# Passive V Active Speakers



## Danny (May 3, 2006)

Hi All

Happy New year. 

Passive Vs Active speaker cabinets which do you prefer to use. They both have positives and negatives. I personally think that Active cabs are easier to setup and save space as you don't need a separate amps rack however they need access to mains power close to the cab.


----------



## drf (Oct 22, 2006)

I personaly prefer un-powered cabs. I find it easier to taylor the system to the environment, that and when a fuse/amp blows your are able to get to it without causing a seen near the stage.


----------



## Guest (Jan 7, 2007)

I'm an active fan myself. Just for convenience. Less time, less to lug about.


----------



## Guest (Jan 7, 2007)

Powered cabs are nice and easy to work with generally at small shows. 
To be honest, I haven't heard a 'powered' cab that I would like to use in a show.  
Most cabinets I have had the pleasure (or not) to use have a harsh sound to them.
Maybe it's the amp, or the speakers they chose, or even the cab design itself.
At times these self-powered speakers would feel like they reached the end of their
power band and could not produce another db of sound!

....for serious concert levels I like the freedom of setting up passive cabinets and having my choice of amps, x-overs, etc. 

Configuration is the key! :T


----------



## Wayne A. Pflughaupt (Apr 13, 2006)

Haven’t heard many except the JBL Eons and Mackies. Don’t really care for the Eons; don’t recall how the Mackies sound. I’ve played my bass through the upgraded Eons (the black ones), and it sounds really good – impressive extension for a “main” speaker. Have yet to hear them in a regular PA, though...

I remember going to a big conference in Puerto Rico with my wife several years ago. It was at a big hotel and there was a serious system in the main room. I remember going up to check out one of the clusters at one point and – hey, what’s with the LED’s glowing up there? Wow, they were using active speakers! First time I’d ever seen them used in a full-blown concert-sized rig. Would have thought it would be impractical flying them, what with the added weight and all...

Generally I prefer non-powered if I’m the one doing the gig. I find it easier to deal with a single speaker cable than a signal and power cable.

Regards,
Wayne


----------



## Mike Cason (Mar 17, 2007)

I built my passive sub using remote amps and like the flexibility too. I don't like the onboard amps I find in the brick and mortar stores because they sound boxey and appear to have a lot of bass boost just to make them sound louder. Most have so much resonance to them that it sounds like a rubber mallat hitting the sides when they hit hard. The best high end active sub I've heard was the Legacy Point One I used to own. It too, even though was very good, sounded punchy with boost. Maybe it's just me.


----------



## htnut12 (Mar 5, 2007)

My mains will be powered by three stereo amps with each of the three sections being crossed over and balanced using a Behringer 3400. Woofers with pro amp and mids and tweets with four channels of an Adcom 5 channel amp.


----------

