Powered woofers

xsmi
xsmi Posts: 1,798
in Speakers
I’m curious, why are so many of the new high end (to me, $10,000 and up) speaker designs are incorporating powered woofers in their systems? Would they now be considered dual sub-sat systems, with more integrated mids?
2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    Better dsp control and it takes a significant load off the rig amp.
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    So, gone are the days of of the passive speakers with no "gimmicks" in the box. I remember an "audiophile" decrying SDA's to me because of the passive technology in the crossover, but they are now embracing DSP?
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,746
    My main speakers will never have amps, horrendous resale value due to reliability issues

    No thanks
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,981
    VR3 wrote: »
    My main speakers will never have amps, horrendous resale value due to reliability issues

    No thanks

    Gotta agree, as much as I love what they can do, longevity doesn't seem to be in the cards for those build in amps. I cut my teeth on Polks powered towers, all developed amp issues...and I haven't heard nice things about more modern ones either from other brands.
    HT SYSTEM-
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    Pioneer elite vhx 21
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    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
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    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

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    Sonos zp90
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    lsi 9's
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,746
    edited November 2019
    I mean.... It's only the worst place you could mount one? Lol

    The most reliable speaker I'm aware of that does powered is the original Bp2000 from definitive. The amp is enclosed in its own 1 inch thick enclosure within the speaker. You see them on the used market at 20 plus years old still claiming $$$

    The newer Def tech stuff went to a hi and lo level split Amp and super high ohm woofers. I've seen them go out but the amps are super cheap and def tech has stock for a while.

    Recently worked on a pair of pm700, the woofer voice coil is literally like 30 gauge wire, 110 ohm... The owner melted the wire like a fuse from over driving it. I managed to resolder it with a splice lol
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,570
    I'll never have powered towers. I have never ever been satisfied with the blend of the powered to the passive parts. The woofers to me have always sounded like powered subs and not the 8,10,12 or 15" passive woofer in the box like a regular speaker
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,507
    edited November 2019
    Salk Exotica 3's uses two servo woofers for each speaker. Each woofer has a 300 watt amp. He used SEAS Exotic T35 tweeter and Exotic W8 midrange (both Alnico magnet) to have a 92dB sensitivity speaker.

    If he used high sensitivity woofers, the speakers would require much larger cabinets and still wouldn't play as deep. The two servo woofers go to 20Hz.

    They sound fantastic, but are pricey at $13K a pair.

    http://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=Exotica+3

    c6m392ewmbqo.png
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,905
    heck, I don't even have the high level passive crossovers inside my loudspeakers.

    I think separate, powered ('sub') woofer boxes is a reasonable approach (FWIW).

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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    VR3 wrote: »
    The most reliable speaker I'm aware of that does powered is the original Bp2000 from definitive. The amp is enclosed in its own 1 inch thick enclosure within the speaker. You see them on the used market at 20 plus years old still claiming $$$

    I remember when my brother bought BP2000's brand new. Within a year, one amp went out. Later the next year the other amp went out. DT replaced them, no questions asked. Similar amp problems when my Dad bought BP3000's new.

    Great CS though! I bought a pair of DT ProTower 400's a few years back off my local CL, knowing one of the amps was bad. After calling DT customer service and telling them I bought the speakers used with a blown amp. They still replaced it for free.

    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    I’m knocking on wood, but I love the powered woofers on my GE Tritons. The gain control really provides flexibility for blending the bass to my liking.
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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  • vcwatkins
    vcwatkins Posts: 1,993
    I bought BP2000's in '95ish for the fam's HT-heavy combo with Rotel gear. The Rotel stuff all died right after the warranty period (except my cassette deck, sigh), but the DefTechs are still going strong and sound surprisingly good in my son's large, bouncy, untreated living room powered by a Denon AVR. I'm using the matching center with 1.2's until I can trade it out with him.

    In the past, I've also used the BP2000's as surrounds/subwoofers in a HT with SDA's. I LOVED that hodge-podge ht rig. Uuuseful!
    b]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
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