Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

@kota1 You have such a good attitude toward sound, the limitations are personal prejudice and being willing to change. I disagree with the people who say just enjoy the music. Audiophiles do have a place in the sound world they are the people who are obsessed with the pursuit of perfection in sound. Mixers don't mix for common fans, I use the Francine model (my wife) someone who cares more than the normal person about sound but not for myself or the person who really wants perfection, that is to expensive for any producer. If there were no audiophiles or people trying to reach the unattainable sound would deflate to mp3 and the lowest common denominator.

 

@fair

Cheap actives tend to use insufficiently sized power supplies, dubious thermal management, and cheap highly-distorting transducers. Correspondingly, they don’t sound all that good, and don’t last for long either.

Ahhh, there is a big difference between "cheap" and inexpensive. DTS-Playfi has an ecosystem of manufacturers making "inexpensive" active speakers. The speakers are not high end, but not crappy/cheap. I have a pair of Def-Techs W9’s in the dining room and a pair of Paradigm Shift A2’s in the office connected to a Play Fi preamp, the PW Link. They sound great and I have an outrageous, inexpensive bargain for you that is NOT cheap garbage and around $600 for an entire system, speakers, amps, dac, ARC room correction, and a streamer. It is all built into the speakers, no boxes, no problem. Basically plug and play:

But the PW system excelled when I used the two PW 600s as a stereo pair. This can be easily set up in DTS Play-Fi, but you have to remove them from surround-sound mode. Configured as a stereo pair, the PW 600s sounded outstanding, easily rivaling separate speakers and electronics costing many times their $1198/pair price.

@kota1 respectfully I will add a few things to your post… I’m a musician long before being a decorated engineer. I’m looking at a 1930 Mason Hamlin double B that’s one of the best pianos in the world, and a room full of instruments that are mine as well from the past. I’ve helped companies like Bricasti and Mytek, to create some of the best DA conversion in the world. I have 1 foot in and 1 foot out of every category here. The thing about a lot of these posts is either it’s an argument for a certain conceptual approach, or a defensiveness about our own purchases, or a look for confirmation of what we’re doing from insecurity … And all of that is the wrong way to go. The right way to go is to understand that there is no perfect, there is no right or wrong, it’s a subjective journey that involves both our taste and a variety of scientific choices that all stem from the notion of positive compromise, meaning that we get the most and lose the least. The notion of right and wrong is completely opposite and narcissistic, as if there is any external standard. So the real challenge of putting together a system is that it has to come from decisions that only you can make for yourself… This is the world of artistry. This is where the two worlds dovetail. Music making uses science, but it’s ultimately a personal decision and putting together a system uses science yet it’s ultimately a personal decision. I science serves the process, it doesn’t dictate the process And anything outside of that is a trap. Music makers and music listeners all have the same goals: connection, community, elevation. Joy. It would be a simpler world if it was possible to come to such things by following directions from outside of ourselves, but that’s not the truth. Enjoy the ride :)

@donavabdear , before I had room treatments I was stuck. Most of what I could find about acoustic treatments was re: stereo, not Atmos. I had an inspiration to reach out to a studio where they mixed immersive content. I figured these guys are doing the content and if I can setup my room like they do I’ll have a better chance at getting a more accurate reproduction of what they heard in the studio. Can you imagine my surprise when Marti Humphrey from thedubstage replied to my e-mail! I wasn’t a client, a customer, just some guy from Timbuktu and he couldn’t have been nicer. He asked for pics, I sent them and my setup works for Auro 3D and Atmos and I told Marti I like Auro 3D. He copies Wilfried Van Baelen from Galaxy Studios, founder of Auro 3D who checked the pics on my room and they both provided excellent encouragement and feedback. I reached out to Anthony Grimani who also gave me excellent suggestions. So, although I am not a mixer that community you work with is five star, all the way from my experience. When I completed the room treatments as they suggested it sounded nothing like I could have imagined. Now the room correction software I use can do a much better job as room correction is limited in what it can do. Lucky for me I was not only looking to change but got a good roadmap. Thanks.

@brianlucey , all of these decisions about curating a system require components and that goes hand in hand with risk. Yes, many, many threads here evolve from insecurity, I agree. It is great when you can address that insecurity from the feedback and experiences of fellow members before you pull the trigger. For example, I bought a media player that had amazing upconversion ability for dolby vision. Not expensive but not cheap. I was insecure about the purchase and the claims. The product did what it claimed re: video but the audio was sub par, and the software to run the OS was android based and IDK android beyond using my phone. Glad I didn’t purchase a more expensive model, whew.