Fine Tuning
Fine Tuning
We hope that by now you have either installed your Legatia L3’s, or now have a plan to install
them and get the most performance possible out of them. Now it’s time to indulge what
might become one of the more time-consuming aspects of the Legatia L3 installation: fine
tuning the L3’s to your car’s own acoustic signature. All cars are different, and present both
challenges and unforeseen advantages to the installer during fine tuning. Some vehicles will
sound absolutely incredible “right out of the box”, while others might require fine tuning and
tweaking to get the desired results.
Setting Crossovers and Speaker Break-In
Before you start the system for the first time, please double-check that all crossover systems
are engaged and active. If you are using a passive crossover network, please verify all
connections and cross-reference the schematic to be sure that the filters are wired correctly.
The absolute minimum crossover frequency that can be used for the Legatia L3, assuming
very controlled circumstances for the discerning listener with realistic expectations of a small
diameter driver and realistic listening levels, is 140 Hz at 24 dB/octave. We suggest an initial
start-up frequency of 250 Hz at 24 dB/octave, and then work down from there, if necessary,
based upon the taste of the listener, and the polar response and mounted location of the
midbass used. But in no case should the crossover be lower than 140 Hz at 24 dB/octave.
With the system on, and the amplitude (“volume”) adjustment at zero, double check the
crossovers one final time, and then begin to advance the amplitude on a dynamic track with
good midbass impact. You may find that the gain structure of the system will need to be re-
adjusted with the addition of the Legatia L3 to an existing system. A quick and easy way to
do this is to advance the volume knob to just slightly below maximum, and adjust the
amplifier’s gain just before audible distortion is heard. Listen for audible distortion from the
L3, and visually observe its excursion. The driver has the capability of 2.6mm of one-way
Xmax, so some excursion at very high amplitude levels is perfectly acceptable. However, too
much excursion will lead to power compression and elevated distortion, so please adjust the
crossovers for the L3 to suite your tastes as well as your anticipated typical amplitude levels,
all the while cognoscente of the L3’s abilities.
You will find that the driver will begin to perform well after approximately 25 hours of break-in
time. This can be as simple as 25 hours worth of normal listening, or exercising the speaker
for the first 25 hours of operation with pink noise set to about 80-82 dB. In either case, the
true performance of the L3 will be revealed only after a thorough break-in period where the
speaker is exercised for an extended period of time.
Setting Acoustic Phase
Upon completion of the crossover setting and speaker break-in period, you will now need to
critically listen to the Legatia L3’s for acoustical phase. Even though you are sure that the L3’s
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