Thoughts on Active/Passive Speakers? Looking for pros and cons.

@hilde45 the OP asked a question which @fiesta75 provided the best, most helpful, and technical explanation as to what the pros are for active systems.

Pretty much everyone else's comments were not useful as far as I could tell. Just trying to point out that many audiophiles are not helping OP with his actual question.

The only "pro" for a fully passive system is that you can use a single amplifier and thus save on expense. That's pretty much it. Everything else about a passive speaker is a "con" - even the best passive crossover is susceptible to noise and interference, let alone the fact that it is an inefficient use of the amplifier's energy.

OP, if you would like a great breakdown of the actual benefits of active systems, why they are used to record and mix the music you listen to, why they are used in live professional applications, and why so many loudspeaker manufacturers are beginning to integrate this principle into their current and future designs, read the last point on ATC's FAQ page:
http://atcloudspeakers.co.uk/faqs/

Concerning the OP  Paradigm Founder Series 120H, they are basically 3-way with built-in sub, so I wouldn't say these speakers are active in the traditional sense.

mtbiker29, Like everything in this life it all depends. I have not heard an active speaker get to the absolute sound which does not mean it can not be done and I have listened to very few active speakers. The Sonos speakers that I use around the house and in my office sound great for what they are. They are background music. None of the active speakers on the market excite me otherwise from a design perspective. You can have DSP management of any speaker on the market. You do not need to buy an active one. You have to listen and judge on your own. 

@mijostyn—isn’t your system effectively active? Also, someone above stated he/she didn’t want woofers stuck where the active speakers were. You can still use a swarm with an active system. It might even help if your main speakers were less than full range. I’d love to hear ATC 40a or 50a with a swarm.

I've never heard a passive that could do what Dutch and Dutch 8c can do control the directivity down to 100hz. I've never heard a passive come close to top line actives like Genelec. To each there own.