Active Speakers Better? No, per Michael Borresen

Just putting my thought out: aren’t passive capacitors and coils (C an L), and maybe even resistors causing a PHASE shift on passive crossovers, and NOT so using active crossovers?

This happens with active and passive crossovers. it is the natural outcome of using analog circuits to create high and low pass circuits as well as any equalizers. It is not distortion. The concern in either case is that the combined (electrical + acoustical) amplitude and phase match seamlessly across the crossover band.

In terms of design, crossover designers are creating to systems, drivers and circuits, which sum to a final result.  Changes in amplitude go hand in hand with phase shifts.  The one area where things get easier is in the active crossover we can ignore driver impedance as part of the equation.  We pay attention strictly to driver amplitude and phase.

It doesn’t matter. It all depends and people go round and round.

The active speaker argument holds up really well in professional environments which need lots of power. Thats the only place where active is 100% better.

I have made passive 2-way speakers for my mains and planning a fully active 3-way for the center. In each case there are pro’s and cons and I know I’m trading off.

I think asking a manufacturer why don’t you make an active version, or why don’t you make a passive always elicits this kind of response, that what they are selling is best, and that’s the way of the world.

The consumer should go with what sounds best and what complexity levels of wiring and amplifiers they want to live with and fuss with as audiophiles, but anyone who tries to sell me that "technology x is always better than technology y" is not going to get an active engagement from me, it’s not worth it.

A shout out to many audiophile tinkerers who enjoy configuring drivers and horns and multiple types of amplifiers and are constantly switching out to try something new.  There is nothing wrong with that at all and you should enjoy it. 

PS - this kind of arm-chair tech discussions are exactly why I feel our community is served when more audiophiles build something themselves vs. rely 100% on marketting and media.