What are Active Speakers?

For music lovers, choosing your favourite tracks is just half the story. Then you have to ensure you get the best quality reproduction… and for that, among other components, you need good speakers.

A lot of debate has raged about active speakers and whether they offer a better quality of sound than their counterparts… passive speakers.

But what are active speakers? And do they create the best sound reproduction?

An active speaker is one which has an amplifier built into the speaker cabinet. The speakers actively modify the signal produced by the source and then amplify it. An active speaker’s built-in amplifier performs the whole amplification role meaning they just need a power source to function. It means all you have to do is connect the speakers to a power source and feed a line-level signal into it, directly from a preamplifier, which in turn would have connection to a turntable, CD Player and music streamer.

By contrast, passive speakers require the addition of a separate amplifier to magnify the sound. The sound quality will then vary depending on the selection of components – for the best results, you would choose speakers and amplifiers which work well together and compliment the acoustics of your listening room.

For fans of passive speakers, this set-up gives them more flexibility in the choice of amplifier and allows them to upgrade the amp or speakers as and when they choose and with relative ease. However, with an active speaker you are bound to the amp which is built into the speaker. That’s not necessarily a bad thing in so far as the drivers, crossover and amp will have all been picked to work seamlessly together so you shouldn’t have any concerns about over or under powering the speaker.

While passive speakers tend to be for home use, active speakers are often seen in PA systems and monitors with recording studios. A selection of active PA speakers also includes mixers which are already built in, with EQ settings and even microphone pre-amps, so you can mix the sound directly on the speaker to impressively high standards. As such, this choice of speaker can be ideal for bands, DJs, professional public orators and people working in public buildings who want to be able to play both live and pre-recorded music without too much fuss.

The best choice, and type, of speakers for you of course is driven by how and where you plan to use them – we always believe the right choice of audio kit is always individual to each customer, with no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Room size and positioning are key factors when it comes to buying speakers.

Here at Home Media, music is our passion. We have a wide selection of top-quality speakers, including active speakers – and are ready and able to advise which ones will suit you and your lifestyle best, no matter your budget, to help you get the very best out of your music collection.

 Why not check out the ATC SCM300ASLT Active Floorstanding Speaker, or ATC SCM-20ASL Limited Edition Standmount Speakers… or the KEF LS50 Wireless II Active Standmount Speakers – or head to our online shop to browse the full selection.

Many of our products are available to test out in our Maidstone showroom, or why not book your own free Home Demo? Get in touch with our friendly team on 01622 676703 today.