Sunday 9 March 2014

E60 Audio: TSK TD-22 Speaker Level Converter (X-Over) - How to fit.

If you're running an external amp using the audio feed from your rear speakers then you will be getting the full range of frequencies through your subs. An after-market head-unit with an RCA output, or some amps, will have a x-over built in that can be set to only allow bass frequencies through. If your amp doesn't have one and you don't want the subs to sound awful with your BMW's stock system, an external x-over block is what you need.

In my case, the Alpine V12 1kW amp I'm now using has no Gain (volume) control either, so the addition of a x-over means I can turn down the booming subs without affecting bass going to the stock speakers. The cheaper Toxic 1kW amp I was using in the E39 had both gain control and a built-in x-over, so I could run the subs in balance with my system. Sadly, the 4-chan Toxic amp was never loud enough and any attempt to turn it up would cause the car's whole sound system to trip-out, which I cover in this post, and this really doesn't work in an E60 so it's high time I got around to sorting the matched Alpine amp.

X-over blocks used to be large, expensive things used only by pro's and had more controls than the head-unit itself. Now however, there are loads of smaller blocks available, many designed just to convert a speaker-feed into low-freq RCA. I went for the most popular unit amongst the BMW forum guys, a T.S.K TD-22. Not sure if they're all made by one supplier, but these same looking kits can be bought almost anywhere - I got mine off eBay of course, a snip at £5.95 delivered. 

The instructions are a little vague to say the least and mainly in Chinese and broken English, I have written them out in THIS POST on Panabloga, but here is a better version:

Red: 12v Switched - The x-over needs its own power that turns off with the ignition.

Blue: Remote on/off - Tells the x-over to turn on only when the amp is powered up.

Black: Ground - Connect to earth.

Grey: Right speaker + wire.
Grey / Black: Right speaker - wire.

White: Left speaker + wire.
White / Black: Left speaker - wire.

I joined the red and blue wires together and crimped them both into the amp remote wire coming from the cigar lighter, which is 12v anyway. I cover fitting that in THIS POST. I extended the Ground wire and earthed it to the same place on the body as the amp, rather than into the GND socket on the amp itself as suggested. The speaker wires are pretty short and the only place a +/- audio-feed can be drawn from is where the wires go to the speakers themselves at either side of the parcel-shelf, so I extended both of these into the boot and mounted the x-over block next to the amp on the sub-box.



14 comments:

  1. The device can work without power supply. I make the test with signal generator and osciloscope.

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    1. yes i entend to use it on vintage home amp

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  2. Lol the fuse is at the wrong end should be in the engine bay

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    1. It's a BMW dude... the battery is in the boot about 12 inches from the amplifier. Yes, if you have a car with the battery by the engine then the fuse goes there, as close to the battery as possible.

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  3. Can a x over be directly connected to a head unit instead of an amp I'm order to create additional speaker ports?

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    1. Good question. As the X-over / level converter has a stereo input and stereo output the easy answer would be no, it would merely add an extra interface to tune / attenuate the signal to the speakers. However, clever wiring of the X-over could split one speaker into two, so using two X-overs could split 2 speakers into 4, or 4 into 8, but you are adding unnecessary sound-circuitry that will eventually impede the audio quality and you would be better off just using a 'splitter' decide or splicing the wires themselves. A larger, more expensive multi-input X-over, such as those made by Pioneer, VIBE, Longmill etc. (if Longmill even still exist...?) would certainly provide this functionality, but seems like a poor use of this technology. As I say, interesting question dude.

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  4. The tsk td22 isn't a crossover. It's a speaker output to line level converter.
    To minimise losses and to maximise quality - you should connect the unit close to the speaker outputs on the rear of the head unit - then run shielded Phono leads from the unit to the amp.

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    1. Yes, I agree with you there, wired to the speaker wires in the dash and phono leads down to the amp would be better for sound quality and if someone does such a guide I would love to see it...

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  5. Hi! I’ve been installing an LOC to the standard subwoofer cables cutting the actual woofers so they are no longer a part of the system. However, now i have gotten the fault you described ”Whole audio system tripping out”. How can i resolve this issue? There is no link in ”which i cover in this post”. Kind regards

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    1. Hi, you're right, guess I never got around to doing that post! Are you wiring the wires to the stock woofers straight to your new subs? If so, the stock amp will not be providing enough power to them even with a X-over and I believe the MOSFET will be tripping out. I would say you need to put an after-market amplifier with enough power for your new subs after the X-over unit to stop this happening. What model is the car? With newer ones like E60/E90, if the sound system feels there is not enough resistance from the new speakers it will likely cut power to the speakers to stop the MOSFETs overheating. The after-market amp will take any power signal and boost it for your new subs.

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  6. Hi, Just wanted to say thanks.. Trying to decode the Chinglish was not successful... :) You saved me...

    In addition one of the other comments confirmed it didnot need power, which I had not considered when I brought as I wanted it for a home stereo setup.

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    1. I can affirm the TD-22 doesn't need power. I don't know how it works. I've got it set-up as a TV extended audio.
      I had awful hum, so pulled out the 12vdc power-pack, and it made no difference at all, but it kept working.!!!
      No sound degradation noticeable.
      I found the hum problem.
      This unit MUST be earthed to something that goes to house ground stake.
      In my case, I soldered a wire to the outside of one of the RCA shields and soldered the other end to a yellow RCA shield, the other end of which, I connected to a disused yellow composite video input on the TV.
      Dead silent now.
      Audio quality is very good. A cheap as chips wonder.

      ps. I initially aimed at tapping directly from the TV speakers via 220 ohm resistors to emulate approximate line level, but noticed the TV speaker negatives had nothing to do with ground, so couldn't risk frying the amp outputs. Hence, I discovered the TD-22

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    2. Hey Tim did you ground the black ground wire or something else?

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  7. If anyone knows how the TD-22 works without power, I'd love to know.
    I can't imagine it's all passive. Maybe it derives power from the speaker inputs.!?

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