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Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

17 of 23 speakers in my studio and home theater systems are internally powered. My studio system is all Genelec and sounds very accurate. I know the best new concert and studio speakers are internally powered there are great technical reasons to design a speaker and an amp synergistically, this concept is much more important to sound quality than the vibration systems we often buy. How can an audiophile justify a vibration system of any sort with this in mind.

128x128donavabdear
invalid
1,150 posts
 

There is no such thing as a pure chain, there are tradeoffs. I never said passive was better than active, what I said was I didn't like the sound of the powered speakers that I have heard. I do like active systems that I can pick the amplifiers and not be stuck with what comes with the speaker. 

thespeakerdude
483 posts
 

@invalid, how do you measure purity? No driver is a perfect radiator, so they are not pure. Electronics can be, for any reasonable measure, pure. I see active speakers as the melding of electronics which can be pure, with drivers that are not, such that the combination exceeds the two combined independently.

This is only controversial at the consumer end. At the development end, for those working on active speakers, there is no controversy that an active speaker is better able to achieve measurements of purity. We define purity as reduced distortion, flatter response, better dispersion.

kota1
2,706 posts
 

@invalid 

One on the BIG tradeoffs is budget. If I have $$$ to invest in a speaker/amp/cable chain I think active will be preferable on a value for SQ basis.

Another BIG tradeoff is convenience and a one box solution is very convenient (although you do need additional outlets).

Another BIG tradeoff is risk. When I get an active speaker I know what it will sound like. When I get a passive speaker I have to risk picking an amp and amps can get expensive then I have to risk getting a good speaker cable (if you believe those matter).

 

invalid
1,150 posts
 

So now all amplifiers sound the same.

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lonemountain
441 posts
 

@invalid

Amps are the same? Where did anyone say that? Sounds like you are pulling in a different argument io you don’t have to listen to these ideas anymore.

In this thread we have good examples of both onboard and outboard amp active systems. Its NOT about amplifiers! It is clear you too have fallen victim to high end amp marketing,

Active is NOT about where the amp is, it’s about where the crossover is!

 

Why do I feel like I am standing at the end of the dock arguing that you really won't fall off the end of the ocean?  

Brad

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