Speakers- Go Active or Go Home

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JLM

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Re: Speakers- Go Active or Go Home
« Reply #20 on: 15 Jul 2017, 12:29 pm »
Nearly all the speakers mentioned in this thread are active (Neuman KH120, Adam F7, JBL LSR 305/308/705p/708p, Paradigm Active 20/40, and my single driver speakers/Dynaudio BM5 MkIII) or "active ready" (Bryston - crossover/amps are external and sold separately).  All of these are active meaning that the speaker uses a low power crossover with one channel of amplification per driver.  DSP is available in active design but certainly is not a requirement. 

You would probably be surprised to find out how big of space a small speaker can fill.  Keep in mind that near-field listening is preferred by most professionals because it minimizes room interactions and deep bass is best reproduced in-room with separately located multiple subwoofers.  And if not satisfied with the above examples Neuman offers 3-way active mid-field monitors, Adam offers many larger active speaker as do JBL, Dynaudio, and many others.  The British seem to have developed a niche for in-room active listening from brands such as ATC, Meridian, and PMC, but don't forget Linkwitz and Von Schweikert from our shores.  Don't know if the Klipsch speakers you linked are active or simply powered (combined amp/high voltage crossover). 

"Active ready" designs like Bryston or Linkwitz give the owner the flexibility to purchase their own crossovers/amps and keep those components away from the speaker vibrations but add cost, bulk, interconnects/speaker cables/power cords, and most importantly the unknowns of amp/driver synergistic reactions.  The main audiophile objection to active (or powered) speakers is the loss of not being able to select the amp.  Studio professionals (the guys recording, mixing, and mastering your music) almost universally prefer active design and have no problem with allowing the speaker designer to select the amp and putting it inside the speaker cabinet.

Note that nearly all subwoofers are active designs.
« Last Edit: 15 Jul 2017, 01:35 pm by JLM »

AJinFLA

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Re: Speakers- Go Active or Go Home
« Reply #21 on: 15 Jul 2017, 01:46 pm »
Note that nearly all subwoofers are active designs.
And have been for a long time, along with pro monitoring.
If there was a much higher chance of amp failure due to being in speaker enclosure, the above reality would not have lasted long.
Of course, any sort of failure is a legitimate concern for a consumer. So parts being easily field/user replaceable should be a design consideration.

cheers,

AJ

witchdoctor

Re: Speakers- Go Active or Go Home
« Reply #22 on: 15 Jul 2017, 03:09 pm »
This thread seems to not actually feature active speakers-active crossovers, dsp modeling- but powered speakers. As for powered speakers, I'm looking forward to hearing these rather than little mixing monitors that don't energize a room-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzB-PEQJYqQ

Those are stunning. I would love to have a system with 5 of those Klipsch 15's as bed channels and 5 of their bookshelf speakers as height channels.

https://youtu.be/2J82ToPHor8

witchdoctor

Re: Speakers- Go Active or Go Home
« Reply #23 on: 15 Jul 2017, 03:13 pm »
And have been for a long time, along with pro monitoring.
If there was a much higher chance of amp failure due to being in speaker enclosure, the above reality would not have lasted long.
Of course, any sort of failure is a legitimate concern for a consumer. So parts being easily field/user replaceable should be a design consideration.

cheers,

AJ

Good point, think of the pounding active monitors get in pro studios, they must be built even sturdier than the typical consumer speakers.

fredgarvin

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Re: Speakers- Go Active or Go Home
« Reply #24 on: 15 Jul 2017, 05:47 pm »
Those are stunning. I would love to have a system with 5 of those Klipsch 15's as bed channels and 5 of their bookshelf speakers as height channels.

https://youtu.be/2J82ToPHor8

I'd bet that would be 'live' as you can get. I have heard the R-15m and I thought they sounded better than the JBL 305, for in room dynamic audio. The JBL's sounded great for studio, near field listening, mixing or a computer setup.

Bendingwave

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Re: Speakers- Go Active or Go Home
« Reply #25 on: 16 Jul 2017, 01:44 am »
Actually the reality is a lot of sub amps usually fail before the driver hence why there is a need for more REPLACEMENT sub amps and the reason why sub amps are more readily available then ever before....plus because a sub only handles the low frequency one can match the amp with the driver easier with different types of sub amps. 

Also comparing a active/powered sub to active powered speakers is moot....a sub is a add on and not really a necessity as one can have a system with just active speakers but one cant have a system with just active subs, unless all you want to hear is bass :lol: