Danny, I'm sure you know the difference between powered and active speakers but allow me to elaborate. Powered speakers simply allow the speaker manufacturer to choose the amp and normally mount it inside the cabinet. Electrically they are no different than using a separate power amp. Most use a stereo amp located in one of the speakers. Active speakers use a low voltage crossover (that can be much more precise, even offering DSP) to feed one channel of amplification directly to each driver (the advantages of which are not insignificant). Allowing the amp to directly "see" the simpler driver load allows for greater dynamics, flatter frequency response, and deeper/fuller bass.
Actually I just participated in using "thee" best and top level digital crossover available in a comparison that allowed us to A/B the amp driving a high quality passive crossover verses a replication of the passive crossover in digital form with the same amp (plus another) driving the same drivers in the same speaker back to back.
The drivers were all planar magnetic and presented an easy drive load to the amps.
With high quality crossover parts there was no noticed difference in dynamics or bass response in any way. In fact they sounded almost identical. There was more differences in the two versions of the same DAC being used than anything.
The advantages of the digital crossover is that a multitude of slope variations can be used and there is a more precise phase correction that can be implemented.
But the passive parts in the signal path made almost zero difference compared to the same amp being connected directly to the drivers with no passive parts.
And in this case the passive parts produced a near perfectly flat frequency response that was also replicated with the digital filters. The response was the same in both cases.
Years ago I auditioned Paradigm Studio 20 v.2 ($800/pair 2-way stand-mounts) vs. Paradigm Active 20 ($1600/pair same drivers/cabinet) and it was absolutely no contest, an audio epiphany for me. Bystanders were gobsmacked when they found out that all those dynamics/bass was coming from the Active 20 and not the Studio 100 ($2000/pair multiple driver floor-standers). And flat frequency response can really help "make sense" of the music.
You are hearing the differences in amplification and the fact that the Studio 20 used very bargain basement priced passive components that can significantly vail everything. With higher quality crossover parts and amplification I can make the standard studio version model eat up the all active version in every way. EVERY way!
It's true that the amps in powered or active speakers aren't impressive and if installed inside the cabinet are exposed to excessive vibrations. Blame "speaker guys" for downplaying amps and making them secondary (which IME they are). But with active designs the simpler/direct loads from a known driver/cabinet makes the amp's job much lighter/easier, so a less impressive amp is needed. And who should know their speaker better, the designer or the consumer?
The passive parts do not present any load problems. They can create a higher impedance rise than just the inductive rise of the drivers but that is an easier load to drive from a current demand stand point. A lower impedance load is more demanding on the amps and the crossovers do not typically cause a lower load.
