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The Curious Bag
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A crossover is a device that filters audio frequencies and directs them to specified speakers, splitting them into high and low ranges that you specify. A bit like directing traffic, with the traffic being audio frequencies.
Low-Pass Filter
A low-pass filter allows only the low frequencies you specify to go through. You might set it to allow only 100 Hertz and lower frequencies through to the subwoofer.
High-Pass Filter
A high-pass filter allows only the higher frequencies to pass through, at the levels you specify. So you might only allow frequencies of 3,000 Hertz or higher to pass through the filter.
Band-Pass Filter
A band-pass filter is when a high and low-pass filter is used together to allow a certain "band" of frequencies to pass through to a speaker.
Passive Crossover
A passive crossover is the most common type. It is built into the speaker's enclosure and is basically set up as a roadblock to keep specific frequencies from ever reaching the speakers.
Active Crossover
An active crossover is commonly referred to as an electronic crossover. It divides the frequencies before they ever make it to an amp. It's important that the signals are sent to an amp after running through the crossover, so that when they hit the specified speaker driver they are appropriately audible.
Source:
Speaker Co.: What's a Crossover?
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