Thoughts on Active/Passive Speakers? Looking for pros and cons.

Sorry, guess I'm the one that jumped to a conclusion. I was not even thinking about amps internal to the speakers.

Active crossovers are the BEST. Contrary to what hilde45 said, the opposite is true, gives you more amplifier options. Benefits - Almost total elimination of intermodulation distortion, which is what your ears are most sensitive too. No phase shift, extremely low THD, no delay unless you choose to add some. Very low resistance between voice coils and amplifier outputs, so more power goes directly to the drivers. I do not use anything but wire between the driver voice coils and amplifier outputs.
Passive crossover benefit - You may not blow your drivers if the amplifier has a hard failure. However, with an active and nothing between the voice coils and amplifier outputs, I have only blown one (1) midrange and (1) tweeter in 41 years! (Tri-amped) It is not a guarantee that you will blow a driver without caps and inductors in line with the outputs of the amplifiers. It is a guarantee that the sound will be muddy and not as clear as an active crossover. Wait for others to respond.

fuzztone - Huh, I don't get it. If your comment was for me, I said passive crossovers will protect drivers better. Since when are actives built to matched amps?

There seems to be a big disconnect here. An active speaker design is a system which includes amplifiers, drivers and an active crossover. What I am talking about is an electronic crossover or active crossover which distributes the correct band of frequencies (my choice) through the amplifiers of my choice to the drivers of my choice. The active electronic crossover can be analog or digital and include a range of other options. By locating the active crossover and amplifiers outside of the speaker enclosure, it allow for so many more choices. Crossover frequencies, slopes and many driver options. Just because a tweeter is designed to operate over a range of say 1kHz. to 20kHz., with a 12db/octave slope, doesn't mean it should or must be operated over those parameters. For example, a large Heil tweeter will operate from 800Hz. on up in a 2-way design. I have used this driver crossed over at 3kHz. or higher with astonishing results in 3-way or 4-way systems. If this is beyond comprehension, I can just stop my participation. Does anyone understand or want my input? I think cd318 understands what I'm talking about. 

Nope, not at all. You bypass the passive crossovers entirely. Eliminating resistances of the inductors and phase shift and delay of the caps. Solid wire between voice coils and amplifier outputs. You can still use you DSP for corrections if you like...

mijostyn - This is fiesta75 or maybe there is a fiesta25 too. I've been active crossover bi-amping for a couple years longer, but that's not the point. Seriously, you should know by now that an active system is superior in ALL resects, that kinda why you are bi-amping. In this most recent post you indicate that your speakers are active, I understand that. They are plug & play, not really an active SYSTEM. You say the "brilliance controls" are what would get burned up incase of an amplifier failure, isn't adding a control or resistance after the amplifier outputs counterproductive? Is it a digital control? An active bi-amp system is with the crossover at the INPUT of the amplifiers and nothing but wire after the amplifier outputs. A passive bi-amp system is with the crossover after the amplifier OUTPUTS. Your system has active speakers, the crossover could be active or passive, correct? So which is it, do you know? It seems like you've been at this long enough to realize that a system with an active crossover sounds better than a passive one. PS. I totally agree that the best crossover is no crossover. 
andy2 - As for phase shift you understand the concept correctly, capacitors add a 180 degree phase shift. But when they are coupled with inductors and the variable impedances of drivers the entire "system" becomes unpredictable and only roughly stable. Phase shift will not remain constant with the changing frequencies. That's another reason that doing the crossover at the INPUTS of the amplifiers is better, so much more stable and predictable. I'm not wanting to argue, just trying to convince some people to try a "real" active bi-amp or better yet, tri-amp system that allows YOU to make some decisions on the sound outcome. Best to all.

Most, if not all, speakers are designed using active crossovers nowadays. Passive crossover speakers can sound very good, parts cost $$. But if they were left as actives they would sound even better in my opinion. My 2¢