Active Speakers - Price vs Quality

[nosortf]

Hi,
Could not help but leap in.
I believe it is actually easier to get an active system up than a passive one, all one
needs is and active crossover and 4-6 amplifier channels to go.
Difficulty of an active system to sound like one piece is the question that need to be addressed. Most do not and hence the are not accepted in domestic environments.

 

[kanwar]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Difficulty of an active system to sound like one piece is the question that need to be addressed. Most do not and hence the are not accepted in domestic environments.

Please elaborate which active systems you have heard, on which your conclusion is based upon.

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Please elaborate which active systems you have heard, on which your conclusion is based upon.

Hi,

Leaving the 2 famous UK monitors, most active monitors sound incoherent
in the frequencies from woofer to tweeter.

 

[kanwar]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi,

Leaving the 2 famous UK monitors, most active monitors sound incoherent
in the frequencies from woofer to tweeter.

And how passive speakers overcome this issue, according to you. Kindly enlighten.

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi,

Please understand the issue is not passive vs active.
It is active speaker manufacturers assuming that going active
will solve all their problems.
Hence cheap mismatched drivers, cheap amplifiers, cheap power supplies etc.
lead to an incoherent whole.
A no compromised active speaker like the Nautilus the results are
great when used with great electronics. Even here compromised electronics from
Classe can result in far from top results. The down side is the price.
Take an ATC, the bigger models like SCM50A are fabulous, the prices are not.
Cheaper studio monitor type try to fly the active bandwagon and results are
not fabulous. The point is active designers often end up cost cutting
as they assume certain things to be solved regardless of price.

 

[kanwar]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi,

Please understand the issue is not passive vs active.
It is active speaker manufacturers assuming that going active
will solve all their problems.
Hence cheap mismatched drivers, cheap amplifiers, cheap power supplies etc.
lead to an incoherent whole.
A no compromised active speaker like the Nautilus the results are
great when used with great electronics. Even here compromised electronics from
Classe can result in far from top results. The down side is the price.
Take an ATC, the bigger models like SCM50A are fabulous, the prices are not.
Cheaper studio monitor type try to fly the active bandwagon and results are
not fabulous. The point is active designers often end up cost cutting
as they assume certain things to be solved regardless of price.

This can be said for cheap passives also, in other words if the product regardless of the fact its passive or active, if designed good will sound good. Cost cutting could be done in any topology, there are numerous passives where you can see this.

But don't make generalization on all actives that only handful [which cost fortune]are good others are not.

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

This can be said for cheap passives also, in other words if the product regardless of the fact its passive or active, if designed good will sound good. Cost cutting could be done in any topology, there are numerous passives where you can see this.

But don't make generalization on all actives that only handful [which cost fortune]are good others are not.

Precisely, the but assumption here is not about passives, it is about actives, ie.all active speakers are good. For a given lower price bracket, 1 lakh and below market, a well designed passive with a well designed integrated amp will beat a similar priced active, and mind you that you still require to spend on a volume control for the active.
This dilemma changes in the 5 to 6 lakh upward market, where proper resources can be allocated to the parts in an active speaker.
But I still think actives come onto their own in the 12 lakh upward market.
My view points are personal and not to be taken as ego bending "I am correct" nonsense.

 

[kanwar]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

This dilemma changes in the 5 to 6 lakh upward market, where proper resources can be allocated to the parts in an active speaker.
But I still think actives come onto their own in the 12 lakh upward market.

So in your opinion any active which comes less than 5-6 lakh or below is bound to be a crap?

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi
Crap is a harsh word. Let us say not a persuasive argument below 1 lakh, arguable benefits at 5-6 lakhs, clearly attractive at 10 lakhs plus.
However once again personal preference is as always the final call.

 

[denom]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi nosorft,

You apparently have a good amount of experience with active speakers. Request you to kindly share your experience with the various actives you have heard so far, as it would be great gyaan for folks interested in getting into the land of actives.

PS: Are you part of the pro-audio/studio industry???

Thanks

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Dear Denom,

I would like to mention that I have heard many active speakers in the below 5 lakh range and find them to be quite bland.
If your budget extends in the 10 lakh plus range then one needs to take into consideration room size and musical preference.
If one is into smoother genres of music go for the expensive European brands. They tend to get actives more correct than others.
If you are into hard rock and heavy metal, and like head banging, actives are a waste of money. Buy a large vintage JBL on ebay, they are not cheap but do justice to classic rock and metal type of music. However if you insist on an active for rock, buy a clean PA speaker like a Mackie SRM 450, it is very well engineered.

 

[sonosphere]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi nosortf,
Though I am unlikely to buy the expensive actives, I would appreciate if you could give examples of make and model nos of the actives referred below in blue text in your quote (blue colour added from my side).

Regds,
Sonosphere

Dear Denom,

I would like to mention that I have heard many active speakers in the below 5 lakh range and find them to be quite bland.
If your budget extends in the 10 lakh plus range then one needs to take into consideration room size and musical preference.
If one is into smoother genres of music go for the expensive European brands . They tend to get actives more correct than others.
If you are into hard rock and heavy metal, and like head banging, actives are a waste of money. Buy a large vintage JBL on ebay, they are not cheap but do justice to classic rock and metal type of music. However if you insist on an active for rock, buy a clean PA speaker like a Mackie SRM 450, it is very well engineered.

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi Sonosphere,

I do not understand what you meant by "referred below".
Can you please clarify this for me, thank you.

 

[sonosphere]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi Sonosphere,

I do not understand what you meant by "referred below".
Can you please clarify this for me, thank you.

Hi nosortf,
Sorry, forgot to mention properly. See the same post#20 now. It clarifies in blue text.

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi,

Some good speakers are the big models from
1) ATC
2) Genelec
3) PMC
4) Harbeth
5) Meridian

 

[sonosphere]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi,

Some good speakers are the big models from
1) ATC
2) Genelec
3) PMC
4) Harbeth
5) Meridian

Hi nosortf,
would you consider the Genelec 8040a as the big model? Asking this since I've auditioned this spkr.

Genelec 8040a link >> Genelec 8040A - Wide Frequency Response in a Compact Package - Technical Specifications

Regds,

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi

I would consider these to be big

Genelec 8260A - Sophisticated Tri-Amplified DSP Monitoring System (priced well)

ATC Loudspeakers. SCM50 (expensive but good)

IB2S-A | PMC Loudspeakers
(bargain vs a passive system for equal performance, still unaffordable)

Harbeth no more makes active monitors. My mistake.

DSP7200 Digital Active Loudspeaker - Meridian (a Ferrari. You don't need one, but when have one???)

 

[denom]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi

I would consider these to be big

Genelec 8260A - Sophisticated Tri-Amplified DSP Monitoring System (priced well)

ATC Loudspeakers. SCM50 (expensive but good)

IB2S-A | PMC Loudspeakers
(bargain vs a passive system for equal performance, still unaffordable)

Harbeth no more makes active monitors. My mistake.

DSP7200 Digital Active Loudspeaker - Meridian (a Ferrari. You don't need one, but when have one???)

hi,

have you heard all these speakers? very interesting to hear how you can compare them as they all have different & individual ideologies followed. pls share.

 

[nosortf]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi
Denom my comments make my preferences obvious.

 

[denom]

Re: Dream Active Pro-Home Audio / HT Setup

Hi
Denom my comments make my preferences obvious.

Hi

nosortf, was wanting you to elaborate on your experiences with these speakers. Pls share your reasons too