Mauricio
500+ Head-Fier
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Why do you prefer passive speaker/monitors?
Why do you prefer passive speaker/monitors?
Takes the load off the speaker (heat). Chance to use much higher quality amps. Often nicer looks (Maggies for example).
Powered speakers have their place, but Passive is usually my choice when I can pick either or.
Control. I can set the bass level very low so it doesnt bother the neighbors on the tone setting of my Onkyo reciever. I love my Bose Companion II bookshelf speakers but due to them being powered i would get some very strong bass even at the lowest volume. Not a good thing in the middle of the night when playing Warhammer 40k Dawn Of War or Skyrim full of explosions and combat thumps.
Now am using some JBL Control One and Insignia Bass Reflex bookshelf speakers and only hear the bass when i want to hear it or the elderly neighbors are being unreasonable slamming doors as if its going out of style due to someone else in the vicinity playing their music. Sheesh i hope am never that ignorant or hateful of other peoples presence and good times when am at that age.
I can also tweak the treble to my liking giving it a headphone level of detail especially when listening at low nearfield positioning volumes. Its defnitely a magical experiance hearing music so low with such depth.
most speakers are passive; more choices.
Don't confuse active systems with the ability to alter and equalize the input signal. Apples and oranges. Nothing stands in the way of active system of altering the frequency characteristics of the input signal.
Takes the load off the speaker? That's a good one. The main reason passive speakers have to have overbuilt, massive amps is because i.) of the efficiency losses inherent in a passive crossover, and ii.) the fact that the amp has to handle the whole frequency range and an unknown range of driver impedance and efficiency. That's why amps in a passive system need to be so big. Likewise, a passive speaker has little way of reacting to the changes of a driver as it heats up. The sound of a cold vs. a hot passive speaker can vary dramatically. Much less so for a active system.
Chance to use much higher quality amps? Only if you equate having to use huge, wasteful amps with quality. Make no mistake about it: the main reason why passive systems need huge amps is because of their primitive, brutish way of delivering power to the drivers. Look at the amps in, say, the Focal CMS Sub and tell me those are low quality amps.
Each have there advantages/disadvantages , active speakers do have better crossovers, but the cooling of the amps is poor class d are normally fine but AB generates alot of heat, the amps have to small in size to fit in the back , the amp takes up space that would be used for air flow in a passive speaker, the passive disadvantages are the poorer crossover network. You don't need a huge amp for passive speakers you can get little 10watt t-amps that will do the job fine normal listening only requires 1watt or less.
You really think that professional recording studios work with technologies that are fundamentally flawed? I mean, you think studios often have to take a break to let their monitors cool down? You know, the record company is keen to put U2's new CD on the market, but every time they call the producer, they are told that the mixing and mastering is going to take a couple of weeks more cuz the monitors overheat. Right.