Passive vs Active...Again!
My wife and I have made the rounds and have listened to numerous speakers now, not as many as we'd like, but as many as we could within a 3-hour drive. We liked some both active and passive, but it seems most of the active speakers we saw are not that pleasing to the eye (eg: Genelecs).
Not having a dedicated listening room, our room itself is a big problem. We have lots of hard surfaces to deal with.
If we go with passive speakers and the associated gear to go with it, we will need to spend a whole bunch of money on acoustic treatments.
We have a ton of artwork as well and with already limited wall space, we would rather look at the art than a bunch of sound-absorbing panels.
So here's my question: Will active speakers, that may come in cheaper, with room correction software (DSP) be able to tame the sound to a pleasing level in my lively room, or do I go with passives and break out the Rockwool!
Just a side note, I had some Martin Logan Spires in a very similar style room, that was much larger with little acoustic treatments and they sounded pretty good. But in this house I don't have the room to pull the speakers 3 feet of the back wall.
I know there is no perfect answer here, but appreciate any feedback, thanks.
I've tried many DSP preamps. The DEQX was one of the best sounding but most complex to set up. I sent it back. Others are much simpler to operate. Still, a good result with DSP is never free. It takes energy and time get great results. The same is true of a lot of audio, whether it's speaker positioning, integrating subs optimally, or even choosing the right components for your taste. I would not recommend DSP to anyone who can't put in the reading, and the trial and error. They would not be happy with it. The simplest thing is just to use some headphones -- you don't have to consider the room at all, and you don't have to learn anything new. |
Perhaps a hybrid answer will be right. The Vandersteen speakers at the higher levels feature passive above 100 or 200 hertz (depending on model) with 11 bands of analog eq to adjust the powered bass to your room. They are also set to measure flat at the speaker not the listening position as that is how instruments work. The result is you don't have a brightness that would light up your space. These speakers are the only time and phase correct designs throughout the entire lineup. They are not everywhere as they were in the 80's but if you seek them you will find a great dealer to help you audition them without pressure. If you have trouble arranging a demo just call the factory. Richard Vandersteen (founder) is still there everyday to help you out. I am the global sales manager and can be reached at brad@vandersteen.com |
mike_in_nc - "The simplest thing is just to use some headphones -- you don’t have to consider the room at all, and you don’t have to learn anything new"sorry Mike, never have been a headphone guy and never will. I like to feel the music. As far as learning, I love to learn, but I just want to listen to some music, I do not want to spend hours upon hours re-engineering the wheel.mijostyn - yes, but 3’ is still quite a ways off the back wall, a minimum for any dipole speaker.otooleme - Thanks for the tip, not sure about the older model Vandys but I have heard some of their newer models and they weren't really my wife and I's cup of tea.
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@high-amp, looking into the Kii 3s, I found some info / evaluation - Erins Audio Corner. Kii Audio THREE Review (erinsaudiocorner.com) Scroll to the latency settings part for some insight into the Kii 3 response. The Radiation Pattern is described as Cadioid as is unusual by comparison. The video goes into some detail for explanation of in room response. |
