Linn AKTIV Crossover, Owner'S Manual

4

Because of Linn's modular approach, these advanced crossover modules
deliver high performance without losing flexibility - there is a coherent
upgrade path for virtually all Linn speakers.

DID YOU KNOW ...?

Loudspeakers are often described as being easy or difficult loads for  an
amplifier to drive. In fact, it is the crossover that presents the difficult load;
drive units themselves are easy loads on an amplifier.

A typical hi-fi passive crossover will lose about 30% of the input signal.

It is almost always a bass signal which causes an amplifier to clip. When an
amplifier clips it sounds terrible because instantaneously all the signal
disappears.  In a passive system, because there is only one amplifier, the
entire music signal is lost. However, in an active system  only the bass
amplifier clips - the mid-range and treble keep going. This gives an active
system a perceived power advantage of typically ten-fold over a passive
system.

If we were to make a passive crossover for the KELTIK speakers, with
performance equal to the active one, you would need a 1000 watts per
channel amplifier to drive it, and 900 of those 1000 watts would be lost in the
crossover.

INSTALLATION

Because these modules are installed inside the power amplifiers where there
are potentially lethal voltages, your retailer will have fitted them for you. He
will also have converted your loudspeakers from passive to active, which
simply involves by-passing the internal passive crossover (except for KELTIK,
which is active only).

The positioning of the loudspeakers in the room is determined by the room
layout, and where they give the best sound. The power amplifiers can be put
close to the speakers or the pre-amplifier, whichever is most convenient.
Your Linn retailer has been trained by Linn to install active systems, and we
have a well-defined active system installation procedure which he will
follow. This will include experimenting with different loudspeaker positions
to find which gives the most musically satisfying result, and also making fine