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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?" 

erik_squires
theophile's avatar
theophile
410 posts
 

I get a chuckle out of people who object to the inability to change the inbuilt amp and then proceed to tell us of their multi-amp journey. Not that the multiplicity of amps failed. Just that it reads like an attempt to get around the deficiencies of passive crossovers by changing amps(and I will guess without information: Speakers as well).

If the declaration that passive is the way is bundled with a revolving door of amps(and possibly speakers as well), I just see the folly of passive speakers being celebrated. 

mapman's avatar
mapman
23,616 posts
 

Quality of integration of components including amp and speakers will largely determine the quality of end results.  If one is not sure, one can “take a chance” and experiment or just leave it to the SMEs ie  product’s engineers to do it right. 

celtic66
1,945 posts
 

Nothing trumps actual long term experience with any component.  This thread rife with strong opinions without ownership.  And hearing something at a show is as informative to real world delivery as speed dating.

Fervent hope is that everyone finds perfect…. for them.  Pontification sans actual ownership, weak at best.  Just rid myself of a Mercedes.  Not my car.  For others, perhaps perfect.  But the perspective was from actual ownership.  Cheers

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
15,052 posts
 

This is  true  but for this specific  reason: optimization of the 4 working dimensions (electrical,mechanical,acoustical and DSP ) and our learning curve associated with any component and any system/room matter the most...

Ownership alone means not so much  and is not enough. Why?  Because there is many different reviews of the same gear piece, very different  because of   the 4 dimensions associated  with the many different working conditions and parameters...

And i dont even mention the different specific needs and habits of every one of us which introduce  new biases...smiley

Buy and plug means nothing. Reviewers buy and plug, consumers imitate them. We must learn at least basic acoustics and the other working aspects...

 The  well done optimizing process  trumps actual long term passive ownership  with any component.

 

Nothing trumps actual long term experience with any component.

dirkbusche
24 posts
 

Yes, active monitors are worth, not only now...

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