Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

Example, if you have two Levinson mono blocks driven by a Levenson preamp. Will powered speakers sound like Levenson? Or the plate amp inside the speaker? Why not runa cheapo $3,000 setup through a great set of powered speakers if that is the case? Why spend $20,000 on mono blocks if you won't hear their aplomb or character?

It's amusing that posers think no one can tell they're posers.

@pcrhkr

When you buy Levinson separates you are able to mix and match passive speakers until you find the match you prefer. When you buy a powered speaker with a plate amp you have the ability to mix and match preamps. Whichever you prefer is up to you. I have passive and active versions of the Paradigm Reference 20 speaker and I could never get the same bass extension with the passive speaker, regardless the amp. If I already had $20,000 monoblocks maybe they would sound better matched with the passive Paradigms in the soundstage or the mids. At the end of the day it would be "different" and is a matter of preference and budget.

@kota1 Thank you I’ll look into it.

@secretguy Look at it this way if you buy very expensive speakers and very expensive amps how do you know they work together with the best efficiency, impedance matching, power efficiency per driver, particular driver power matching, driver frequency matching, just to name a few things. The answer is amps and speakers don’t work together most efficiently if they are not designed to work together. If you don’t like speakers with amps built in then get speakers that are designed to be run with outboard amps and crossovers. How could this not make sense. Audiophiles are very confused.

@donavabdear ,

That you for continuing to carry the torch. @lonemountain same, here and on the other thread. Some people want to learn. Some people want to move forward. Others don't want to learn. Others don't want to move forward. Some who don't want to move forward, don't even want others to move forward, and even some who do move forward don't want other to move forward faster than they are.

I have noticed just how few people from industry, even the audiophile industry post here. There is one amplifier designer / vendor. There are some who sell questionable products, but I don't count them. Given how my posts have been met, I am not surprised. I provided some links above, some heady reading, some pretty easy on where active speakers can and are heading. The only reply, derisive.

Are audiophiles confused? Perhaps. Perhaps they just don't want to move forward and don't want others to either.