Going active

stereoman

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Hi. Is this really a change when you plug active speakers to your amp's pre outs ? I mean, some active speakers cost around 250 € pro piece up and I am tempted by this idea of internal amp integration. Anyone here who dumped his passive for active ? I need better sound control and extension.
 

davedotco

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stereoman said:
Hi. Is this really a change when you plug active speakers to your amp's pre outs ? I mean, some active speakers cost around 250 € pro piece up and I am tempted by this idea of internal amp integration. Anyone here who dumped his passive for active ? I need better sound control and extension.

Hi-fi does not really embrace active speakers, at least not at affordable prices. At around £1k you can get the AVI DM5, AE 1A and the Dali Kubic and you can get the LS50w and AVI ADM 10 for double that, after that I am stumped. Some nice Dynaudios but they start about £4k, I am not that keen on the XEO models.

Pro monitors on the other hand, positively abound and offer great value, particularly those under £1kpr. You need to audition though, some really are just built to play loud and not blow up, best avoided unless you just want a party system where they are great.

However there are some really decent speakers at not much over £200pr (uk or german pricing), JBL LSR305s for example are much better than you might expect, Presonus Eris 5 are around the same price and Yamaha HS5s only slightly more.

As you spend more, you tend to get a choice, bigger and more powerful or more sophisticated, in the second group I am particularly fond of the Equator D5, around £450 and the entry level Dynaudio LYD5 at around £750. I am actually a user of Adam Actives and regard them very highly indeed, but I am always going on about them (I think the A7x is probably the best value under £1k), so I have tried to suggest some alternatives.

A word of warning, the speakers mentioned will not sound like most hi-fi speakers, these speakers major on clarity, control and presence which some consider analytical and unmusical. You need to try before you buy.
 

stereoman

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davedotco said:
stereoman said:
Hi. Is this really a change when you plug active speakers to your amp's pre outs ? I mean, some active speakers cost around 250 € pro piece up and I am tempted by this idea of internal amp integration. Anyone here who dumped his passive for active ? I need better sound control and extension.

Hi-fi does not really embrace active speakers, at least not at affordable prices. At around £1k you can get the AVI DM5, AE 1A and the Dali Kubic and you can get the LS50w and AVI ADM 10 for double that, after that I am stumped. Some nice Dynaudios but they start about £4k, I am not that keen on the XEO models.

Pro monitors on the other hand, positively abound and offer great value, particularly those under £1kpr. You need to audition though, some really are just built to play loud and not blow up, best avoided unless you just want a party system where they are great.

However there are some really decent speakers at not much over £200pr (uk or german pricing), JBL LSR305s for example are much better than you might expect, Presonus Eris 5 are around the same price and Yamaha HS5s only slightly more.

As you spend more, you tend to get a choice, bigger and more powerful or more sophisticated, in the second group I am particularly fond of the Equator D5, around £450 and the entry level Dynaudio LYD5 at around £750. I am actually a user of Adam Actives and regard them very highly indeed, but I am always going on about them (I think the A7x is probably the best value under £1k), so I have tried to suggest some alternatives.

A word of warning, the speakers mentioned will not sound like most hi-fi speakers, these speakers major on clarity, control and presence which some consider analytical and unmusical. You need to try before you buy.

Sure. Thx Davedotco for the alternatives...will look around.
 

insider9

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My vote would be to get a pair of 3 or 4 way passive speakers you like and convert them to active yourself. A lot of fun and fantastic results can be achieved even with fairly cheap speakers.
 

Gazzip

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insider9 said:
My vote would be to get a pair of 3 or 4 way passive speakers you like and convert them to active yourself. A lot of fun and fantastic results can be achieved even with fairly cheap speakers.

Doesn’t always work out though, so I hear. Some passive speakers just weren’t meant to be activated...
 

insider9

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It really depends on how far you want to push it. If you think about moving crossover point or using different slopes then drive units and speaker design might restrict this.

However you would get the benefits of better phase response with more accurate time alignment of drive units. On top of usual benefits that are associated with actives.
 

Gazzip

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Looking forward very much to receiving my Kef LS50W’s on Friday. I have been a passive hifi speaker man for nearly 30 years so could be interesting...
 

stereoman

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Gazzip said:
Looking forward very much to receiving my Kef LS50W’s on Friday. I have been a passive hifi speaker man for nearly 30 years so could be interesting...

They kick ass apparently. Very good reviews - might be the future of Hi Fi.
 

Pedro2

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Gazzip said:
I have been a passive hifi speaker man for nearly 30 years so could be interesting...

+1 (nearer 40 years!)

Look forward to your thoughts on the change. I will pick up a pair of AE1a in a week or two... could be interesting .....
 

rainsoothe

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davedotco said:
stereoman said:
Hi. Is this really a change when you plug active speakers to your amp's pre outs ? I mean, some active speakers cost around 250 € pro piece up and I am tempted by this idea of internal amp integration. Anyone here who dumped his passive for active ? I need better sound control and extension.

Hi-fi does not really embrace active speakers, at least not at affordable prices. At around £1k you can get the AVI DM5, AE 1A and the Dali Kubic and you can get the LS50w and AVI ADM 10 for double that, after that I am stumped. Some nice Dynaudios but they start about £4k, I am not that keen on the XEO models.

Pro monitors on the other hand, positively abound and offer great value, particularly those under £1kpr. You need to audition though, some really are just built to play loud and not blow up, best avoided unless you just want a party system where they are great.

However there are some really decent speakers at not much over £200pr (uk or german pricing), JBL LSR305s for example are much better than you might expect, Presonus Eris 5 are around the same price and Yamaha HS5s only slightly more.

As you spend more, you tend to get a choice, bigger and more powerful or more sophisticated, in the second group I am particularly fond of the Equator D5, around £450 and the entry level Dynaudio LYD5 at around £750. I am actually a user of Adam Actives and regard them very highly indeed, but I am always going on about them (I think the A7x is probably the best value under £1k), so I have tried to suggest some alternatives.

A word of warning, the speakers mentioned will not sound like most hi-fi speakers, these speakers major on clarity, control and presence which some consider analytical and unmusical. You need to try before you buy.

Heard the Dynaudio LYD 8 a couple of days ago, and I think they sound stunning. Not cheap, but compared to hi-fi speakers + amplification... Now there's a contest!

Small question, mister Dave (sorry OP if this sidetracks too much). I'm upgrading my desktop system (Tascam US 2x2) from Yamaha HS80M (which I sold off). Recently got a pair of Adam A5x, and I'm having some bass boom issues in my small room, and it's weird, beause my HS80m didn't have this issue. Had them for three days, and it seems to have tamed a bit, but I'm still worried. Went back to the store and found that the cheap Yamaha HS7's bass wasn't as forward as on the Adams. Does this get better? (positioning is far from optimal, and I'm waiting for a pair of Isoacoustic stands to arrive, currently the Adams are sitting on the foam in their boxes, on my desk, 15-20 cm away from wall, and one is 40cm away from a corner - there's space between my desk and said corner). Again, I know the position is bad, but the humongous HS80m didn't boom like this, and they're rear ported! :p
 

davedotco

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I have always considered the A5x to be close to the maximum size for desktop use, heaven knows how you managed with the massive HS80. Whenever I have tried them or the larger A7x, they have always been on stands and behaved impeccably.

Given that the A5x boom and the big Yamahas did not, you must be exciting a resonance somewhere, have you tried giving a bit of cut on the low shelf control? Otherwise it is down to placement, trial and error I'm afraid.

One thing to check is that you are not getting reflections from the desktop, bring the A5xs forward towards the front edge of the desk, sit a little further back (just to try) and see what happens. This can be an issue, even my tiny 4 inch Seiwins needed stands and a bit of care with positioning.
 

gasolin

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Have had the HS8 on my little desk, they are big, but boy do they play loud and have alot of bass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b87rjaabrGE

For there size the krk rokit powered 5 g3 have alot of bass

Didn't like any of the adams i have tried f5 (to dark sound,balance of the tweeter is mish matched), a5x (laking a bit midrange,not bassy)

Eve audio's speakers sounds good to me,about the same price as adam, the mid sized speakers are good 5" and up if you like to play loud. The 7" (sc 205) is properly the best compromise 106 db down to 44hz (sc208 considerable louder)

Each 479£, 698£ for the sc 208 they are also much louder

https://www.thomann.de/gb/eve_audio_sc207.htm
 

Pedro

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I have my A5X sitting on thick foam pads in a desk, in a very small study. They're near the rear wall and I'm not getting any boom.
 

davedotco

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gasolin said:
Have had the HS8 on my little desk, they are big, but boy do they play loud and have alot of bass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b87rjaabrGE

For there size the krk rokit powered 5 g3 have alot of bass

Didn't like any of the adams i have tried f5 (to dark sound,balance of the tweeter is mish matched), a5x (laking a bit midrange,not bassy)

Eve audio's speakers sounds good to me,about the same price as adam, the mid sized speakers are good 5" and up if you like to play loud. The 7" (sc 205) is properly the best compromise 106 db down to 44hz (sc208 considerable louder)

Each 479£, 698£ for the sc 208 they are also much louder

https://www.thomann.de/gb/eve_audio_sc207.htm

Geddit? Eve was founded by ex-Adam employees, the product is actually quite similar.

The big Yamahas would make great party speakers at reasonably modest cost, the enclosures can 'sound off' at certain frequencies, something that does not happen with the smaller models, but it is not a big deal. I do not much like the Adam F Series, the cheaper tweeter is not a patch on the one in the A series and I don't think they are that successful. The A5x on the otherhand sell very well, I have had them at home, stand mounted and on my desk, though they are much better on stands.

At this sort of price level there is often a bit of a trade off, some, KRK are a good example, simply build the loudest, bassiest speaker they can for the money, Adam A series (or Eve Audio) are more refined. As always these attributes are best evaluated by listening, particularly so when they are intended for hi-fi use.
 

gasolin

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Krk rookit power 5 g3 are very good as small loud party speakers for rock music or edm, if they can handle alot of loud edm i don't, since edm like tiesto or trentemøller allready have alot of bass https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHpCjbULSOI&index=12&list=RDVk63F964MN8

I have for not so long ago noticed M-Audio have release there BX5/BX8 D3's, very reasonable priced BX5, less than a pair of dali zensor 1's (atleast where i live dali in denmark, bx5 at thomann.de), i would look at them, reasonable priced, loud and if they are noticeabel better than the D2's they are good, the D2's are soft on bass not bloted, the high midrange and top can sound a little enthusiastic.

I think the m-audio D3's won't disapoint compared to the krk rookit powered 5's g3, the krk's are also more expensive than the BX5 d3's
 

davedotco

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There are a fair number of inexpensive 'pro' actives that work very well in the situations you describe, delivering loud, punchy pop, dance, etc, etc and doing so very well. Like all relatively cheap speakers they all have strengths and weaknesses, suiting some material and tastes better than others.

I can see the attraction of some models as 'party' speakers, the HS8 being a favourite in that respect with the M-Audio BX8 looking like a budget option but for hi-fi listening I prefer a little more refinement.

A particular favourite of mine is the Equator D5 (£450) with its superb mid band and the Dynaudio Lyd (£750 and up) are good allrounders. I use Adam speakers myself, with very positive results, unlikely to change those anytime soon.
 

stereoman

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Nice to see what good active speakers there are...These Dynaudio LYD-8 look great. I think my next speaker purchase will be active speakers ( although I am still enchanted by these passive Leema Acoustics speakers - these guys make wonderful job ). As said I think actives offer robust mid-range and perfect amp-driver synergy.
 

gasolin

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Active studio monitors are very dynamic since all real active studio monitors are bi amped and that makes a difference to active pc monitors

Just remember not to set gain to high on the back on the speakers or else it will have audible white noise if there no sound,music
 

CnoEvil

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Glad you like them.....and I was expecting as much. Software can be updated/improved - poor sounding speakers can't be.

I love my LS50s....and can see how the Active version would be special.
 

Gazzip

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CnoEvil said:
Glad you like them.....and I was expecting as much. Software can be updated/improved - poor sounding speakers can't be.

I love my LS50s....and can see how the Active version would be special.

Thanks Cno. I “grew up” with Kef and had always liked the sound until I heard the Blades a couple of years ago, which I found to be extremely hard in their presentation. They put me off...until now. My first Kefs were back in 1991 when I owned a pair of C75’s. Great speakers they were. I also went through their R series more recently, having owned the 300’s, 500’s and 700’s. More “long term home demo” than “owned” I guess. *yes3* Anyway the LS50W’s are really, really special and have made me a happy chap. Those shiny blue cones have also made my 2 year old boy a very happy chap, which is a concern.
 

Paulq

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CnoEvil said:
Glad you like them.....and I was expecting as much. Software can be updated/improved - poor sounding speakers can't be.

I love my LS50s....and can see how the Active version would be special.

Are you using them on the end of your Linn kit CNo? I have never heard either version of the LS50 but the active ones seem to attract universal praise.

I am very tempted to push the button on a set of Kudos Super 20a's at the moment but in the interim would have to run them passively. I am sure they'd sound as good as the first gen ones I had and of course have the capability to be run Exakt (spits....). I am just in that space where I'd have to decide between knockout speaker (Kudos) run passively vs Katans run actively that I like a lot.

I wish Linn did something far cheaper with Exakt integrated like the Akudoriks.
 
What a good read. If only our hosts here would be as bold!

To not have gapless on anything but a budget item is unforgivable, and akin to selling a premium car with fake emission tests. The sound was fabulous at the Bristol Show back in February. Memorable indeed.
 

Gazzip

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I know! Very wierd given that gapless is very easy these days. I guess their roadmap said release KEFLS50W on XX/XX/2017 and the software wasn’t quite ready and they knew they could fix it with an update? Still...
 

insider9

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nopiano said:
What a good read.  If only our hosts here would be as bold!

To not have gapless on anything but a budget item is unforgivable, and akin to selling a premium car with fake emission tests.  The sound was fabulous at the Bristol Show back in February.  Memorable indeed.  
+1

And great to hear you like them Gazzip.
 

CnoEvil

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Paulq said:
Are you using them on the end of your Linn kit CNo? I have never heard either version of the LS50 but the active ones seem to attract universal praise.

I am very tempted to push the button on a set of Kudos Super 20a's at the moment but in the interim would have to run them passively. I am sure they'd sound as good as the first gen ones I had and of course have the capability to be run Exakt (spits....). I am just in that space where I'd have to decide between knockout speaker (Kudos) run passively vs Katans run actively that I like a lot.

I wish Linn did something far cheaper with Exakt integrated like the Akudoriks.

The LS50 are the FL and FR of my 5.1 channel system and I use them some of the time for music, when I don't want to fire up the AMS35i...so Majik DS -> AVR600 (Stereo Direct) -> LS50
 

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