General Forum

Re: Active versus Passive. Any difference in sound?

Doctor — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:31:19 GMT

Speakers are very personal choice - what one person likes, another may not. however the question was : any difference in sound.

The answer is yes, because all speakers are different. However does being active make them necessarily better? No.

What active speakers do allow is the tuning of the speaker to give a certain frequency response despite the size of the speaker. Normally a speaker the shape and size of the BL6000 would be unable to produce low frequencies. The amplifier in this case is tweaked to allow this. A passive speaker is made assuming that the signal sent will be a flat response and has to therefore produce a flat output - or as close as it can. That is why passive speakers are on the whole larger for a similar bass response.

I actually don't like S80s much but I do like S45.2s and M100s. I would have these rather than most of the Beolab range. However they need a reasonable system to accompany them.

BL4000s are really rather good and often forgotten.

Re: Active versus Passive. Any difference in sound?

joeyboygolf — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:53:51 GMT

Friedmett:

Now the interesting thing is my current spare setup BM6000 LED, BG8002, BC9000 with Beovox S80.2 is next to the active system and how do you think the sound compares? Pretty much very alike.

Do anyone agree?

I agree with Beaker, I would rather listen to S80.2's than either 8000's or 6000's.

Re: Active versus Passive. Any difference in sound?

beaker — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:45:17 GMT

I think that the larger uniphase speakers connected to a decent amp sound better than either BL6000 or BL8000's. Although the beolabs look much better, a small metal pipe is not the best place to put speakers and big drivers always sound better than small ones.

Re: Active versus Passive. Any difference in sound?

BenSA — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:17:30 GMT

This is such an interesting question. I only have passive speakers...so I'm really interested to see what the response is going to be!!

Active versus Passive. Any difference in sound?

Friedmett — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 04:08:26 GMT

Now I'm he owner of my first 2 pairs of Beolabs 6000 and 8000 setup in surround with the Beovision AV9000. The Beolab 6000 in the rear.

I have connected a Beosund 9000 MKIII via ML to the Beovision and a Beogram 6500 to the aux of the 90000.

The Beolab 8000 speakers are MKII and the 6000's have recently new drivers installed. The sound is very good and no lack of bass in my ears.

Now the interesting thing is my current spare setup BM6000 LED, BG8002, BC9000 with Beovox S80.2 is next to the active system and how do you think the sound compares? Pretty much very alike.

Do anyone agree?