Again a speaker company, this time Focal with the Easia's, calls them wireless, but they're not really are they? They plug into the mains...with a wire....Just sayin'
The wireless misnomer
- Thread starter andrew_cawood
- Start date
steve_1979
Well-known member
Fair point. 
Just because they have a wireless signal transfer it doesn't technically make them 'wireless speakers'.
Just because they have a wireless signal transfer it doesn't technically make them 'wireless speakers'.
professorhat
Well-known member
This is a given though surely? Unless someone works out how to create safe, affordable wireless power transfer (and that will be a good day), or unless the thing runs on batteries, you're always going to have to have a wire to power the thing.
chebby
Well-known member
When I was a kid - and long before - 'the wireless' was a term most often used for a large table top radio or the radio portion of a radiogram. (Small radios were called 'transistors' or 'trannies'.)
The term fell into disuse for a long time (except amongst older people) and was virtually obsolete when we all started using 'ghetto blasters' or Walkmans. Or those of us with a hi-fi called it a 'tuner'.
In the last few years it's all come full circle and 'wireless' is back in vogue and is a household term again.
I just about remember - as small child in the late 1960s - our last VHF (black & white 405 lines) TV where the big rotary tuning/selector knob could select certain radio channels as well as TV channels.
That became obsolete too until Freeview re-introduced the idea of getting radio from the TV again.
Apologies for the digression.
The term fell into disuse for a long time (except amongst older people) and was virtually obsolete when we all started using 'ghetto blasters' or Walkmans. Or those of us with a hi-fi called it a 'tuner'.
In the last few years it's all come full circle and 'wireless' is back in vogue and is a household term again.
I just about remember - as small child in the late 1960s - our last VHF (black & white 405 lines) TV where the big rotary tuning/selector knob could select certain radio channels as well as TV channels.
That became obsolete too until Freeview re-introduced the idea of getting radio from the TV again.
Apologies for the digression.
And there's me thinking that the talking point about the Focals would be their active-floorstander spec
John Duncan
Well-known member
steve_1979
Well-known member
Clare Newsome said:And there's me thinking that the talking point about the Focals would be their active-floorstander spec
The Focal Easia's do look like a very interesting option. I'm looking forward to the review.
BenLaw
Well-known member
Clare Newsome said:And there's me thinking that the talking point about the Focals would be their active-floorstander spec
They sound like a very interesting product. And competitively priced against the ADM40s. When are they likely to be around for testing?
Latest info I have is that they're due in stores in September. I'm encouraging Focal to get them to WHF in plenty of time for Awards testing!
John Duncan
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BigH
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John Duncan
Well-known member
I'd expect those two mid-bass to be driven together, not have a crossover between them. Just guessing though.
busb
Well-known member
John Duncan said:
Indeed! What a pity if no active X'over. If the case, AVI have less to worry about.
John Duncan
Well-known member
steve_1979
Well-known member
Focal have been building proper active studio monitors for years so it'd be disappointing if these were just powered passives.
Paul.
Well-known member
John Duncan said:
Amplifiers are usualy singular when they are in one box arn't they? A home cinema amp is singular even though there is anywhere from 5 to 11 amps in them. I would only use Amp as a plural if there were seperate boxes and seperate transformers involved, or at least I thought that was the convention...
AEJim
Well-known member
We made a wireless Aego P5 system once, rechargable satellites and infra-red signal (better than it sounds, no interference and with multiple beams the interruption from blocked line-of-sight was never a problem).
The main issue was battery life, back then about 2.5 hours max and then you need to recharge all five satellites... Because physical movement is required with speakers (especially more conventionally sized ones) battery life will always be a problem and the hassle of recharging largely negates the benefit of losing the wires in the first place... Batteries have improved in recent years but not enough to be a non-issue sadly!
The main issue was battery life, back then about 2.5 hours max and then you need to recharge all five satellites... Because physical movement is required with speakers (especially more conventionally sized ones) battery life will always be a problem and the hassle of recharging largely negates the benefit of losing the wires in the first place... Batteries have improved in recent years but not enough to be a non-issue sadly!
John Duncan
Well-known member
steve_1979
Well-known member
Paul. said:
Not necessesarily. Powered passive speakers will only have one amplifier in each speaker. But proper active speakers use a separate amplifier for each driver.
Have a look on this wikipedia link that explains the differences between powered and active speakers.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powered_speakers#section_1
daveh75
Well-known member
Paul.
Well-known member
steve_1979 said:
You are missing my point. The convention is to call a box of amplifiers an amplifier, not plural, regardess of configuration. The speakers may be active or powered who knows, but lets wait for a spec sheet?
John Duncan
Well-known member
Paul. said:
Indeed, but if I were aware of the particular...attitude...towards nomenclature on this forum, if I were the writer of the article I might be careful about my use of language.
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