5 ms·

Quality of active speakers are really good these days, they have matched amps and speakers from neumann, genelec etc also has active crossover which is superior

Quality of active speakers are really good these days, they have matched amps and speakers from neumann, genelec etc also has active crossover which is superior than any passive setup. Mature market sure, but even companies like KEF who didn't offered or focussed much on active systems, have growing range of options now.

2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
Nobody is arguing their quality is bad, but that amps die long before speakers die. Do passive speakers even die? Also, online services built into these will die before the speakers do.
- atoav 2y ago
  Sure from a longevity perspective, you are 100% correct and for HIfi/Home use I'd recommend the same. I am not sure however if your estimation is correct for all cases. The amount of killed tweeters I have seen would not have happened with an active speaker..
  - otteromkram 2y ago
    > I am not sure however if your estimation is correct for all cases. Apologies. Next time they'll do a 10-year study on the subject before daring to comment on a public forum, ensuring that each and every angle is covered so that le smart folks like yourself will be able to sleep at night.
    - atoav 2y ago
      No need to be bitter. I don't even know you, so I mainly said my experience is different. Now maybe that is because I am an electronics guy and people come to me with their broken stuff and I see what actually breaks, but isn't the point of a public forum to say something and be occasionally wrong? Should I rather have stayed silent? I don't know about you, but if some knowledgeable person corrects me, I am grateful for getting a check on my perspectives. This is the value of discussion.
  - cobbaut 2y ago
    >The amount of killed tweeters I have seen would not have happened with an active speaker. My 1978 (no brand) speakers are still in excellent condition, so are the 1991 Bose. Hifiberry works fine. ymmv
    - atoav 2y ago
      Yeah, my mileage is running a media technology rental in one of the biggest art universities of Europe. And as a known electronics guy people bring their broken stuff to me for at least the last decade. If you handle stuff correctly it will survive. But the point about reliability is to also take into account how stuff survives when it is abused.
- recursive 2y ago
  They can. I've seen low quality drivers physically break. Presumably with brittleness from age.
- globular-toast 2y ago
  Passive speakers can often be repaired anyway. My oldest pair is from 1972. It's had new tweeters and I've refoamed the woofers.
- BoingBoomTschak 2y ago
  You can see >30 year old Genelec 1031A all around the world in perfect working order. Their die cast aluminium models using the whole box as heatsink should be able to last even longer, theoretically. I'd say active (especially digital active) is too much of an improvement to pass up, but if you only want to talk about waste and reliability, try to find about support and spare parts company policy. Some prestigious passive brands like Revel have some forum horror stories about lack of spare parts for 10 year old models that barely got discontinued while Genelec says https://www.genelec.com/product-warranty-lifetime https://www.genelec.com/product-warranty-lifetime Also, as someone mentioned, advanced (thermal based) limiters saving tweeter voice coils. Disclaimer: I am a fanboy owning a pair of 8341A.
- anjel 2y ago
  Foam rot is still a slow but sure process for speaker cones

2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago

Nobody is arguing their quality is bad, but that amps die long before speakers die. Do passive speakers even die? Also, online services built into these will die before the speakers do.

atoav 2y ago
Sure from a longevity perspective, you are 100% correct and for HIfi/Home use I'd recommend the same. I am not sure however if your estimation is correct for all cases. The amount of killed tweeters I have seen would not have happened with an active speaker..
- otteromkram 2y ago
  > I am not sure however if your estimation is correct for all cases. Apologies. Next time they'll do a 10-year study on the subject before daring to comment on a public forum, ensuring that each and every angle is covered so that le smart folks like yourself will be able to sleep at night.
  - atoav 2y ago
    No need to be bitter. I don't even know you, so I mainly said my experience is different. Now maybe that is because I am an electronics guy and people come to me with their broken stuff and I see what actually breaks, but isn't the point of a public forum to say something and be occasionally wrong? Should I rather have stayed silent? I don't know about you, but if some knowledgeable person corrects me, I am grateful for getting a check on my perspectives. This is the value of discussion.
- cobbaut 2y ago
  >The amount of killed tweeters I have seen would not have happened with an active speaker. My 1978 (no brand) speakers are still in excellent condition, so are the 1991 Bose. Hifiberry works fine. ymmv
  - atoav 2y ago
    Yeah, my mileage is running a media technology rental in one of the biggest art universities of Europe. And as a known electronics guy people bring their broken stuff to me for at least the last decade. If you handle stuff correctly it will survive. But the point about reliability is to also take into account how stuff survives when it is abused.
recursive 2y ago
They can. I've seen low quality drivers physically break. Presumably with brittleness from age.
globular-toast 2y ago
Passive speakers can often be repaired anyway. My oldest pair is from 1972. It's had new tweeters and I've refoamed the woofers.
BoingBoomTschak 2y ago
You can see >30 year old Genelec 1031A all around the world in perfect working order. Their die cast aluminium models using the whole box as heatsink should be able to last even longer, theoretically. I'd say active (especially digital active) is too much of an improvement to pass up, but if you only want to talk about waste and reliability, try to find about support and spare parts company policy. Some prestigious passive brands like Revel have some forum horror stories about lack of spare parts for 10 year old models that barely got discontinued while Genelec says https://www.genelec.com/product-warranty-lifetime https://www.genelec.com/product-warranty-lifetime Also, as someone mentioned, advanced (thermal based) limiters saving tweeter voice coils. Disclaimer: I am a fanboy owning a pair of 8341A.
anjel 2y ago
Foam rot is still a slow but sure process for speaker cones