active monitors and balanced processor


has anyone had success building a home theatre setup with balanced ht processor like sunfire, connected to active pro audio monitors like mackie? eliminates need for multi channel power amps. (i plan on using balanced interconnects as commonly used in pro audio.) if so, where there any drawbacks other than the obvious power requirements for the active monitors? (i don't anticipate problems with hum/noise due to common mode rejection w/ the balanced approach.) i have heard the mackie hrs series monitors at my local pro audio store and they sound fantastic. the only other drawback i can anticipate is the fact that they are "nearfield" monitors, altho' mackie recommends usage for ht. appreciate any thoughts, especially from installers. t.i.a.
ericjcabrera

Showing 2 responses by ericjcabrera

wow!, excellent responses; appreciated. i'm convinced that going active for ht is the way to go; maybe not necessarily for music 2 channel listening. it has only been since i've been recording for my son's band with a mac and cubase, that i got the idea of going with active monitors.

it would seem that even the big theatre house would benefit a great deal with such a setup. after all, running speaker cables for hundreds of feet, i imagine would most certainly degrade quality. of course, some may already use the active approach. (in my search, i found some commercial active monitors - way too big and ugly for a home theatre)

i still have a "traditional" stereo setup that i will in all likelihood keep intact for my main music listening. running an active design approach alongside will be a neat comparison, although i'm not sure it will be a fair one -(see my virtual system).

any others in addition to mackie, yamaha, dynaudio or jbl that i should include on my shortlist? also, what about ht processors with balanced outputs? i know sunfire makes one and perhaps b&k, but any others to consider?

t.i.a. -e
yeah, i think she might feel that way too. i think i might have gone mad myself. mike's system appears to be in a custom "room" - it looks like acoustic treatments of some sort. if i go that route, i might do so in our garage/recording studio. in fact, that may actually be a better solution; keep the audiophile 2 channel sytem intact/untouched in the main living rom, and move the ht components (projector and screen) to the garage/studio. i will look into those other recommended brands. thnx.