Semi Active Surrounds

[Wired]

Have a look at this set of surround speakers. They are about $AU 4500 factory direct. The center speaker is an active unit as well as active sub woofers in the mains.


http://www.noteperfect.com.au/nprevidx.html#revfm


www.noteperfect.com.au

[botrytis]

Infinity and Def Tech already use Active subs in most of the speakers. I think this will be an up and coming trend in HT.

Dave

[MrSquid]

If I remember right, Paradigm has a unit or two with active subs in them as well.

Personally, I like having the flexibility to place my sub into the correct place for my room. But if floor space was limited, it's nice to have alternatives.

[michael w]

Those speakers shouldn't be called active as only their bass drivers are driven by their own amps.

True active speakers (like the Meridians) have built-in amps for all the drivers.

This prompts the question are active drivers really needed ?
I would say not however there has been a disturbing trend for people to listen at louder and louder levels in this HT age.


cheerio

[THOR]

I heard a pair of paradigm and a pair of Klipsch towers with built in subs, both were thousands of dollars, at the high end HT store down on the coast that services all the rich folks. I thought they sounded like ass and didn't even sound as good as a KLH combo at Best Buy that cost like $300 bucks.

[MrSquid]

Originally posted by THOR
I heard a pair of paradigm and a pair of Klipsch towers with built in subs, both were thousands of dollars, at the high end HT store down on the coast that services all the rich folks. I thought they sounded like ass and didn't even sound as good as a KLH combo at Best Buy that cost like $300 bucks.

:butt2: They sounded like what? :butt2:

I'll take a stand alone sub any day. Especially when you look at what you can nab for just over a grand - like an SVS PBS-2 or a nice Hsu.

[Thatch_Ear]

Def Tech, Infinty use active side firing woofers, I wouldn't call them subs. I think a lot of the active woofer speakers are made that way only as an engineering compromise so that cheaper drivers can be more controlled in smaller boxes. I consider it to generally be a sound re-enforcement or enhancement than true sound reproduction. The only active woofer speakers that I have been impressed with were some $40K Lynns and I was not impressed $40K worth.