The question of whether to let the speaker handle its own amplification or to choose your own amplifier is one of the oldest debates in audio.
Active speakers have their amplifiers built in, with dedicated channels for each driver, each one optimized for the frequency range and load it serves. The crossover happens in the electronic domain before amplification rather than after, which means the amplifier never has to deal with the complex impedance swings of a passive crossover network. In theory this gives the designer total control over every aspect of the signal chain from input to driver. The result can be remarkably tight and accurate.
Passive speakers take the opposite approach. They accept a full-range amplified signal and use a passive crossover network of capacitors, inductors, and resistors to divide frequencies among the drivers. This means you get to choose your own amplifier, which for many audiophiles is half the joy of building a system.
So which sounds better? That depends entirely on the execution.
At PS Audio we chose the passive route for the Aspen loudspeakers because we believe in giving listeners the freedom to pair them with the amplifier that moves them most: some want tubes. Some want solid state. Some want a few watts of Class A warmth. A passive speaker lets you explore all of those options and find the voice that speaks to you.
But.... the advantages of a dedicated amplifier per driver, the ability to produce crossovers impossible with passive components....that's compelling and something we're going to be playing with over time.
Can't wait to see what Chris has been building in his Skunk Works.....
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