Active vs Passive Speakers
The world of speakers is an intriguing one and considering the widespread use of speakers at concerts, live performances, conferences, seminars, institutes and even at homes, it makes sense to have a little bit knowledge about various kinds of speakers. Without going into details such as the drivers, pole types or enclosures, it can be safely said that speakers fall into two broad categories, active and passive speakers. There are many similarities between these two kinds of speakers but have one main difference that is very important in their functioning. This article attempts to talk about this difference.
Active speakers are those speakers that have an inbuilt amplifier inside which means that one can make use of these speakers without the need to introduce amplifiers. These are also called powered speakers and do away with a cumbersome procedure of matching amplifiers with the speakers. Another benefit that active speakers provide to users is the reduction in the length of cables that are to be used if there is no amplifier inbuilt. Generally speaking, active speakers are cheap, compact, have no need for amp world, also have built in control electronics.
On the other hand, passive speakers are just speakers, no more or no less. They need amplifiers to work and to produce sound. Vast majority of speakers are passive in nature, and need amplifiers to work. These speakers provide more flexibility in case user wants to upgrade. Another point in favor of passive speakers is that, they have more options and various combinations, and they are also cheaper to repair than active speakers. However, there are some cons about passive speakers too. In general, they are less accurate, have high distortion figures, and cannot get as loud as a comparable active speaker. This is why professional musicians and live concert holders make use of active speakers because of their higher output. Active speakers are also considered to be more reliable than passive speakers.