SMD CC-1 Crossover Calibrator

Great tool with an issue

I purchased the CC-1 to dial in the crossover of my Kicker "Front Row" processor/crossover. When the tool arrived I connected it to the FR's outputs but was unable to get the CC-1's "Signal" LED to light up. I even tried it with my home stereo pre-amp (an ADCOM GTP-500 II) as well as my CD player. I figured I got a bum CC-1 and sent it back to Sonic and ordered another. When it arrived it had the same issue. I then went to the SMD forum for help. I was told to try it on the outputs of my amplifiers. The CC-1's manual states that it can be used with RCA level AND speaker level signals. Evidently that is NOT the case. I connected it to the Front Row's outputs because it is much easier for me to access it than it is to access my amplifiers. I ended up having to remove the rear seat of my truck in order to connect the CC-1 to my amps. This finally allowed me to dial in the X-over. I never did get an answer on the forum as to why I wasn't able to use RCA level signals. Once I did all this I was finally able to accurately dial in my X-over points and along with the use of the SMD DD-1 my stereo has never sounded better. This line level vs. speaker level issue prevented me from giving the CC-1 a 5 star Overall and Ease of Use rating. Value got 3 stars because IMO the price is a bit steep. Durability only gets 3 stars because I've only had the CC-1 for a short time and have no idea how it will hold up over time.

(Note to Sonic: Please do away with the Durability rating. There is no way of knowing how rugged an item might be until I've owned it for some time. If I wait a year or so to give a Durability rating the item under review may not even be in production anymore.)

A car audio must have...

The cc-1 is super easy to use. It makes tuning an amp to the correct and/or desired Hz settings a breeze. This is a must buy for any car stereo installer or simply anyone who enjoys it. It is a very accurate and affordable tool compared to others.

Great value

It does give you the settings you need for the price does the job

set gains like a pro

If you need to set your crossover and match the gains to similar amps this is it

Excellent Tool

Another amazing bit of kit from SMD, I bought this tool to set up my home hi-fi and it worked wonders. After years of guessing x-over points, being able to accurately set them made a night/day difference to my home system. Definitely a must have for anyone using active x-overs.

Won't work on line level signal

The CC-1 is an excellent product. Too bad it doesn't work as advertised. I'm using a Kicker "Front Row" processor/crossover in my setup with the amplifier x-overs turned OFF. Accessing the x-over is much easier in my installation than it is to access the amps so I connected the CC-1 to the line level outputs on the FR and no matter what I did I could not get the CC-1 to detect a signal. I even tried connecting it to the outputs of my home stereo pre-amp (ADCOM GTP-500 II) with my CD player as the signal source. Same result. The CC-1 would not detect a signal. I sent the CC-1 back and got a replacement. I hooked it up and got the same results. Next I went to the SMD forum to post my problem. I was told to connect the CC-1 to the amplifier outputs to set the FR's x-over. Doing so allowed me to dial in my x-over points. No one ever explained to me why the CC-1 wouldn't work with a line level signal. The manual even states that it can be used with the outputs of a x-over but evidently that's not the case.

I only gave "Durability" 3 stars since the CC-1 is brand new and I have no way of knowing how rugged it may or may not be. The price seems a bit high for what it is so I only gave it a 3 star Value rating. I do a lot of installs for friends and family so this is a great tool to have. Probably not very economical for the average person that only does their own personal car stereo setup. The Overall and Ease of Use ratings were each deducted one star for the line level issue. I gave Features 5 stars since the CC-1 not only allows you to accurately set your x-over it also lets you balance the gains when matching the levels of identical amplifiers. Sure, it's just a 2 trick pony but those tricks are very useful ones.

All that being said I would recommend this product if you prefer doing your own installations and you want to do them accurately.

Big thank you to Sonic Electronix and to Steve for your survice!!!

the cc-1 is a great device i use it a lot for helping out my friends set their amplifier 's and a lot of them say that the device it self is B.A.M.F!!! I LOVE IT!!! i tried all the settings for bass and im working on my highs and mids /mid bass this week!!!! THE SMD STICKER IS ON MY CAR!!!

Another Great Tuning Device

This is another must have tuning device by SMD. Set the crossovers on both my Mono block and 4ch within 5 minutes. It's nice to know my crossovers are exactly where I want them to be.

Great product but too expensive

I owned both the DD-1 and the SMD for a while and i really love them. simple, precise and easy to use. My problem is with the price. I think they are too expensive for a one dimensional tool that i don't use often. That's why i sold them and bought a scope for $400. It takes some learning to use, but it does the job of both the DD1 and SMD and much much more. I use my scope every week on my car and on my house.

SMD cc-1 Crossover Calibrator

I'm in the car audio business when I heard there was a crossover calibrator I had to see for myself how good it is. the first time I used it I was amazed how accurate the CC-1 is its a must have for any installer in the car audio business. I truly recommended.