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I understand why passive speakers are more popular in the home market but why aren't they popular in the pro market? Take a look at this immersive audio setup at Abbey Road using active speakers.
The pro-audio market demand a cost effective ready made speaker set with a kind of sound enginers can hear as a standard to made sonic decisions to fast complete the recording, mix or mastering job.
In other words they use logic
Hi,Could you suggest some active speakers that you think highly of? I know you like the cheaper JBL bookshelf 305, but if you have others that are priced higher but are still great values, I'd love to hear.Thanks,Bill
All components fail at some point or another. What would you do if your amp failed or your pre-amp? Get it repaired or replaced. The same with an active speaker. Have you ever bought a subwoofer before? Was it active or passive? Why don't people buy passive subs for the same reasons you mention, that the amp might fail?
I've told this story several times over the years here on AC but it's worth repeating:18 years ago I visited a shop and auditioned Paradigm Studio 20s ($800/pair 2-way passive monitor) versus Paradigm Active 20s ($1600/pair 2-way active monitor using same drivers/cabinet). No comparison! Dynamics just jumped. Flat frequency response (a revelation in itself). Bass was super deep and full. I was gobsmacked by the bass alone. Passersby that we were listening to Studio 100s ($2200/pair multiple driver floor stander), but imaging was better on the the Active 20s. You just couldn't get that sound from any other Paradigm (besides the Active 40).That's why I've used active (not just powered) speakers for 15 years. But they also represent great value. The JBL 305 (original) was a stunning active 2-way monitor listing for $300/pair, beating any comparably priced passive monitor. But the 305 Mk2, same list price, will out perform any $1000/pair passive monitor. Again stunningly dynamic, flatter, and more bass. Allowing the manufacturer to design/match amp the driver and give a direct connection (versus clouding the load with additional drivers and a crossover) is a huge advantage. All that's needed is a source and preamp (optimally with XLR outputs). Even the XLR cables are largely devoid of marketing hype (buy Blue Jean Cable or Mogami if you want what the professionals use). Combination DAC/preamps like Benchmark (~$2000) or Mytek Manhattan ($2000 if you need phono input) can make life even simpler. If you're pure digital the PS Audio DirectStream Junior (currently $2580 through underwoodhifi.com factory direct shipping included) would be a step up by adding streaming so you can use a server connected via an ethernet cable. Dedicated music servers start at $800 from Small Green Computer.
In a 7.1 set up I would need to repair or replace 1 amp instead of needing to replace 7 amps on active speakers. Plus with active speakers you would either need to ship all your speakers to the manufacturer to have them replace new amps in them or they could send you the amps and have you do all the work in replacing the amps....With seperates there is way less work and hassels involved...other reasons was manufacturer no longer available and or no longer carry that exact amp.I have bought over 100 subwoofers (including car audio) both active and passive and the active has failed way before the passive......Most people only use 1 sub in there system so if the amp fails they only need to replace 1 amp instead of all the amps in 7 speakers.... Plus a sub is not a requirement it is OPTIONAL....if you look on Craigslist there a tons of people selling the sub driver they took out of a powered subwoofer because the amp failed....its just common knowlege that electronics with more moving electrical/mechanical parts fail more often then one with less parts....you also see people selling speaker sets and saying selling the speakers because the reciever broke....its just a FACT that the amps fail WAY MORE then speakers....Also I am not biased as even separate components like amps, preamps, integrated amps, receivers, CD/DVD players fail way more pecentage wise then the speakers.
But they also represent great value. The JBL 305 (original) was a stunning active 2-way monitor listing for $300/pair, beating any comparably priced passive monitor. But the 305 Mk2, same list price, will out perform any most $1000/pair passive monitors. Again stunningly dynamic, flatter, and more bass.
If you own a passive sub it still requires an amp that can fail. If you own passive speakers they still require amps, which can fail. I don't think the consumer market are buying passive speakers out of fear that active speakers may fail, I think it is out of ignorance.Jim Salk just weighed in on his excellent Power Monitors. Bryston also sells both active and passive speakers, guess which ones they think are better?I agree you can build a fantastic system using passive speakers, it just requires a bigger budget, careful matching of components and a LOT of trial and error. Let's ask 100 Salk speaker owners which amps they chose, what are the odds they all picked the same amp? That means you might get 100 different results, probably all are good but how many will be perfect?If you get 100 people to buy salk power monitors they will all have "systems" yielding perfectly flat frequency response and a consistent result designed by the speakers architect. If the amp fails ask Jim to repair it, the same as a passive speaker. I don't see a problem.From the website:The PowerPlay Monitor:EXTREME ACCURACYActive DSP crossovers result in the flattest, most accurate frequency response you're likely to see. The resulting sound is balanced from top to bottom."You will hear the music EXACTLY as it was produced"
[quote Anyone and everyone can hear the difference between them regardless of the amp you use on the passive version in a blind listening test. Obviously some active systems will sound better than their active counterpart. However, if the passive crossover is implemented correctly, and if the drivers themselves are reasonably well behaved, any difference you hear between the active and passive will probably be confined to the bass, where active circuitry can help offset common room modes. I would bet a sizable proportion of my annual profits that you would not hear a meaningful difference between, say, my BMR (or several Salk models) and an active version outside of the bass.
In the 90s I found the Carver Amazing that has the most pleasant sound that I have ever lietened independent of price and his freq response is this:
I would not want to take the bet but accept your offer in good humor.The bass is a BIG deal. Think about that, better bass extension AND you don't need to buy an amp or speaker wire. Have you seen the price of good amps lately $$$?There is another model Paradigm still sells, look at the Atom (passive version) vs the Shift A2 (active Atom). Quick story for you, I had a single A2 mounted on the ceiling and wanted to take it down and use it for my wide channels. That means I need to buy a mate. I get online and see a refurb for only $75 and go WOW and hit the buy button. A few days later speaker shows up in a HUGE box. I open it and the vendor actually sold me a PAIR for the sale price instead of a single. Talk about happy . Check them out:https://www.paradigm.com/products-current/model=a2/page=reviews
I expected to be out of the passive crossover "business" long ago. It's interesting how much market resistance there is to active systems.
