First time system - advice please :)

Because perhapts he can't be bothered!

 

Active speakers and a Meridian 207 CD player, which has a volume control built in.

Second hand (you will have to for the Meridian) you could get a very serious set-up. Active speakers from Mackie, HHB, ADAM etc.. are worth a look.

Don't go for a pathetic integrated amp and five star what hi-fi speaker system.

 

Syva

As always, listen to both types if you can and let your ears be the judge.

There are some good integrateds around.......also active speakers (I have never heared any it must be said) have many devotees.

In case you are wondering ....active speakers have their amplifier built in.


The purist argue ( a "naim" thing especailly I think) that its best to keep the pre amplifer away from the power section as the pre is sensitive to the voltages in the power amp.

I wouldn't loose sleep over it though.

 

More to the point David, active speakers have active crossovers which means the amps (one per driver) have an easier time and also have direct 'grip' on each driver. IMO, its better in every way.

 

For goodness sake Simon I thought we'd seen the last of that sort of statement.

Syva, you know both options are available to you.

 

Since when? :JPS:

I can't think of any way an active speaker isn't better than its equivalent passive brother. You get better technology, and better value for money.

 

hmmm...

I wouldn't want to comment on that.

There we go then...so every one who buys a passive pair of speakers is wrong?

 

Fantastic sound but straight away, you've made a lot of your CDs unplayable:

Won't play anything > 65 minutes.

Won't play CDRs

Won't play some CDs because it just doesn't like them

 

Imagine my surprise then, when I followed the link in your signature block and found that the only speakers for sale there are passive. :JOEL:

 

I would say that the advantage of a passive crossover, is that you have a shorter signal path.

For hifi enthusiasts, another more important advantage of course is that changing from one passive pair of speakers to another requires little to no 'kit' changes.

This article is quite good, if a little biased towards active solutions.

http://sound.westhost.com/biamp-vs-passive.htm

 

Hi,

I didn't know that. Perhaps a Shangling or other affordable player with volume control then.

No David, just you

Honestly don't be so pedant, I'll go back and put 'IMO' on the end if thats all it takes to make you happy.

It may not be the most practical solution for someone who already has a system built around a passive speaker, but as a device to reproduce the music signal put in one end, I can't see how passive is better. Especially if you are building a system from scratch.

 

Yup! They are a commercial product, and many people already have systems built around passive speakers and don't want to change it all. However, they would sound even better than they already do if they were made the same, but active.

 

So I wonder if people can expect to get unbiased advised if they come to you?

As the previous gent implies if you feel so strongly that actives are so superior in every way, perhpts thats what you should be selling??


"IMO " never does any harm......IMO of course.

I'll look at all the passives ina new way now knowing how inferior they all are.

 

That's all I ask David!

 

Actives can be taken to a level its impossible to achieve for a passive. I really can't see why these old dinosaurs still exist. There is no choice for me, there's only active now.

 

I think people are afraid to open up the back of a commercial product, and risk ''ruining'' their re-sale value..

If I was selling a pair of speakers, I'd design them passive for the reason that you can't expect people to buy active crossovers and start fiddling.

I bet Simon would sell his Kensai speakers without a crossover if people wanted them that way, maybe even a bit cheaper!

...or there's always a pair of IPL's in the classifieds, already DIY design just ripe for that kind of change hehe

 

Don't the valves get too hot stuck inside a speaker cabinet?

 

... now is that ugly or ???

 

no way!!

 

here's a decent start..

Arcam A85, Exposure 2010S, Project Genie, MA BR5, and all for £950 buyitnow, better still... put in an offer, anyways, under budget and decent.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Arcam-A85-Exp...286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:10|39:1|240:1318