I’m working on a full system install and realized my Kenwood ‘Excelon’ DPX395MBT doesn’t have a proper 3-way crossover. Its ‘tweeter Xover’ is just a shelf filter, which doesn’t help me control tweeters actively like I wanted. Turns out most Excelons don’t actually support true active crossovers. Even the Crutchfield rep was surprised, and the manual is really misleading unless you compare it to one with real 3-way options.
Anyone know of a good head unit that can handle a full 3-way setup? I’m not interested in going passive. Ideally, I want to avoid Kenwood or JVC since I’m annoyed with them now, and I’m not a fan of touchscreen units—don’t use Android or Apple car features and don’t want the theft risk. Would prefer something with 4v+ preouts to keep noise down.
Currently looking at Pioneer MVH-S622BS and JVC KW-X850BTS, plus their single DIN versions. The 80PRS would’ve been great, but I’m not dropping $400 on a used one.
I’ve got a Pioneer, and it supports this. If your current head unit is decent, why not just add a DSP? You’ll get the same results without replacing the whole unit.
Pax said:
I’ve got a Pioneer, and it supports this. If your current head unit is decent, why not just add a DSP? You’ll get the same results without replacing the whole unit.
That’s a fair point. I’ve thought about adding a DSP, but I’ve heard cheaper ones like the Dayton can be more trouble than they’re worth. The MiniDSP 2x4 seems like a solid option. Do you have any other DSP recommendations? Would it be worth going for more than a 4-channel DSP? I figure I can control the sub through the head unit unless DSP control for the sub is a game-changer.
Helix seems nice, but isn’t it overkill? I’m trying to avoid spending $500+ on something that might barely make a difference for me. At that price, I’d rather just return my current head unit and get a better one, or go passive and save some cash.
Dalen said: @Phoenix
The MiniDSP 2x4 only has four outputs, so it won’t work if you’ve got six speakers to control.
Right, that’s why I was asking about more than a 4-channel DSP. Not sure if it’s really worth using DSP for the sub or if I should just stick to the 4 main speakers. So far, I’m happy with how the sub performs using the amp and basic head unit controls.