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Hey AJ, how are ya? So what kind of adjustability can you get? DSP, Frequency response, level controls, other?
Of course the trick as always is obtaining good performance in all measurably parameters and sounding good. Studio professionals are susceptible to listener fatigue like the rest of us, so low colorations/distortions is essential in their work (more than for our entertainment). I haven't heard "cold" as a description of studio monitors. Most cheap active speakers are horrible on anyone's audiophile scale, OTOH most studio monitors are designed for nearfield use, can seem dry/un-involving, but are very revealing. But go to audiostream.com for a good selection of consumer oriented desktop/in-room actives. I own the professional version of the next model up from their top rated 2-way $2000/pair wood veneered Dynaudio Excite X14A monitor (that I scored for $850/pair with black finish, now discontinued) and they sound very good. I pair them with a computer and DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core DAC/preamp/DSP to make a complete system that I enjoy nearfield in a dedicated room.Yes, most active monitors have bass and treble controls of some sort. My Dynaudio BM5 Mk III also have midrange controls.Passive mid/high's plus active bass - most do that with passives and something called a subwoofer (or two).AJ, do you have a link to that Hifizine article of John's speaker?
Have you heard active speakers? As I noted above, it is no contest, active wins! The advantages of going active are huge and undeniable. Naturally there are poor/cheap examples of active (just go to any Guitar Center), so look for a more fair example, like the well respected Neumann KH310A ($4500/pair, 10"x12"x15" 3-way monitor, 34-21,000 Hz, 116 dB maximum output at one meter). Some DIY active, but they're competing with the resources of big companies and their results are inefficient, bulky, and expensive. The Orion may be the best known example this.I've considered myself an audiophile for 40 years yet don't automatically buy into the more/bigger boxes and the more complex the better concept. In fact audiophile purists, like SET/single driver fans, have the opposite goal. (BTW single driver speakers are active by default.) The term you picked for audiophiles: obsession is the right word, it means being persistently troubled. Studio folks simply go with what works and don't fixate on a thousand quirks or details that are frankly insignificant. I'll admit putting the amp inside the speaker may be less than ideal, but it does eliminate speaker cables, and most speakers already have the crossover inside. BTW there are a few active designs that use a separate compartment or a separate cabinet if that's a concern but then you start to trade off one advantage for another. One point not brought yet is the (male-centric) hunt. Audiophiles really enjoy researching, shopping, auditioning, and discussing each part of the system as well as assembling their own unique combination of gear. More and more active speakers have a built-in DAC and are even wireless, thus the loss of more components and almost all cords. Thus the in-room system begins to boil down to source + speakers + room, thus the hunting aspect of this past time is being lost. Another "quality" that gets lost in the move towards active design relates to pride and prestige. Cost savings of active can be substantial. As I alluded to above, cost can be reduced by 75% or more with little if any loss of sonic attributes. It must really irk those who have invested $$$$$ to have their system compared with vastly less expensive, much smaller, and ridiculously simple active systems bought by those who lack all their now obsolete technical knowledge and deep pockets.Finally, this revolution (depending on how much it catches on) threatens not only consumers who have much invested in passive technology, but much of the audio industry and of course will be pooh-poohed by the establishment (what happens in all revolutions). Even the DIY community will be largely put out of business.
Hi Guys: Some years ago Emotiva had an active speaker room at RMAF. Sounded pretty good. They were like bookshelf speaker size. Cheers Charlie
if you knew what amp was powering the speaker - that would go a long way - (no secrets) - if you had easy access to the amp inside the speaker - that would also alleviate fears - if you could switch amps that would be helpful as well - If everything was transparent and easy - it would alleviate fears and make it more in vogue
Could I just hook an active speaker up to a preamp?
How big of an active speaker would I need to replace floor standing full range passive speaker?
Here's an article supporting active design:http://www.audiostream.com/content/john-darko-active-loudspeakers#KAbkSH2ixuWK6P7b.97
