Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused


17 of 23 speakers in my studio and home theater systems are internally powered. My studio system is all Genelec and sounds very accurate. I know the best new concert and studio speakers are internally powered there are great technical reasons to design a speaker and an amp synergistically, this concept is much more important to sound quality than the vibration systems we often buy. How can an audiophile justify a vibration system of any sort with this in mind.

128x128donavabdear

@brianlucey , well I can’t argue with your results and I really appreciate your response. You took the time to curate each piece of gear you use to create a chain, like many members here. I would hope your setup would be a good example of the proper way to do atmos,that is why I asked for pics, Like you said, certainty lies in principles and process. if you don’t feel the need to post them I understand. As for the other studios I posted the point is not that they are better or worse. it is that they all use the same "principles and process" of the Dolby specs for Atmos.

I disagree that the OP's assertion is rude. If you go through this thread there absolutely is confusion about active/powered speakers, YMMV. 

@kota1 you have to understand that the world I’m in is even beyond studio high end globally. Studios are on a price / performance budget. Many use the DAD converters in the AVID MTRX. Awful DA. Compromise in commercial rooms is normal. This format is barely embraced, they’re just getting their feet wet. I’m in the audiophile world of 1%, so to me, everything else is downstream, no judgment. Come listen for yourself and decide as Apple and Dolby and studio engineers have done. I needed all the qualities of MM3 exact (great speakers) with Bricasti M1SE (3rd best DA ever made) and Allnic Audio A-6000 (best amp I’ve ever heard) x 12 plus Cohesion at the highest level. So when I look at someone saying something as absurd as a dogmatic argument for self powered speakers as superior and I mean any self powered speakers (they are all made to be cheap not best), I just have to speak up, that’s completely ridiculous. Anyone saying that is simply trying to sell you powered speakers or defend what they own. The most newbie approach is "my current speakers are the best" especially when they clearly have not done the work of AB all options for decades. This OP is a joke. Clueless. Rude. Your arguments about these Genis? Not very evolved thinking. They’re "sufficient" if done right ... not high end. Even as a stereo pair. Again you need to compare 2 speakers in atmos to 2 stereo high end speakers to get to the bottom of an atmos system. For me it’s a headphone format. Speakers are a bonus. I have a mastering grade system. Mixers or casual listeners will be impressed with less. I couldn’t use those Genis for anything. Ever. It’s a process of evolution. Enjoy the ride ! If you’re happy then listen. Don’t argue. Remember we are in the beginning years of commercial music in atmos vs 7 decades of stereo. It’s all evolving. As will you.

 

"audiophiles are confused" is rude. Flaming rude and stupid. Everything is DA, cable, amp, crossover, speaker parts.  Quality and synergy and cohesion at all combos matters.  No dogma.  It's a cocktail. There is nothing else to say.  

50 years ago when I was a little pup, half of the cost of an audio system went into the amplification stage (transistor or tube amplifier). Also, the main sound sources (radio, records) were VERY large (we had a roof antenna in our attic that was 10’ long!)

Today a good amplifier on an IC with decent power transistors can cost $3 and fits on a 2" x 2" circuit board! So under these circumstances, where the power amplifier is basically free & tiny, a speaker is more flexible if it has its own amplifier. Meanwhile the sources are mobile devices like smartphones which don’t produce enough power to driver speakers adequately.  Or the sources are things all over the house (remote TVs, computers, virtual assistants) where requiring an outboard amp would be a terrific hassle!

Under these circumstances, shifting the power amplifier from the source to the speaker makes perfect sense!

Ever since 1995 I have felt it was wonderful to be able to buy a $40 AM/FM SONY Walkman + $80 high-end computer speakers and have a $120 home stereo that beats anything less than $450 at the time. The ability to make such mongrel systems is the greatest thing about self-contained audio where only the signal (and not the power) is passed between devices ...

@kota1 

"I disagree that the OP's assertion is rude"

even the title of the post is rude and it goes downhill from there​​​​​​

 

@systembuilder22

I can hum songs in my head for practically $0. It sounds like like humming, with  amazing sound fidelity.