L-Pad
Tweeters are often more efficient than woofers. This they naturally play louder. An L-pad lowers the tweeter’s output (loudness) while keeping the load stable, protecting the crossover and ensuring seamless blending.
Formula: Attenuation ≈ 20 × log10(Rs / (Rs + Rp))
Standard in professional audio design
Understanding L-Pads
An L-Pad is used to adjust the loudness of a tweeter so it balances with the woofer. Without it, tweeters often play too loudly, making the sound harsh or forward.
How It Works
An L-Pad is made of two resistors: one in series and one in parallel.
• The series resistor reduces the overall signal reaching the tweeter.
• The parallel resistor keeps the load seen by the crossover and amplifier stable,
so the filter still works correctly.
Together, they form a constant impedance load while lowering the tweeter’s level — like a volume control that doesn’t mess up the crossover math.
Why It Matters
• Without an L-Pad: the tweeter may dominate, sounding bright, thin, or fatiguing.
• With an L-Pad: the tweeter blends smoothly, matching the woofer’s balance
while keeping the crossover slope intact.
👉 Use the L-Pad Calculator to quickly find resistor values that balance your tweeter with your woofer.
Note: These results are intended as guidance
for precise tuning (especially for critical audio applications or complex enclosures)
we recommend using dedicated speaker design software such as
WinISD, VituixCAD, HornResp, BassBox Pro, or SpeakerSim.
Shinjitsu Audio