Active Vs. Passive speakers

[Deleted User]

I know this is the Polk site but...
I was seriously contemplating Some active monitors for Studio 1

Say one would run out and purchase some
SDA SRS 2 Blade/Blade
$500
$200 in tweeter upgrades
?????? in xover upgrades
$5000 in a Bryson AMP
$2500 MIT matrix or other cable

or
Active speakers of good quality
with an XLR cable from a DAC or Pre

I'm pretty sure the actives would have the SDAs beat in sound
quality on many levels.

mhardy6647

only one way to find out -- and it involves ears.
yours.

SCompRacer

Active crossovers done well offer many advantages over passive, however I don't think you could run SDA's as designed (interaural crosstalk cancellation) using an active crossover. IMO, if you like what SDA's do, what sounds better would be subjective compared to active xover speakers.

I owned active crossover ESL speakers for several years. I think Fred has done active xovers on conventional speakers.

[Deleted User]

Ain't that the truth.

Seriously, they are warrantied for 6 years.
Put a nice power regenerator in front of them...
Tri-amped.
Testimonials about using them in the studio for 20 years and going...

[Deleted User]

Thanks for not laughing .

SCompRacer

My first ESL's had a so-so active bass amp (200 WPC) with only bass control. I invested in a custom Marchand that had bass, mid bass and high controls. My newer ESL's (Innersound Eros MK III's) had a much better bass amp (600WPC @4 Ohms) with built in active with remote control volume, bass and mid bass control.

Active three ways could get spendy with some amps.

You can make any speaker active by disconnecting the passive and adding a properly sloped active. Marchand will build to suit. He offered kits as well (but I haven't looked at his site in years). Both tube and SS active.

http://www.marchandelec.com/xovers.html

SCompRacer

DSkip wrote: »

Rich I think he means an active speaker, not a crossover.

Red, we should chat sometime man.

Duh...thanks. At least he has another option....lol

[Deleted User]

Funny that @mhardy6647 responded as I was thinking of him is morn.
There are some Altec 604s on the bay for sale. Also, when reading up
on the active speakers it was mentioned that maybe some of the
monitors back then sounded too good and covered up flaws in the mix.

I remember reading that the Beatles Paul? heard a mix in a car and they
went back and remixed.

mhardy6647

By the rock and roll era (well, at least the 1960s) there were purpose-built monitors for mixing the AM radio hits.

The best known ones (at least to me) were the Auratone cubes ("Horrortones").




Later, the monitor of last resort in the studios was the Yamaha NS-10/NS-10m. Of these, it was said that, if the mix sounds OK on them, it'll sound good on anything.

Most of the modern monitors, I think, are pretty ruthless in revealing flaws in the mix -- but I am no expert (duh!).

[Deleted User]

I almost picked up the auratones just to experience them.

erniejade

If we're talking about active speakers, check computer audiophile for some articles on a few active speakers they have checked out. I feel more and more speakers in the low to mid fi market is going this route. Studio, and pro PA has used them for years and it's hitting a nice place in the home market where people can have decent sound that is also convenient, not bulky, wifi, streaming services, airplay or cast. klipsch has an entire ht rig that's powered and basically wireless outside of the initial connection. They also have the fifteens coming out shortly. I have been saying this for a while, we are going to see more and more fully capable speakers come out that have built in wifi, dac, and powered.

This is also not saying there isn't high end active either. Lansche 8.2, dynaudio as well as many others.

mhardy6647

rednedtugent wrote: »

I almost picked up the auratones just to experience them.

I have a later pair of the Auratone drivers -- someplace downstairs.

[Deleted User]

If I ever get out of my mom's basement and make it up
that way...
always a pleasure @mhardy6647.

[Deleted User]

Thanks @erniejade God bless you and yours.