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Amplifier - the electronic device that changes a small signal to make it more
powerful
Crossover - the electronic device which splits an audio signal into separate
frequency ranges "“ such as high frequencies (treble) and low frequencies
(bass)
Loudspeaker - the box from which the sound comes from. These can include
one of more drivers and numerous electronics
ACTIVE
In audio theory, active means that a crossover (the "active crossover") exists before the
amplifier. This means that multiple amplifiers are needed to power different frequency
ranges. A system could be "2-way active", "3-way active" or "4-way active" (5-way systems are
rare but do exist). This refers to how many bands the audio signal is split into, therefore each
requiring a different amplifier channel.
Active crossovers are usually part of a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) unit and are commonly
stored in racks with the amplifiers, although this does vary from company to company.
PASSIVE
Passive means that a crossover (the "passive crossover") exists between the amplifier and
drivers. Such a system could be "2-way passive", "3-way passive" etc., which refers to how
many bands the already-amplified signal is divided and fed into each driver. Passive
crossovers are typically circuit board mounted within the loudspeaker and have components
such as resistors, capacitors, and transformers
SELF-POWERED SPEAKERS
This means that the loudspeaker has the amplifier(s) within it to make it work.
People refer to products such as Mackie SRM450s, JBL Eons and RCF Art500A as "active"
speakers because the amplifiers are built into the speaker. In these examples the products
do have "active" electronics as they have separate amplifiers for the low frequency and high
frequency drivers. The fact that the amplifiers are within the loudspeakers does not make
them "active"
The correct phrase for these products is "2-way active self-powered". So people use the word
"active" when they actually mean "self-powered" "“ which are different concepts.
AM I BEING PEDANTIC?
No, I am not. The reason is that there are many self-powered speakers that are passive. The
distinction is important as it suggests a level of electronic complexity and audio quality.
Some sound systems can be both active and passive. For example an active crossover may
split the signal into sub bass and full range. The sub-bass signal then goes into a dedicated
amplifier and then into a sub-bass speaker - this element is "active". The full range signal may
then go into another amplifier which powers a loudspeaker which in turn contains a passive
crossover and two drivers. This example has both active and passive elements. A good
definition of this system would be "a passive 2-way system with a separate active sub bass
element".
As with any field of technical engineering, each concept has pros and cons "“ neither is
"better" or "worse" but each has situations for which it is appropriate.
Active systems allow each amplifier to only work on a specific frequency range. This can be of
benefit as a high current drain on a sub-bass will have no impact on the power and clarity for
the high-frequencies. Active also breaks up the power requirements of a system which can
allow for greater overall power performance in larger applications. This can also help to
increase "headroom" (spare power which helps achieve a cleaner sound). Headroom is a
concept that is very important to us as this is what helps create sound with big impact but
without distorting or being painful.
The downside to active systems is that they require considerable processing equipment,
many more amplifiers, more complex cabling and distribution networks. This makes them
significantly more expensive. Most professional concert systems contain active elements.
Passive systems tend to allow for lower maximum power levels due to fundamental
limitations within the electronics of the passive crossover networks (although these
limitations have reduced considerably in recent years). Passive systems require
lessprocessing and fewer amplifiers which make them cheaper but less flexible.
Modern concert sound systems (including the Martin W8LM and D&B Q1 systems) can run in
passive or active mode as they have highly sophisticated passive crossover networks which
present minimal performance limitations.
Most of these articles are also available on Google+ via Johnny Palmer's Google +
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