I Was Considering Active, Then I Watched This ...

I think this is a great post from the Audiophiliac.  I personally love powered speakers and have many but they are in my secondary system. They are great for that.  Steve is right though a real audiophile should have separates.  If you are into the "hobby" of being an audiophile and discovering what the differences different components can make then all in one takes a lot of the fun out of it.  Now if your friend just want some good sound and wants to enjoy music then all in one is the best bang for the buck I think.  

One word: "Phase"

Of all the advantages/disadvantages/qualities/ a phase-coherent active speaker can, "get you there" hearing into the recording, providing spaciousness and accurate sound-staging...kind of magically. In other words crossovers cause phase shifts that active speakers can avoid. Game changer!

Put another way...when listening to live music, it's ALWAYS phase-coherent so transients, echos exist in all their glory. 

I see no problem embracing the technology. Steve's wrong. 

Oh ya, it was about Steve, not about Buchardt’s, that was another post, I forgot!

More coffee!!!

I think audiophiles have been using active tech for a long time many use subwoofers most are powered active types. I have active systems passive systems outboard crossover actives. I do think when it comes to amplification if class d or ab designs are not what you're looking for then outboard active or passive are your choices nothing wrong with any of it. But many seem to have strong biases and limited knowledge that in itself is what audiophiles are mostly about. 

russbutton understands active speaker tech much like what I have read and understand. I think there certainly is a place for both passive and active speakers however to me it seems that active speakers with DSP have to be the wave of the future for many people for great reasons.
A well-designed active speaker with DSP should be easily the most cost effective way to get great sound at a certain price point as well as fix issues in the listening environment.

Even when ideally set up without using any DSP there is no comparison when playing my listening area's passive speakers. Turn off the DSP unit I'm using and you'd be stunned at the bass boom as well as other anomalies. No one who enjoys music would prefer it; the hump is part of the speaker and NOT room fixable, at least without trashing the environment.
The half dozen 14kft peaks viewable from where I sit and listen are now snow-covered and I'm not giving up that view. The DSP yields a wonderfully flat response down to 30 with an REL. Now my wife and I can enjoy our primary living space with great sounding music.