Active Vs Passive Speakers For Your Sound System

All speakers can generally be divided into two distinct types of speakers

. There are what we call passive speakers and those we call active speakers. Firstly, you need to understand the difference between these two types of speakers. And then you can decide which is better for you. There are of course pros and cons to each speaker classification which we will briefly look at here.

Let's look at what is the difference between the active and passive speaker. Put most basically, what we are really talking about here is how the speaker is powered. Namely, does it need a separate amplification unit to power and transduce the speaker signal. If the speaker is active then this means it already has all it needs power wise inside it the speaker unit has its own amplifier housed within it. Whereas passive speakers do not include this part of the signal and power chain. They are quite literally passive and require an external amp for power and action. Most speakers are passive and so are connected to an amplifier. Active speakers have electrical connecting outlets and so need to be plugged into your electricity supply to function.

So which is best passive or active speakers? Well, like most things it depends on what you want to use them for. Active speakers can be more portable as they are stand alone sound systems even though they are a lot heavier than the passive speaker. Therefore you may prefer to invest in active speakers or monitors so can carry them around without needing to invest in or also transport an amplifier. Active speakers tend to be the cheaper option at point of purchase. Also, if one speaker or amplifier unit breaks you can still play the other one, where as a problem with you amp will mean neither speaker will work in a passive speaker system.

Most audio engineers tend to argue that passive speakers are better as you can then choose the amplifier that accompanies your speaker. Sometimes the quality of the amplification unit can be compromised in an active speaker to make it more affordable. And you may like to choose your amplifier yourself, especially if you are looking for quality or specific uses for the system. Passive speakers are therefore more flexible giving you more options to upgrade. And even though you may have to pay more at the outlay, it could work out cheaper if you need to repair the speaker or the amplifier.

So, look at the system you desire and require and then you can make a more informed decision for your requirements. Specific situations like a restaurant, conference centre and church sound systems will lend themselves to either a passive or active speaker solution.

by: Mike Short

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