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

@thespeakerdude It doesn’t seem like a very hard problem to create a spreadsheet about speaker drivers, amplifiers, crossovers, cables, etc. and come out with  a compatibility number. I understand the changing variables and functions of curves associated with speakers but it’s not that hard.

Take a very well respected speaker like Sonus Faber how can I buy an amp for it without gambling, sure I maybe able to listen to a Sonus Faber but very unlikely I’ll be able to test it with the amp I want and then how would I ever know if that amp is pushing the speaker to its ultimate potential. I think the emperor has no clothes in the entire audiophile world, very frustrating.

@donavabdear

Do you see the connection between the headphones and the headphone amp being made by the same company and speakers being powered by amps that have been made for them?

Yes, I own the Sony Signature line up headphone amp. IDK if they would work for doing mixes,, but I love what they do for casual/critical listening. The Signature amp is surprising me on so many levels, the headphone amp sounds great with both my balanced and unbalanced headphones, the DAC and the DSD remastering engine is like sonic alchemy, turning any type of track (lead) into DSD (gold). The Sony Signature Lineup amp/headphones/source/active speakers are purpose built and YES, that is the way to go.

https://www.sonypremiumhome.com/signature-series/

@thespeakerdude

As a general statement, @donavabdear , no passive speaker and amplifier are made for each other. Some may claim that, but I think that would be a steaming pile of BS.

Wrong again @thespeakerdude , the steaming BS is your shallow knowledge around speakers and amps. When a company makes both amps and speakers you DON’T think they are made to match?? What a load of "steaming BS".

Try checking out this Canadian company called Bryston:

https://bryston.com

or this America company called McInosh:

 

or this British company called Meridian:

@thespeakerdude 

This is a very good matched system, I suggest you start reading some new research, the stuff you are subscribing to is deadwood:

 

@kota1 I agree with @thespeakerdude in general passive speakers that have amplifiers matched to them is definitely level 2 audio, I imagine the only reason you would make a speaker that way is to really cater to very high end people, the manufacture would be limiting its self by designing the idea that this amp only goes with this speaker, you and I know that is ridiculous but it seems most audiophiles don't think in terms of physics but fun and status. Best practices in speaker building are not interesting to audiophiles, try to name another industry that you can spend $100s of thousands of dollars on pieces that weren't made to fit together.

Sorry but the host of this video didn't really have a clue there were many clues one was he said the JL Audio CR-1 was a JL sub amp and they had turned them off well there weren't any JL subs there and the CR-1 is an analog crossover, it's actually a very cool piece of gear you may be interested in, look it up it is a crossover between the stereo subs and the home theater subs, and LFE channels, it's a one of a kind unit and I'm surprised you don't own one. Also he mentioned the speakers were made for the Mac amp he used that phrase not in a precise manner, it's a hugely powerful amp and the speakers needed a hugely powerful amp like that one to work them. Im sure that in no way is that amp and the drivers in that speaker designed for each other in any way except for broad functions like total power and probably being about to go down to 2 ohms without going belly up.