7.1.4 (at home) using active speakers

[Oldschoolsoundengineer]

Bi-amp (bi-amplification - ie two separate amps) is a thing and usually spelled out as such. Simply one amp per driver for a two way speaker. You can do that yourself with passive speakers or find powered monitors built that way.

Active vs passive crossovers. Active use powered circuits. Passive are unpowered filter designs. We usually see passive crossover filters used with amp levels between the amp and speaker drivers. We usually see active crossovers used in line level audio. Between preamp/source and amplifier line input. So powered monitors will usually have active crossovers built in. Maybe that's how someone started using the term "active monitor"?

There isn't anything weird with any one strategy that leads to better results for one style of music over another or one size room vs another or near/mid/far field. All these speaker systems are intended to produce standard audio range. In all things audio, the fewest preamp stages and filters you run the signal through, the better! Do what needs to be done but passive techniques and room treatment carry a lot of weight. A perfect theoretical single driver would avoid any crossover filter degradation. Multiple drivers make for efficient clean frequency band delivery. Two way speakers for mains and then a sub for sub bass for a 3 way system is often a sweet spot. There's the crossover design and there's also the range that the physical drivers crossover through. Matching this to avoid comb filtering in the speaker design is just as much a factor as the crossover design itself.

About 20 years ago now the digital audio approach appeared. Digital crossover eq in a stand alone digital device or using a DAW. Then use an audio interface or digital mixer with multiple outputs for the different frequency bands.

So 3 main crossover strategies to choose from.

Thanks Jim! This is very well summarized. An important point you're making about 2-way vs 3-way. Many don't think of that. In one of my systems today I have the original B&W 805s as L/R with the 800 sub that I bought over 30 years ago. The 805s are bi-amped. Couldn't believe the difference the first time I tried it. A lot more detail and also better performance/less distortion when playing loud.

 

[Oldschoolsoundengineer]

Quite a few good options her for going with powered speakers. I am wondering if some of you are using or have experience with other brands like Neumann, Adam, Eve, Kali, Focal speakers? Any recommendations or warnings appreciated! Also interested to hear if someone uses powered hifi speakers in 5.1 and atmos setups or for parts of the setups. And what about more affordable speakers like KRK, Mackie, Behringer, Tannoy, Yamaha, M-Audio? I bet a lot of them can be fun to run in 5.1/Atmos setup and compete with hifi system at comparable prices.