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Every BASSBOSS MK3-R5 preset is a DSP filter recipe: a precise highpass and lowpass setting that tells each box where to play and where to hand off. These tools show how filters shape the response and help you choose combinations to test. Relative levels, the room, speaker models, music, and personal taste determine which combination works best on site.
Select a top preset (gold curve) and an optional sub preset (blue curve). The white curve shows the summed response when both boxes are running together. Matching LR cutoffs can sum flat under equal-level, phase-aligned conditions. This filter model is a guide, not a prediction of the complete acoustic response in your room.
ControlBASS presets are labeled with filter frequencies and types. Here's a plain-language glossary so you can read them at a glance.
A high-pass filter gradually reduces output toward lower frequencies. At its cutoff frequency, bass response has already started rolling off and continues to decrease below it. The cutoff is not an abrupt stop.
A low-pass filter gradually reduces output toward higher frequencies. At its cutoff frequency, response is already reduced and continues to decrease above it. Sub and top responses overlap.
The region where sub and top contributions overlap. Each filter has its own cutoff; the acoustic crossover also depends on relative levels and speaker response. Changing sub level can shift it even when preset frequencies stay the same.
A filter alignment that is -6 dB at its nominal cutoff. Matching LR high-pass and low-pass filters can sum flat with equal levels and aligned phase. For the best result in the room, listen and adjust.
A filter with a maximally flat passband, -3 dB at cutoff, and less attenuation around the cutoff than same-order LR. Fourth-order BW and LR both approach 24 dB/oct away from the cutoff. BW high-pass presets suit full-range tops; LR is the recommended starting point for sub/top crossovers.
BASSBOSS presets include factory time and phase alignment. Final summation still depends on placement, relative levels, and the room. Cardioid presets are for rear-facing cabinets. Verify your combination on site.
See which BASSBOSS products cover which frequency ranges, and where a top + sub pair overlaps. An overlap means there's room to set a crossover; a gap means a frequency range goes uncovered.
Both systems cover this range — set your crossover here.
The MK3 series uses pushbutton presets that select from different filter types and cutoff frequencies. The honest answer is that the best preset depends on your boxes, your application, and the music you play, so trust your ears. Treat these guidelines as starting points, not fixed configurations. Test combinations on site at the levels you intend to use.
Use a Butterworth highpass preset. It gives the flattest, deepest low end a single box can produce.
Use Linkwitz-Riley presets on both boxes through the crossover. Try a sub low-pass at the same frequency as the top high-pass or lower, then listen and adjust the relative levels.
Lower-numbered presets on your subs, higher-numbered presets on your tops.
The right settings depend on your boxes, your room, and the program material. Start here, then listen.
Factory alignment is a starting point. Use LR for sub/top crossovers and verify the result on site. Cardioid presets belong on the rear-facing cabinet.
Every preset is built from two kinds of crossover filter. They sound similar on paper, but they behave very differently where a sub meets a top.
Maximally flat in the passband and down 3 dB at cutoff. A Butterworth high-pass has less attenuation around the cutoff than a Linkwitz-Riley high-pass of the same order and frequency. Choose a lower-frequency BW preset for more bass extension from a full-range top. Both fourth-order types approach 24 dB/oct away from cutoff.
Two Butterworth filters cascaded, so it is down 6 dB at the cutoff. With matched cutoff frequencies, equal levels, and aligned phase, the complementary responses can sum flat through the crossover. The standard for crossing a sub into a top.
With equal levels and aligned phase, two fourth-order Butterworth responses at the same cutoff can add to a bump: each is about 3 dB down, not 6 dB down. Complementary Linkwitz-Riley responses at the same cutoff can sum flat under those conditions. This is why we recommend LR presets for a sub/top crossover. Different preset frequencies may work better when sub and top levels differ, so verify the combination by listening on site.
Turning a sub up relative to the top can move the frequency where their acoustic outputs meet upward. A lower sub low-pass and a higher top high-pass can therefore be useful starting points. David often starts with lower-numbered sub presets and higher-numbered top presets, then tests the combination on site. The preferred settings depend on levels, room, models, music, and taste; there is no fixed preset combination or gain offset that guarantees the best result.
Running a DV12 full-range with no sub? Preset 1 is a 40 Hz Butterworth highpass, the flattest and deepest setting the box has.
Pairing a VS21 with an AT212? Preset 3 on the VS21 is an 80 Hz Linkwitz-Riley lowpass, and Preset 4 on the AT212 is an 80 Hz Linkwitz-Riley highpass. These matching LR filters can sum flat in the ideal filter model with equal levels and aligned phase. Treat this as one combination to test, not a required pairing. A lower sub cutoff or higher top cutoff may suit different relative levels.
The complete technical write-up: filter math, crossover theory, and worked examples, in one PDF.