Ask S&V

Q Are there any AV receivers available that provide crossover frequencies assignable by speaker type in a surround sound system? Say, 60 Hz for the fronts, 80 Hz for the center, and 100 Hz for the rears? —Jason BF

A Yes. However, receivers that do provide selectable crossover frequencies for front, center, and surround/rear channel are typically higher-end (read: pricey) models. Most standalone preamp/processors provide that capability as well.

Crossover settings provided on entry-level AV receivers, on the other hand, are mostly limited to a single cutoff that applies globally to each of the main channels. For example, the receiver’s speaker settings menu will give you the option to select either “Large” or “Small” for all speakers in the system. If you select “Large,” no filtering is applied; if you select “Small,” then filtering is applied at a default frequency (usually 100 Hz) that can usually be adjusted up or down depending on the bass handling capability of your speakers.

Keep in mind that many recent AV receivers also provide an auto-setup function that automatically selects an appropriate crossover setting for your speakers after performing in-room measurements and calibration. Such auto-cal routines aren’t always accurate, however, and that’s where receivers that offer selectable crossover settings for individual speakers prove their worth: If the sound isn’t right after auto-cal has run its course, you have the option to manually tweak the crossover settings for each speaker type by ear.