@kofibaffour - Can you give me an example of a brand or specific active speaker you think is a good value? How do you do the math?
Are active speakers worth it now?
I've been paying attention to recent reviews and product announcements for active speakers. Mind you, I'm a convert, I think active speakers are the right answer for many, but I'm a conditional fanboy. For me it's conditional on the overall value.
In the residential high-end ATC has long been a darling of audiophiles, and of course many studio monitors are active. Recent reviews for the Grimm, Focal and Dynaudio active in Stereophile make me hopeful this trend will continue, but at what cost?
That question is literal. Admittedly these speakers have amps built in so that is one less component and cables to buy, but ahem, those prices leave me unimpressed. I'm just one minor voice though, so I ask you, A'goners, if you've been thinking of going fully active like me and what do you think of the price/performance of the marketplace, both in the pro arena and residential high-end? Do these prices say "bargain" to you or "simplicity for a price?"
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It depends. There are advantages and disadvantages. Reliability would be more of a concern....active crossovers can have some sonic advantages, but they tend to be less reliable than a passive crossover. Even amp reliability would be more of a concern, simply because it requires a proprietary fix or replacement vs just tossing in another amp in a system that has free standing gear.. |
@knotscott - The proprietary nature is a real issue even when the replacement IS available. Some makers don’t offer fixes as much as amplifier replacements which can be pretty expensive. What happens to your $70k Focal speakers when an amp goes bad? In this sense, having them separate is a real help. |
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