Powered/active hi-fi speakers?

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When I look on hifi websites, I always see seperate amps and speakers, but rarely self powered/amplified hifi speakers. Why is this?

Are there any decent self powered bookshelf speakers? The only ones I've found that look good are Audioengine A5s. I was originally going to get a pair of powered studio monitors but I think some hifi speakers would be better for me as I dont really need the flatness/transparency of monitors. Is there anything I should be looking at?

If there are no good self powered ones, then is there anything else that I should look into other than Tannoy F1 Custom speakers (for under £100 a pair)? I have an old hifi amp of my dads that I can probably use until I can afford something better, do the F1 Customs really need a great amp or will an average one with an eq work fine? I think its an old Hitachi but to me it sounds fine powering the speakers he used to use it with (no idea what brand)..

Cheers

 

[d_a_n1979]

If youre after decent, active speakers then IMO take a look at the Acoustic Energy AE22's.

Superb speakers for the money and the soundstage is sublime!

What music do you listen to and what would be your source?

 

[Alec]

I'm not sure what you're looking to spend, and these may be a bit pricey, but give the Quad 12L2s a look.

You seem far from sold on the A5s...?

EDIT - Thats actually just 12Ls. Forget the second 2. Apologies.

 

[john dolan]

ATC and PMC both make high quality active speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

d_a_n1979:If youre after decent, active speakers then IMO take a look at the Acoustic Energy AE22's.

Superb speakers for the money and the soundstage is sublime!

What music do you listen to and what would be your source?

Thanks for the suggestions. I listen to a wide range of stuff but I guess its mostly rock with some electronic stuff thrown in. The source is tracks from my computer (either FLAC or high bitrate MP3s) using an Edirol UA-25EX interface as the soundcard. I'll also be using them for watching films (also may be off the computer but probably from my 360) or playing games on either pc or 360.

 

[John Duncan]

It really depends on budget - you can spend an absolute fortune and there are plenty of brands - Audioengines are brilliant for their cost/size though.....

 

[drummerman]

Acoustic Energy's AE22Pro has XLR balanced/Jack only, so this may pose a dilemma unless a suitable pre-amp is used, something this magazine review of the product forgot to mention.

Also consider AVI's ADM9.1, an active speaker system with high quality pre-amp stage, DAC and powerful amplification/Remote Control. It needs a sub but even so a high-end system with real balls can be built for well under 2k. Imo unmatched clarity of anything I've heard at three times the price and dynamics to die for. Pitfalls ... limited inputs, tacky remote and it does'nt gloss bad recordings over.

 

[up the music]

Neutrik sell RCS to XLR line balancing adapters if you're interested in the AEs. I suspect though, that they're too steep anyway. Didn't he say he would borrow an an amp and look for speakers around the £100 mark? Sounds like we're looking £250 max for amp and speakers, but I'm guessing not having read OP for 24hrs or so.

 

[up the music]

RCA to XLR not RCS to XLR (typo)

 

[Anonymous]

Guess I should've mentioned my budget - its £200 or under I'm afraid, could maybe push up to £250. Thats for 2 bookshelf/desktop speakers. Could be either active or passive. I'd prefer active because I dont know that the amp I'd have to be using to start with would do em justice (as I said, its my dads old Hitachi amp).

 

[ear]

You won't need self powered speakers.for sure! in that range you'd only get pc speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

KRK Rokit RP5 Generation II.

 

[chebby]

It really has to be the A5's then for £200...

http://whathifi.com/Review/Audioengine-A5/

At some future date you can add a DAC (the Firestone Audio Fubar II USB DAC is excellent at £124) and plug it in between your computer and the A5's to improve (dramatically) on the sound from your computer's built-in soundcard.

Remember to get a decent pair of budget speaker stands like the Atacama Nexus 6. (About £60)

 

[up the music]

for actives Keep an eye on

Acive monitors at Dolphin Music

You will get a little more than PC speakers to be fair. How they compare to hifi amp speakeres I can't say. I've only heard a few pairs briefy through mixers in a noisy shop environment. More expensive Adam ones made me go .....hmm, maybe they're OK!

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:It really has to be the A5's then for £200...

http://whathifi.com/Review/Audioengine-A5/

At some future date you can add a DAC (the Firestone Audio Fubar II USB DAC is excellent at £124) and plug it in between your computer and the A5's to improve (dramatically) on the sound from your computer's built-in soundcard.

Remember to get a decent pair of budget speaker stands like the Atacama Nexus 6. (About £60)

As I said, I have an Edirol UA-25EX external soundcard which has its own DACs in I believe.

Was looking at active monitors before but I dont think they'd be great for what I want - too flat/analytical for listening to music all the time I would guess.

 

[chebby]

Oops. Did not see that.

Just recommended the Edirol as an idea for a USB DAC to someone in another thread as well.

Spooky.

Sorry for not reading properly.