Is this a crazy idea.

Why would an active speaker be any better then a passive with an ideal amp? I only see a difference in the fact that the amps are in the cabinet with active, and not with passive. If you had same drivers and same amps as active design but routed via interconnects what exactly would be different?
I know ATC speakers and the like are quality products and have a strong fan base but I see them as somewhat of a weakness, when they age and amp technology improoves wouldnt it be ideal to be able to change amplification without buying a whole new (and expensive active speaker)?

"Mjcmt":

WOW!!!!! That sounds like a GREAT novel idea. I never would've thought about building a home theater system this way. About how far back you're thinking about going??? 1970's possibly??? If so, if you can, I would try to hunt down a vintage Marantz or Sansui Quadraphonic Receiver if at all possible. I used to love those things back in the 1970's. A neighbor of mine on the street behind of where my childhood home was had one (and from my comfirmation, it was a Sansui, but I forgot the Model #) of those, he used to put one speaker outside on his front porch and turned that sucker up all the damn time. The bass from that thing was so powerful, I used to hear the windows rattle all the time when put on some music.

And if that doesn't work out for you, then I might be taking hold of a Yamaha DSP-780A pretty soon. And if I am not mistaking, this is a mid-late 1990's vintage unit. Maybe not as vintage as a 1970's vintage Sansui, but vintage enough. The DSP-780A retailed for about $1,000.00 back in the mid 1990's, but I am sure that it will go for a fraction of that amount today.

Good luck, and let me know how your experiment turns out. Okay????

--Charles--

Mjcmt, Let me save you here, People seem to be missing the real issue, the OPPO players Digital processor built in does not have the capability to mix the Center Voice on a DVD disc to the front Left and right, Yes an old 4 channel receiver as long as it has the 4 separate mono channel inputs could in fact allow you to get away with hearing the front L & R , rear L & R just fine, however you will have no Dialog, because you will need a fifth channel in this case to output the Center channel jack of the oppo to another amp and fifth speaker..

Only way around this is to use what is mentioned above, A newer Pro logic type receiver from about probably 1992 and up that has the capability to take a connection from the digital outs either Toslink or Coax from the oppo player and decode the 5.1 signal of a DVD down to "Phantom mode" which yes then eliminates the Center speaker all together and runs voice thru the L & R while still retaining the Rear Speaker surround effect channels.

I mean unless you use both the L & R channels on the OPPO and simply set the processor inside the Oppo for Stereo out Mix not 5.1 Mix you can get 4 Stereo channels, but of course this will not be true surround sound or Have the Bullets speeding between the Two rear speakers it will just be all information sent to all 4 channels. So in a nutshell no you can't use old Quadrophonic receivers just for the amps and get true surround sound without a processor capable of running a 4 Channel phantom mode, and I doubt any DVD players have ever been built with this function in it.

I have tested it out on my Oppo 981 and it does indeed down mix the center channel to the front l/r when down mix 5.1 is selected and center is set to off (you can set the sub to off also). You should be good to go. Unless I'm still missing something?

"Is Flamb suggesting that only active speakers are ideal for HT?............if so your crazy."

Yeah, no, I'm informed, and plenty experienced! (about 23 solid years around and/or in high end audio/video. But thanks. Infact, just run your statements and comments on active vs passive through any high end custom speaker designer, and see if he's crazy too! Let me know, I've spend time at at least 4 speaker designers plants or homes, and it's just all achedemic here.

Chadnliz, there's a HUGE difference between active and passive speakers, that goes beyond just having some amps in a cabinet (although it doesn't have to be that way to be "active"), vs your favorite, choice amp driving passives!!!! Yeah, HUGE DIFFERENCE! The difference in large is that the active speaker has the amplifier dirrectly coupled to the drivers (woofers/tweeters), for SUPERIOR CONTROL, DAMPING, AND RESPONSE FROM THE DRIVERS!...that's what!!!
A Passive system uses (unless it's using no crossover design, or minimal, like Druids, Old Sonus Faber, Triangle, similar) passive, "current limiting" resisters, coils, caps, whatever, which restict current flow, and thus the actual control the amp has on any given driver.