Finally going Active...Need some Help

arhantd

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Feb 8, 2011
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After spending a lot of time researching and some time auditioning (Constraints of my location) i have decided to go the active route for my first set of good speakers.

As my source is my PC and the quality of tracks ranges from 320 KBps to Flac, i think active bookshelves make sense.

I wanted something that sounds good and clear to listen to with ample bass, so monitors are kind of out.

I have narrowed down to three speakers easily available to me.

Aktimate MAXI , Quad 11L or Quad12L(1.5x times the price of the other two)

Please can some people with audiophile experience help me or guide me choose between these. This is my first setup i know i will upgrade sooner or later but as computer speakers what do you think?

If there is any serious recommendation for my needs outside of these two, please do mention it.

Eagerly awaiting some inputs.

Thanks
 
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Can you explain what you mean by active? Active means the speakers have inbuilt amps, whereas the Quads dont.

The quad 11l seem to be garnering faint praise, but the 12L might be your ticket. If you wish to make PC the source, have you considered a streaming device?
 
Dear Beast...

Apparently just when i was set on buying the Aktimate maxi's.. i found out that both 12L and 11L are available in the active format with in built amps.
I got the confirmation from Bass n Treble in Delhi.

So hence the confusion. I will use them with a usb DAC and my PC as a source.
I have someone willing to give me a E-MU 0204, i think that should suffice.

Though this is my first such setup so i dont exactly know where i am headed.
 
You are right, they do make active versions. You should check if the Wharfedale 8.2 actives are available, evidently these are almost identical to the Quad 12l active except the finish. There is however a huge difference in the price.

Tannoy 8D might be of interest to you, even has an onboard DAC.
 
did you audition the active quads? What is the price quoted/ mrp?

Yes i have heard the 9L active ones and the 12L passive ones, they sound very nice to me.
But again, i am not very trained at this so pretty much everything sounds nice to me!
haha.

The price as quoted to me currently

Quad 11L - 52,000
12L - 75,000
Aktimate Maxi - about 48,000 (approximation: not a direct quote to me)

Beast>>> thanks for the tip. It might actually be nice to look at wharfe actives.

But which of these would sound most musical with the PC files is also an important part.
 
arhant, how much passive quads cost? If the price difference is significant, u can take a decent stereo amp with passives. It would give you more flexibility for future upgrades.
 
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