Received this from Roger Sanders an hour or so ago after my inquiry about electronic crossovers on the market today:
Hi Randy,
Thank you for your kind compliments on my articles. I believe that audiophiles should know the truth so that they can make smart decisions and not waste their money. So I appreciate you taking the time to confirm that all my work in this area is worthwhile.
There are many digital crossovers on today's market. However, they are all in the professional (not audiophile) market. Pros know that digital crossovers are a truly revolutionary breakthrough in loudspeaker performance and they are all using them nowadays.
While it is possible to find digital crossovers as computer software, such systems are not practical for most users -- and certainly not for pros. So proper digital crossovers are stand-alone units.
Excellent examples include the Behringer DCX2496. This is a full featured digital crossover with superb performance and a very user-friendly interface. It is currently the world's most popular digital crossover. It is also very inexpensive at around $350. I currently use these in my Model 10d speaker system.
Probably the best digital crossover currently available is the DBX Venu360. This not only has all the features of a digital crossover, but includes an room correction system. It also has an RTA so you can measure your speakers and room.
With a room correction system, you can fix the room/speaker interaction problem and also eliminate the bass resonances that are present in all rectangular rooms. Room correction is very important and when added to a digital crossover results in a truly complete "loudspeaker management system." I will soon be releasing my latest electrostatic loudspeaker, the Model 10e, which will come with the DBX crossover.
The DBX Venu360 costs about $800. Add another $100 for a precision measurement microphone that is required to measure your room for the room correction system. So you are looking at about $900. As you can see, the Behringer DCX2496 is a true bargain at only $350 (but it doesn't have room correction).
There are other companies offering digital crossovers like Peavey and Ashley. But these are excellent examples of what are available. You can find full details on the Behringer and DBX websites (
www.behringer.com and
www.dbxpro.com).
I hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions, please feel free to ask.
Great listening,
-Roger