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Topic: Active speakers (Read 3557 times) previous topic - next topic
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Active speakers

Reading through past threads, most recommended speakers tend to be the active variety

I need to acquire some speakers for TV/music set up but with active speakers will I need a pre-amp?

As on the amp side the recommended pro amp brands (Crown, Beringher etc)  on here all seem to make mostly power amps

Passive speakers would be easier for me to accommodate as would only need speaker cable as opposed to power cables as well with the active kind

Any advice on this subject? ie should I stick to active and if so do I just need a pre-amp?

Source systems will be a TV and computer/phone

Active speakers

Reply #1 –
Quote
Reading through past threads, most recommended speakers tend to be the active variety
Computer speakers are active and most modern studio monitors are active.  If you go into a computer store you'll find active computer speakers.  If you go into a store that sells musical instruments and pro audio equipment you'll find active monitors. 

Home stereo and home theater speakers are usually passive, except subwoofers are normally powered.  If you go into an audio/video store, you'll find passive speakers and active subwoofers.    Most stereo & home theater receivers don't have "preamp" outputs.  They may have "tape" outputs, but those are not volume-controlled or otherwise affected by the receivers controls.


Quote
Any advice on this subject? ie should I stick to active and if so do I just need a pre-amp?

Source systems will be a TV and computer/phone
If your TV's line outputs are volume-controlled you can connect active speakers directly.  However, a preamp would be helpful if you want to select inputs (phone/TV/etc.).

Active speakers

Reply #2 –

Thanks Doug  - just wanted to know in terms of "bang per buck" quality wise for speakers is it better to go for active or passive

Active speakers

Reply #3 –
Quote from: kmac on
Reading through past threads, most recommended speakers tend to be the active variety

I need to acquire some speakers for TV/music set up but with active speakers will I need a pre-amp?

As on the amp side the recommended pro amp brands (Crown, Beringher etc)  on here all seem to make mostly power amps

Passive speakers would be easier for me to accommodate as would only need speaker cable as opposed to power cables as well with the active kind

Any advice on this subject? ie should I stick to active and if so do I just need a pre-amp?

Source systems will be a TV and computer/phone

It is not true that you will only need speaker cable if you are going to use passive speakers with your phone or a TV. Your phone and probably also your TV will not be able to drive passive speakers. You would have to have an amp or perhaps a receiver to drive passive speakers. Active speakers contain their own amp. That is sort of the point of active.

Active speakers

Reply #4 –
Quote from: rick.hughes on
It is not true that you will only need speaker cable if you are going to use passive speakers with your phone or a TV. Your phone and probably also your TV will not be able to drive passive speakers. You would have to have an amp or perhaps a receiver to drive passive speakers. Active speakers contain their own amp. That is sort of the point of active.


I am aware that I will need an integrated amp (pre and power) with passive speakers.  The hassle with active will be the power cables needed for each speaker in addition to speaker cable.

Active speakers

Reply #5 –
I'm in the process of replacing the speakers in my living rooms and have been considering active speakers, with a short list of these two models :
Neumann KH310
Focal Twin6 BE

Also check these links for a wider selection and reviews :
https://www.attackmagazine.com/reviews/the-...tudio-monitors/
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/high-end/96...st-summary.html

... and some interesting discussions below, incl.  respective merits of active vs passive :
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gea...-hi-fi-use.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun02/articles/monitors.asp
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much-gea...ml?ref=gearPage

Active speakers

Reply #6 –
Quote from: kmac on
Reading through past threads, most recommended speakers tend to be the active variety

I need to acquire some speakers for TV/music set up but with active speakers will I need a pre-amp?

As on the amp side the recommended pro amp brands (Crown, Beringher etc)  on here all seem to make mostly power amps

Passive speakers would be easier for me to accommodate as would only need speaker cable as opposed to power cables as well with the active kind

Any advice on this subject? ie should I stick to active and if so do I just need a pre-amp?

Source systems will be a TV and computer/phone


My main system is based on LSR300 active speakers and 2 different legacy active subwoofers. The system has an AVR but its there for its control options, not its power amps.

For TV sets with line level outputs and computers, active speakers seem like a good option.

Active speakers

Reply #7 –
Thanks Arnold and Nemo

Some reading up to be done.

And more importantly the solution has to be got past the wife and teenage who have strong opinions on aesthetics

Active speakers

Reply #8 –
Quote
And more importantly the solution has to be got past the wife and teenage who have strong opinions on aesthetics
Most studio monitors don't have grill covers so that's an appearance consideration.  Does your wife like the "pro studio" look?  (The lack of grills also makes the drivers more vulnerable to accidental damage.)

Of course your wife gets a vote and perhaps even a veto, but your teenager???   

...I'm single and I have a pair of 8-foot speaker stacks in my living room, along with my 8-foot "VU Meter" lighting effect!      TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL, but of course one of the reasons I did it was for the extreme aesthetics.  And of course, the giant VU meters are ONLY for aesthetics.

BTW - My setup is 100% passive.  The 5 main surround channels are driven by the receiver and the subwoofers (at the bottom of the left & right "stacks") are driven by a separate power amp.  Like many receivers, mine doesn't have a power amp for the subwoofer(s).

Active speakers

Reply #9 –
A Bluetooth-equipped soundbar might be a handy solution for you. Most are 2 or 2.1-channel devices and connect to your TV set via TOSLINK optical cable.

5.1 and 7.1-channel soundbars exist, usually as higher-end products which connect via HDMI cable. Most, like Yamaha's Sound Projectors, seem to have "virtual" surround audio. I can't speak for the efficacy of these implementations.

Sonos Playbar also works really well as a 2 or 2.1-channel TV system. You can't stream directly from PC or phone to it, but it already taps into a lot of online music sources or shared iTunes libraries which may accomplish the same thing: Your phone or PC is used only as a remote control. It has some support for 5.1-channel sound too, but that gets trickier and is best left for another discussion.