for the crossovers, the change in sound will depend on how different the XOs are from the originals in XO point, slope, and order.
I understand how the setting can improve sound but what I ment was the parts of the xo and how the xo is constructed. Do the micro tweets have a smaller range than full size or is the differance JUST size? These may be silly questions but I am real new to this and I rather ask questions before I spend a but load. Thank you for your time.
Typically smaller tweeters will have a higher resonant frequency, which is attributed to the size. They can't go as low as the normal tweeters, and usually require a higher x-over point. As far as the crossovers go, you can get higher quality capacitors and inductors than many component sets have, the sound quality is attributed to slope, x-over point, etc. like Glass stated above, that's assuming you're using high quality parts, though.
Don't under estimate the stock xovers that come with original components. They were designed for them. Instead of wasting your money on someone's "custom" xover design, look at an active crossover unit. IMO, it'll give you more options. Most active units will let you select xover frequency cutoffs, slope and gains. Sure it'll cost a bit more than passive xovers, but if you're after SQ, it is a better choice. Anyways SQ is very subjective.
Great info and thanks for your help. SQ is my goal but at the price of Focals I may need to lower the bar for a while. As far as active xovers who make a good set. Again thanks for your time and help.
PPI comes to mind. They made quite a few in the past. If you look on eBay you might find some. This is what I discovered from my testing. You could spend $700+ on a nice component sets or buy separate 6.5" mid bass, 4" midrange, and 1.5" tweeters. Then use active xover with them. You won't believe the SQ you can achieve. Again it's all very subjective. Some people are perfectly satisfied with 2way, not for me. If you do decide to purchase the component sets separately, make sure you pay attention to the fine details. For example, 6.5" midbass, look at the frequency range and cutoffs. Same for midrange and tweeters. You're trying to achieve a smooth rollover between them so that no frequency gets lost/dropped. It takes time and patience, but you can get great sounds without breaking the bank.
Oh I forgot to mention, some people on eBay WILL sell you just the midrange, tweeter or 6.5" mid bass drivers separately. That is how I built my system.
