Your thoughts on active loudspeakers

Theoretically, active loudspeakers could be amazing...until you add in the profit motive. I have not heard one yet that amazed me.

georgehifi, what on gods green earth are you talking about? I also have large ESL with subwoofers to which I cross at 120 hz using a full two way digital cross over. In my system everything stays digital until the final DACs right in front of the amps. I digitize my phono stage so it will fit in. There is only one digital to analog conversion. Once you are in numbers you can do whatever you want within limits without causing  ANY distortion. This includes, crossovers, room control, EQ and adjusting group delays. The distortion is magnitudes less then analog gear and taking the bass out of the ESLs cleans them up to a remarkable degree. This is the state of the current art. Not using a digital high pass filter on your ESLs is audio suicide! 

IME, listening to passive speakers anywhere but your own room and system is a waste if time. Active dsp reduces the variables and many of the designs control disbursion (no clue) to minimize room acoustics, so if you like the sound of a properly setup active dsp system at a shop you’ll probably like them at home. Simply said, the components have already been maximized in an active dsp system.

@mijostyn --

Theoretically, active loudspeakers could be amazing...until you add in the profit motive. I have not heard one yet that amazed me.

Profit motive? I’ve heard so much bland passively configured that it tires the mind, and the by comparison few active iterations that have entered the stage have, by and large, been delightful deviations to that (passive) trend.

The best active systems I’ve heard are non-bundled, separate component solutions that’ve been setup and fine tuned by their users in specific acoustic environments over months of time. No restrictions wrt. speaker size, type, sensitivity or component choices in general - just carte blanche. Those are the set-ups that have truly blown my mind and that have left most everything passive fighting in vain for similar scale, cohesion, dynamics, resolution, ease, stability, etc.

A worthwhile takeaway with such separate component active solutions: typically they’re much less expensive for what they offer sonically.

Added note: The original TL074 op-amp slew rate was 13v/µs, new LM6172’s are 3000v/µs. Noise and distortion is also lower. Make your own crossovers and enjoy.

Ok now that you posted your thoughts on active speakers I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. THOSE OF YOU THGT WERE FOR ACTIVE SPEAKERS

Which active stand mount speakers do you like best and why regardless of price? Thanks again!!!