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New game with active speakers

Been at this audiophile game for some decades and felt I had a handle on most parameters, until active speakers.  I’ve been a tube guy for years since leaving my Sugden Class A integrated:  Manley stuff and the latest, a deHavilland Mercury 3 preamp.  Now I find that active speakers do not necessarily like tubes.  At least mine don’t.

Decided to send my deHavilland in for upgrades and went to using the preamp section of my Sugden A21SE.  Wow!  Better in every way.   How is that?   More dynamic, better attack.  Now I have an ATC CA2 preamp to drive the ATC 40As and the synergism is terrific!  

A dealer of ATC speakers echoed the observation.  He stated he too was for years a tube guy, until active speakers.  Now I’m back to solid state after years of sneering at those clots still mired in SS.  Those neophytes, Philistines.  Oh, how humbling.


celtic66

Showing 3 responses by cd318

cd318
2,636 posts
 
@tdwolf1414,

The ATC SCM 40a's also come in a passive version.

So comparisons should be fairly straightforward.

From what I've read most everyone prefers the actives.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
It’s one of those things where we kind of know that active is better, must be better, certainly in theory, but can’t be bothered to deal with all the hassle (or the imagined limitations/restrictions we’d be subjected to?).

Reviewers naturally enough, with product to promote, don’t seem to endorse it very often either, so here’s asking.

What’s the simplest way of going active?
cd318
2,636 posts
 
@julie_priest,

At those prices the Edifier S3000s must be strong contenders for anyone wanting a second system.

Currently I’ve got some AirPulse A300 active bookshelves sitting in my Amazon basket just in case a need for a 3rd system arises.

Those Genelec’s you mentioned would be 1st system contenders. One this wu-flu is finally banished there’s going to be one hell of a queue of shows lining up.

That’s assuming that the morons currently running the UK haven’t totally destroyed our economy by then.
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