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

Back in 1999 I got the idea to build for myself a pair of fully horn loaded speakers with folded corner horns back in the room corners and mid range and tweeter horns out in the room where they would image better.  Because of the time difference caused the distance separation between the woofers and mid range drivers I knew this could only work through the use of DSP.  I eventually settled on a DEQX DSP for time correction, phase correction, speaker correction, room correction and crossovers..  The speakers are triamplified with a channel of amplification for each driver. After building the horns I spent years programming and reprogramming the DEQX and even hired professional help from a DEQXpert before I was fully satisfied.  I initially used all tube amplification before changing to a Pass Labs amp on the woofers and a pair of First Watt stereo amps on the mids and highs.  I also changed bass horns, woofers and midrange (actually wide range) drivers.  My speakers are an active system.  I defy anyone to convince me otherwise.  I could never have made changes I made if everything was stuffed inside the box.

I think you said it all there KingHarold: you put forth a LOT of effort to correct for issues you encountered.  A true engineering project!  Problems are inherent in every loudspeaker design and I think ATC and Genelec would 100% support you in your effort.  What you accomplished could not have been done in a passive system.  

I think many that dislike active out of hand are just focused on a single feature which is actually not part of what makes a speaker active or passive.  Don't dismiss active because of the amp swap issue alone when there are so many other problems active addresses that cannot be addressed in passive.   Phase Linearity is a big one.  
Brad  

 

lonemountain, thank you for your kind words.  Something I failed to mention in my earlier post is that my active horn speakers sound damned wonderful to me and to all my audiophile friends who have heard them.  It's the old "if at first you don't succeed then try try again.

Interesting:

https://youtu.be/hkeIanGsKYA