What is the difference between a low-pass filter and high-pass filter for home subwoofers?

Answer 1

A low pass removes frequencies ABOVE a set level.

A high pass removes frequencies BELOW a set level.

A separate high pass filter can be used to route only frequencies over, say, 80 Hz to your main speakers (if your receiver/processor did not have this function). Then you would set the low pass filter on the subwoofer to 80 Hz to reject signal above that level.

Answer 2

Technically, the first guy's answer isn't entirely accurate. Filters (high or low) may be used for any type of audio signal, regardless of speakers.

If you're speaking about a home theatre set-up, or perhaps car audio, then a high pass filter is what allows high frequencies to "pass" and directs them to an appropriate speaker (usually a tweeter) while blocking low frequencies. A low-pass filter does the opposite.

However, you CAN use a HIGH pass filter for low frequencies to attenuate (alter) the overall sound quality.

If you're a bass player, for example- using a high-pass filter will block whatever lower frequencies you set it to block, and allow the higher tones to come through to your bass amp/cabinet, which typically houses a subwoofer.

You could use a low-pass filter for a guitar and block higher frequencies, allowing lower tones to go to your guitar amp/cabinet.

The reason for this would be to create new sounds or tones for your music.

There are other factors to consider:

Is the filter active or passive? Is it mechanical or digital? Is the filter part of a crossover or is it an independant device?

For home theatre use, a high pass filter can be used to take some of the "rumble" out of your subwoofer. You would want to set the cutoff frequency at a point where you don't lose the thumpiness of the sound.

A practical application for this would be if you live in an apartment, for example. You could use a HPF to "take the edge" off the bass while not losing it entirely.

Answer 3

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This adjusts the built in subwoofer low pass filter. The lower you set this dial, the lower the cutoff point before the subwoofer will play the signals sent to it. Find out if your receiver has a built in subwoofer crossover though. If you are able to set your speakers to small or large or adjust crossovers for the individual speakers, you will want to set the crossover on the back of the subwoofer as high as it will go and let your receiver control the crossover point. If you set both to the same frequency you will, in effect, be filtering the input signal twice and this will lead to a dip in your systems frequency response at the crossover frequency.

Answer 4

First of all, there is no high pass filter for subwoofers. They only use low pass filters.

Here's what normally happens in a complete system. The audio is passed through a crossover which contains both a high pass filter, low pass filter, and some controls to adjust levels. The highs (frequencies above 100 to 150 hertz) are sent to the midrange/treble speakers. The lows (below 100 to 150 hertz) are sent to the subwoofer. There are many configurations using different amplifiers and so forth, but this is the most basic set up I could illustrate effectively.

'Nuff said?

Answer 5

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