Have you ever heard people mentioning active and passive loudspeakers being defined by their internal crossover being respectively active or passive, rather than the existence of an amplifier within the loudspeaker? I have already heard audio engineers say that it's a common misconception to define active and passive loudspeakers by the existence of amplifiers rather than their type of crossover. What do you think about this concept?
Good question! Yes I've heard about that, and I feel that it is important to distinguish between the crossover and rest of the speaker system. For example: some lower-powered active speakers use passive crossovers - there is only a single amplifier module in the speaker cabinet, the output being split between the low and high drivers by a passive crossover. Likewise, some high-powered passive speakers can use an external active crossover, the output of which feeds two separate amplifier channels, one for the highs and one for the lows. These amplifiers are located external to the speaker cabinet, but the crossover itself is active. At the end of the day, it's more important to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of "amplifier inside speaker cabinet vs. separate external amplifier" rather than getting caught up in the semantics of the terms active and passive. Good sound can be achieved from both designs.
The crossover type of a cabinet also dictates if its bi-amped (external crossover) or passive (internal crossover) both have their integration features to balance with the space being used.
we've started to properly detail item when making specifications in projects. Passive-X self-powered spk Active-X self-powered spk Passive-X unpowered spk (bi-amp/tri-amp capability is mention) Active-X unpowered spk setup (if internal x-over is present, bypass-ability is mention)
best audio engineering Teacher ever... with all my respect.. ive also downloaded many of your tutorial videos.. thank you soooooo much for your Informations and valuable lessons... Sir.. 🤗
@@GLBProductions Well, thank you!)) Just a quick a question, if I may: I am building a digital composer’s home studio now, and as I understood from your explanations, active monitors would perhaps be the best bet for my case? Or, perhaps not?... What would you recommend? Thanks again!
Yes - I generally recommend active for studio monitors because they tend to stay in one location where A/C power is readily available because it is also needed for computers, mixers, outboard gear etc. Using active monitors also means eliminating an external power amplifier which can be the source of fan noise.
I own a small sound company. My inventory is mostly passive. There are a few reasons why I use passive speakers. 1 - I do a lot of jobs where I have to distribute speakers over great distances. It is not always ideal or possible to run a bunch of power cabling and signal cabling all over an event space. I use a lot of speaker distribution cabling that I make myself. Things such as a 8 conductor cable that fans out to 4 NL4 connectors. This allows me to run one cable, and hit 4 speakers, that I can then chain to 4 more speakers. So that one cable will ultimately run 8 speakers. 2 - Powered speaker manufacturers tend to discontinue models fairly regularly. So after a couple years, it can become difficult to buy more of the same model, or get replacement parts. I use stuff that I have been able to get parts for, for 20 years or more sometimes. I have learned to repair the passive crossovers that are in my cabinets. So if they go bad, I can fix them very cheaply. I have a stock of spare parts for those, that will last me the rest of my career (and those parts are not expensive at all). I have also learned to recone speakers, and repair compression drivers. So of the three things that go wrong, I am able to fix them. The majority of powered speakers do not offer recone kits for their drivers, so you are forced to replace the whole speaker 🔊... if you can even get one. 3 - I use the same type of amplifier across the whole range of my inventory (QSC PLX II 3602s). I have never had one fail in over 20 years of using the PLX line. And I dont have to think about which amps go where...its all the same. My gear makes money, and has for years. And it will continue to make money until I decide to retire someday. I dont get caught in the trap of buying the latest greatest thing, every time something new comes out. My clients appreciate that they get the same thing at every gig. And I have had some clients for well over 20 years. They dont like change for the most part. I do stay current with things like mixers and wireless microphones though. I do keep a few powered speakers around. I use them mostly as backstage hot spots for corporate events, DJ monitors, and as a shout speaker for a band talkback to the engineer. I have a couple friends who also own small sound companies, and they use powered speakers exclusively. The services they are able to offer are very limited because of that.
Good video. There are ac&xlr cables on the market for active speakers that are combined. So you have just one cable that split at the end. Makes it a little more clean on stage. that being said, passive still has its adventages on stage like you said. I like your videos, you know what you talking about, great work
The binding posts are nowerdays found on home audio speakers so if you see them on domestic speakers or Hi-Fi it’s a passive speaker. It might be active but only if it has other inputs like RCA. The speaker terminals on active Hi-Fi speakers are to add a slave speaker for right or left audio.
The main advantage of active over passive is that you dont have a SPF, single point of failure. If your amp goes down, end of night, if an active speaker goes down you can limp through to the end of the night on one. No brainer.
Yes, which is why professional audio rental companies will typically carry spare amplifiers to the gig! Mind you, if I lost one entire side of my PA system I wouldn't want to try and get through the rest of the event with just the remaining half... I'd have a lot of angry people in short order...
Here is my experience with several working club bands. Active loud speakers have their own amplifier, so while you don't have to carry around a rack of power amps, they are heavy as hell and hard to mount on poles. Additionally, you have to run power cords to each of them, meaning you have high voltage wires running all around the stage. Also, I have seen the person running the sound forget to turn them on, making the audience scream at the singer "We can't hear you" until they figure it out. While it may save you a couple bucks up front, I would pass on them unless it is a permanent installation.
Thanks for the comment! The amp modules that are used in modern active loudspeakers typically weigh 2-4 pounds so are relatively lightweight. In some cases the active speaker is actually LIGHTER than the passive equivalent because the manufacturer uses different drivers. With regards to having high voltage wires running around the stage - remember that you already have AC drops for your backline and instruments, so this is more a case of managing your cable runs carefully. Finally, if the sound engineer forgets to turn them on... well, maybe they should keep the day job 😂
I had an entire sound system in my 2001 Chevy cavalier 5 sp coupe, plus my instruments and tools. Two main 15’s. One 18” sub, lights, road cases, two keyboards AND heavy duty stand. Where there’s a will there’s a way, and I didn’t have to sacrifice comfort for all of it.
I have been into semi-professional audio for a while, and i hate active speakers for a few reasons 1, if a problem occurs with the internal amplifier, it means stripping almost the entire speaker down to get to it, to rectify the problem, thats if its not the fuse on the back, rather than just grabbing another amplifier and plugging it in and off you go 2, You find the active speakers are usually a lot heavier than passive speakers, so if your moving them around a hell of a lot, they get really tiring really quickly 3, usually, the volume inside the speaker cabinet doesn't compensate for the volume taken up by the amplifier, so the bass isnt usually as deep 4, some kid often messes about with the volume controls on your active speakers while your not looking, and either blasts the audience with a higher than recommend volume, or turns it down so nobody can hear it Im just old school, i love my massive plywood passive speakers and amp racks, thats just the way i am i suppose, cant stand the plastic speakers, to me there really cringe and chintzy
Other advantage of passive speakers: you blow an amp or need to service it, you change it or swap it (it's quick and easy); you blow a speaker, you do the same with the speaker (they're much lighter to handle). The technology of amps improves, you change the amp. And, heat dispersion for the amp units is better in a passive system. I've not read other comments, and thus mine may have already been covered by other viewers.
Thanks for the contribution 😄 There are definitely advantages to separating the amplifier and loudspeaker components of the system, just as there are advantages to combining them. I'm not so sure about the heat dispersion, because most high powered active loudspeakers feature forced air cooling, the same as power amplifiers. Being up in the air also tends to help with airflow as opposed to being under a stage etc.
Sometimes your speakers need to be in direct sunlight on a hot day. It's easier to keep an amp rack in the shade versus trying to get shade on every speaker.
Can you do a video or a post/comment on how to know where to place speakers/subwoofer in a church/event hall, how to know how many watts you need, and how many speakers/subs needed. That would be greatly appreciated...
This is a very difficult question to answer precisely because there are so many variables. However I have been planning to do a video on it for a while. Thanks for the comment!
GLB Productions awesome... It'll be really cool after you make that video if you could explain how to get good sound in a studio... My box room is my studio and I have a 12" subwoofer, but the bass doesn't feel like it has a kick... It sounds really good, but you don't feel that thump resonating in your chest like at a gig... I want to get a similar experience... Even in my car which doesn't have a subwoofer I get that thump...
Some music stores that I'm talking with that deal in live sound (not Guitar Center or other national chains) are no longer selling passive equipment. They may have a few used pieces of equipment sitting around but they won't take anything like that on trade. There's no reason for anyone who's got good passive stuff that's working well to ditch it, but at the same time, anyone looking NOW to make an investment should go with active equipment -- at least in terms of starting fresh. If you've got a bunch of other equipment (amps, cables, etc.), that's one thing. But if you're going from scratch, even if buying used, its almost a no brainer now.
This will be very dependent on your country, region and locality but if you expect to trade in equipment that you are buying today in a few years' time as part of a system upgrade then it definitely makes sense to see what retailers will accept. In my part of the world there is no such thing as trade in for pro audio - used equipment is typically sold on the second hand market to offset some of the cost of new gear.
im actually in the market of passive line array, all my speakers are active and i love them, but every time i listen to a passive equipment they just sound in a different league to me, i dont know why, my gear is yamaha nexo, qsc k series and yorkville, and im pleased with them, but im not sure if i want to deal with 20 or 25 built in amplifiers on a super expensive brand knowing that the initial investment is huge, and not sure how much of a spare parts are in the market atm
I think Active Speakers have an advantage when the mixer console has to be behind the audience (remotely located) and a “snake” is used. You don’t have to use “monster speaker cable” to connect the speakers to the amplifier adding additional cable routing mess to the venue. Of course you can use a power amp on stage near the speakers but again the mess gets transferred to the stage area. You only have to use the signal line from the mixer to the stage which is usually in the “snake” when using Active Speakers.
Having purchased a powered Sub and 10" powered Speakers what didnt make sense is that they only provide a 6ft power /IEC cable but when you set them up it was real quick that we needed a power cable as long as the XLR cables running to the speakers since the power strip was not near the speakers minimum 25 ft considering the DJ set up. So my reco is that Powered Speakers come with min 25ft cables.
Remember that passive speakers do not come with speaker cabling 😉 The power cable that the company provides is enough to get you started - if you use these speakers professionally it's a very good idea to invest in custom made IEC cables which are long enough for the venues you commonly play in. Alternatively, use an extension cable to reach the base of the speaker stand, and then use the supplied IEC cable from there.
This is not really possible in a general sense, because the sound quality of a loudspeaker is the sum of many, many parts and it's difficult to make an apples to apples comparison. Having said that, there are some manufacturers which offer active and passive versions of the same loudspeaker eg Mackie with the SRM450 vs the C300. In this case, the active version typically goes louder and arguably sounds better because it can be biamplified with specific & separate processing for the woofer and compression driver. However there are those that would argue that the passive version sounds better for various reasons and so the argument goes on 😄
I would watch these kind of videos all day long,great work as always Bruno! If i was you I would suggest to not use any ribbon or condenser mic (only dynamic ones) directly into the active loudspeaker,the first because it's too delicate for live sound,the second because I haven't seen one with a phantom power switch :P Ps your prononunce of 'incognito' made me laugh,since it's an italian word :)
Thanks Cris! I suspect that watching my videos all day would give you a headache though... And yes my apologies for Anglicising your beautiful language - my understanding is that the 'g' in 'incognito' is silent in Italian ;)
GLB Productions Your vids are explained so well that it is impossible to have a headache :) Yes,but it's more like the 'g' and 'n' are put together one after another....and the accent falls on the first 'o' of the word...and there you have the correct Italian pronounce :P
I have two questions that don't really relate to this video... #1: What is a horn-loaded speaker system and what is the benefit (compared to point-source, line array)? #2: What kind of loudspeaker system do you use at your church? Any advice appreciated, Blake.
Yes you can, but it is typically not economical to do so because it would involve buying a new passive crossover (which may not even be available for that particular loudspeaker) and then re-wiring the inside of the speaker cabinet to accept it. It is better to buy the correct type of loudspeaker from the outset.
I'am learning more about speakers, I currently work at a church and we are replacing all of our equipment, we currently have unpowered speakers, a friend of ours recommended the Bose F1 model. What type of speakers would you recommend for a church with basic band instruments? Church for about 300-500 members.
In situations like this I always advise churches to hire an independent audio consultant who will make a site visit and analyse the church's needs and requirements, as well as the specific acoustics of their space. Only then can a valid recommendation be made. There are too many variables otherwise.
In my home studio, I like passive speakers because I have a rack workstation where I stand with guitar on, mic in front of me, to sing and play. The mixer and power amp is within arms reach. If I had to dismount the guitar, and go adjust knobs on the back of passive speakers which I don't have easy access to. Wouldn't work for me in this fixed permanent installation home application.
Definitely a good choice in your situation. Many active speakers intended for studio use have the level controls on the front, but that wouldn't solve the issue of being able to physically reach the speakers.
Is it possible to connect 2 tops and 1 sub to a stereo amp? I mean 2 tops to one channel (What would happen to the ohms? 🤔) And the single subwoofer to the other channel? Would the work? Would that be a safe way to run a 2.1 passive system?
Yes you can do that - in fact many modern DSP amps have a built in preset that configures them to run a sub off channel 1 and a fullrange speaker off channel 2, with the appropriate crossover in between. The only issue is that a system like this cannot be run in stereo using a single 2-channel amplifier, as what would normally be your left and right has become your sub and top.
There are very few modern speakers, active or passive, that sound bad. These days the choice is pretty much down to what features best suit your needs. All the best with your music!
Great video. I do have a question. Do you have any idea why the C300 speaker is heavier than the SRM450? Since they are supposed to be similar, or at least made with the same drivers, I wonder what makes the passive model so much heavier.
That's a good question! The only way to tell for sure would be to disassemble the two speakers side by side and see where the weight difference is. One possibility is that the C300 crossover is unusually massive or has some form of attached heatsink which greatly adds to the weight - quite unlikely in my opinion. The other, more likely possibility is that they are using a different LF driver in the SRM450 - I suspect Mackie puts more R&D into their active speakers than into their passive ones and they may have upgraded the woofer to a lighter weight model whilst keeping the one in the C300 the same as the previous generation.
Could you please do a video about subwoofer placement? I've read an online article which states that placing subwoofers next to each other either in the centre or off centre stage ensure even bass coverage as opposed to usual set up where subwoofers are set apart which create uneven bass coverage. If this claim is true, why people still prefer the latter?
Sir, I’m King Mark, thank you so much for the this piece of knowledge.. I’ve a question, please i wish to know if two speakers of 3200w each run on a 3000w amplifier, thank you..
It depends on the combined impedance of the loudspeakers and the amplifier's power output into that impedance. I have a video that goes into this subject in detail: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-l9L7uK7Xy0w.html
Hello brother, I like to ask you a suggestion for new speakers for the church. Currently we have 18 years old passive Yamaha speakers. What u think about Yamaha DBR 15. I heard Yamaha is know for mids and highs. I listen to EV zlx it’s sound clear but I couldn’t listen Yamaha DBR. We are on budget. Thinking about getting 2 15 inch speaker and a 10 inch stage monitor. Capacity is about 150 people at the church.. i like the Yamaha warranty. EV speakers have too many things in it. Thanks much please advise.
Hi Thomas, I don't recommend active speakers for installation - passive speakers are lighter and allow easier control and servicing of the amplifiers. This is very important if the speakers are installed out of reach, which they usually are.
@@GLBProductions Hello brother thanks for the kind replay so our church we putting speakers on the stand not on the wall. I thought active speakers are better. We already have an external Amplifier. Please advise.
Active speakers are not better or worse, it depends on your use case 😄 Both Yamaha and EV make good products - at the end of the day choose the brand that provides better service and after sales support in your region. A good pro audio retailer will work with you to recommend a model that is suitable. All the best!
Also in my understanding passive speakers will outlast compare to powered one. .. what u think about the Line array speakers compare to typical box style.
Hi ma question is based on power What roles does power/electricity play on line arrays for eg using one power source other than using different power sources As the a different in the quality of sounds?
Stable electrical power is extremely important for sound systems, especially ones that use digital mixers and amplifiers equipped with digital signal processing. If the voltage is unstable you can get serious noise issues, or in some cases the equipment will simply not turn on. The quality of the power generally does not affect the tone of the sound (as in bass, middle treble) but it does affect it in other very important ways.
There are some people out there who take issue with my definition of active and passive - for them whether a speaker is active or passive depends on the nature of its crossover rather than where the amplifier is located. Hence the thumbs down...
Thanks for the reply. you're the best sound system tutorial content i'd ever encountered in youtube. Ps. Do you have sound processor topic that has been uploaded already on youtube? if you do please send link. I wanna learn about maximizer and exciter in particular. What are their differences? Do they have the same function? How does this two work to obtain a better sound quality output and also what's the proper sequence or which comes first in setting up sound processors? From the mixer down to the processors. Like is it the crossover first; then the equalizer; then maximizer; then exciter? or the other way around? or in no particular order will do as long as they are properly connected with each other. Thank you much.@@GLBProductions
As always, great thorough explanation in your videos. One thing though I'm still not clear about: is it possible to connect a guitar or bass in an active speaker with mic/line inputs? I know guitars or basses are at instrument level, but what happens if you plug them in the xlr/jack combo? Is it only about gain or even the quality of sound will be affected?
Thanks for watching LC. The answer to your question is it depends on several things: whether the guitar/bass is active or passive, what its specific output level is, what the input impedance of the active speaker is and/or whether it has a so-called Hi-Z or high impedance switch. In general, passive guitars/basses cannot be connected directly to active speakers UNLESS they have a Hi-Z mode. Active guitars/basses are usually ok, but there may not be enough gain available, depending on the output level of the instrument.
How do you add 2 or more speakers on a Passive Speaker ? Not like on Active Speaker you can daisy chain 2 or more speakers by connecting it to an XLR cable ( Male / Female )
With the appropriate power amplifier you can actually daisy chain up to four 8-ohm passive speakers off each amp channel - you just need to ensure that your speakers and amplifier are matched correctly.
Question please. I have one active monitor speakers and I have a monitor passive speakers. Can I connect the output line of my active to my passive monitor and will work
Sorry, so I have a set of equipment consisting of : A Yamaha P5000 S A mixer BM/6S 1 pair of Speakersrx715 My question is what are the settings to be made to have a very excellent sound. Thanks for your reply Rgds My email: ahkeejacques@gmail.com from Mauritius
I will buy two boombox speakers as they are without deck. What do I need to do to make them sound using MP3 player? The speakers will need 110V power hook up I assume.
Great video! However I don't get the Bi/Tri amplified part. What doesit mean when we say Bi/Tri amplified, advantages and disadvantages and when do we use Bi/Tri amplified speakers. Can you please enlighten me? Or do you have a video that tackles those topics? Blessings!
Biamplified means that a separate amplifier is used for each loudspeaker driver - one for the woofer and one for the tweeter. Triamplified adds a midrange driver and a third amplifier channel. This topic can be confusing - I have a video coming up that will discuss it.
Do you have an intructional video about connecting 2 active 12" speakers to 1 active Subwoofer. Questions; can this be possible & how? Do I connect both XLR outputs from my mixer to the subwoofer then outputs of my sub to inputs of my speakers? What subwoofer power would you recommend? I love 12s Behringers but like to hear your advice. Thanks in advance
Hello Richard! ATC make excellent products, but whether they will work for you depends on the space that you will be using them in and what your personal requirements are. I personally love the way that studio monitors sound, but many people find them a bit clinical/sterile sounding for hifi use.
@@GLBProductions Thanks, when you say that many people find them a bit clinical/sterile sounding for hifi use, what do you specifically mean? Will passive speakers be more suitable for hi/fi use in my home? Thanks.
It depends on who you speak to: for live sound engineers they are usually the same thing. For studio engineers they will sometimes only call a speaker active if it has an active crossover.
Glb please can you explain me about bi amp .. I have a passive subwoofer jbl stx818 but it have to input.. passive and bi amp... when i should use the bi amp input???
Hello, What is your opinion on Harbeth's M40.2 40th anniversary speakers? How would you compare to ATC SCM50 and SCM 100 both passive and active speakers? I Would like to buy a pair of speakers that will be good for home use and be my last and final speaker that I will use.
I prefer active but there are not many active speakers available from hifi manufacturers, so I typically will use active studio monitors instead. Passive is just fine though, and often better value for money.
I recently purchased (for room size LWH 124*12*10 ft) sony-str-dn1070 7.2 AV Reciver produces 165W per channel - need to add 2 subs and surround speakers 1)already have 150W active Sub Pioneer S-31 W. Reciver produces 165W sub is 150W does it affect this Sub? 2)Can I hook 1 or 2 passive subwoofer(car sub JBL Stage 1010) directly to my receiver? 3)have surround speakers Pioneer - Max 100W can I use it? 4)suggest some some surround speakers, I don't like big/tower speakers I like compact speakers. I dont want loud sound, need deep bass and crystal clear audio. Mostly watching movies & Music
