End of passive Xovers

[Mr.Thomas Aaron Hero]

I read in this months issue of VoiceCoil that most "High End" speaker manufacturers will stop using passive xovers in the near future,Does this mean amp manufacturers will start building four and six channel amps to run two and three way speakers? or will everyone start buying 2 or three stereo amps or even 4 or 6 mono amps to run there speakers? A.H.

[Mr.Thomas Aaron Hero]

[curt_c]

Likely it means that speakers will have the amps integrated internally, and the speaker will be driven by line level inputs. No external amp may be needed at all...

C

[cptomes]

> I read in this months issue of VoiceCoil
> that most "High End" speaker
> manufacturers will stop using passive xovers
> in the near future,Does this mean amp
> manufacturers will start building four and
> six channel amps to run two and three way
> speakers? or will everyone start buying 2 or
> three stereo amps or even 4 or 6 mono amps
> to run there speakers? A.H.

Cheap DSP and power amps. Tripath chips are cheap. The ability to filter, delay and phase shift to "fix" driver response should change the economics of design and sales of high end speakers.

I wouldn't be surprised to see it making its way into midfi as well. They're easing that way with the htib computer speakers with the amps in the sub cabinet.

[damkor]

Here's one with 12 amps a side. One for each driver. I bet it sounds great...

Isn't "High End" becoming code for anything the middle class will blindly spend too much money on. I see a ton of these little iPod docking stations, and boy they sound awful, simply because they are too small. Still, people think they are the cat's pajamas. But they are obviously worse-sounding AND more expensive than any old boombox playing a mix tape.

In the near future, I wager, those interested in traditional Hi-Fi are going to be rubbing shoulders with the loony-tunes vacuum tube/exotic horn/$500 cable audiophiles, whether they like it or not.

<A HREF="http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...D&nplm=T9551LL">http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...D&nplm=T9551LL</A>%2FA

[killerkowalczyk]

they make some of the best amps out there, not sure about there speakers but there supposed to be high end aswell.

If this happens youll see every big name loudspeaker company start manufacturing amps or vice versa. Or youll see many mergers such as Wilson Audio with Classe or Conrad Johnson. And does it really matter, true audiophiles spend just as much if not more on there amps anyways, or should be for that matter. Why wouldnt you spend $20,000 on amps if you paid +/-$20,000 on speakers.

[georgem]

I'm guessing by high end they are talking about expensive mass market products. Folks like B&W, and Paradigm for example are likely to have lines of this type though I suspect they'll keep some passives in their product offerings.

That said, I'm guessing those companies out there on the fringes will continue to use passive crossovers for their really high end products. Why, because the folks that buy $5,000/pr and up speakers don't want to have their amp choice dicatated to them. If they want a monster tube amp or some $20,000 250w/ch over-built transistor behemouth powering their speakers then they won't compromise on "chip" amps built into the speaker cabinets.

[killerkowalczyk]

Theres no such thing as too much power.

> I'm guessing by high end they are talking
> about expensive mass market products. Folks
> like B&W, and Paradigm for example are
> likely to have lines of this type though I
> suspect they'll keep some passives in their
> product offerings.

> That said, I'm guessing those companies out
> there on the fringes will continue to use
> passive crossovers for their really high end
> products. Why, because the folks that buy
> $5,000/pr and up speakers don't want to have
> their amp choice dicatated to them. If they
> want a monster tube amp or some $20,000
> 250w/ch over-built transistor behemouth
> powering their speakers then they won't
> compromise on "chip" amps built
> into the speaker cabinets.

[chuck]

> I read in this months issue of VoiceCoil
> that most "High End" speaker
> manufacturers will stop using passive xovers
> in the near future,Does this mean amp
> manufacturers will start building four and
> six channel amps to run two and three way
> speakers? or will everyone start buying 2 or
> three stereo amps or even 4 or 6 mono amps
> to run there speakers? A.H.
I've been hearing how active speakers will become the doom of passives for 20 years. Hasn't happened and never will. Paradigm and a few others already jumped on that bandwagon many years ago...and fell off. They were financial flops. Paradigm quit there production runs of their actives early. People want a choice of amps and don't want to spend extra for lack of that choice

[killerkowalczyk]

I agree with you, why would anyone want to HAVE to buy their amp from the same company that builds there speakers, I dont think it will happen. BTW Ive heard the Paradigm Monitor 90P's, they have a built in amp. They sound awful.

<A HREF="http://www.paradigm.com/Website/Site...llery/Mon90Png">http://www.paradigm.com/Website/Site...llery/Mon90Png</A>

> I've been hearing how active speakers will
> become the doom of passives for 20 years.
> Hasn't happened and never will. Paradigm and
> a few others already jumped on that
> bandwagon many years ago...and fell off.
> They were financial flops. Paradigm quit
> there production runs of their actives
> early. People want a choice of amps and
> don't want to spend extra for lack of that
> choice

[killerkowalczyk]

<A HREF="http://www.paradigm.com/Website/Site...nitorSpecs.htm">http://www.paradigm.com/Website/Site...nitorSpecs.htm</A>

its the furthest one on the right.

[damkor]

> I've been hearing how active speakers will
> become the doom of passives for 20 years.
> Hasn't happened and never will.

Never?! You may be overestimating the percentage of people who buy traditional stereo systems. People usually have a receiver, but only for use with their TV. And when it comes to the IPod, they have the little docking stations. If they can be convinced to have a non-AV music system, it is going to be an IPod station I think. ANd it is usually cheaper for the manu. to actively equalize the amp signal for the speakers.

And as new houses are built, contractors will come up with new whole-house music systems, where outlets for Internet/Cable/Music will be on the walls, like power outlets, for connection to active speakers. Maybe the amps will be in the walls. But maybe in the next 50 years.

> People want a choice of amps and
> don't want to spend extra for lack of that
> choice

Audiophiles maybe. For everyone else I know, a power amplifier is about as necessary a piece of equipment as...a mortar and pestle or a viola. Nothing they want to get involved with!

[chuck]