Well I have done that! I have tried every combo of passive with ATC amps (which is not so difficult when you are the importer). The active wins every time on the same issues: detail, image, transparency, dynamics. I've even done that demo at a trade show, AXPONA 2 years ago. Its not hard to hear.
BY the way, no apparent improvement in detail, image or transparency adding amps in the passive biamp or triamp method. Some improvements in dynamics due to increased power. But imaging is what I like out of actives and there is nothing I can do to the passives to equal the actives in listening, consumer or pro.
To be fair there are some people who will not be able to hear the difference. It is NOT like two different speakers. The timbre, the balance and the "tone" of the speaker was the same between active and passive. Just the resolution, the quality of the image, the overall speed of the speaker was very different.
I know that from a technical perspective there will be a big difference between the passive and active in the linearity of phase. The actives will look perfect, the passives not perfect. This is a by product of a passive crossover, all that cable, and lack of ability to adjust phase of individual drivers- all those problems go away on a active designs.
Brad
BY the way, no apparent improvement in detail, image or transparency adding amps in the passive biamp or triamp method. Some improvements in dynamics due to increased power. But imaging is what I like out of actives and there is nothing I can do to the passives to equal the actives in listening, consumer or pro.
To be fair there are some people who will not be able to hear the difference. It is NOT like two different speakers. The timbre, the balance and the "tone" of the speaker was the same between active and passive. Just the resolution, the quality of the image, the overall speed of the speaker was very different.
I know that from a technical perspective there will be a big difference between the passive and active in the linearity of phase. The actives will look perfect, the passives not perfect. This is a by product of a passive crossover, all that cable, and lack of ability to adjust phase of individual drivers- all those problems go away on a active designs.
Brad