Do Active Speakers Belong In A High End System?

.
With the rise in popularity of Class D amps, it would seem to be a no-brainer for active speakers to begin to flourish in the marketplace. Their small size and light weight certainly make it feasible to attach them to full sized full-range towers.

I think it would take one of the big boys in the passive speaker camp to start offering an active speaker option to get things going on a large scale.

I would hazard to guess that 99.9% of the speaker systems here on the 'Gon are passive. Not counting subwoofers of course.
.

"In a pair of active speakers, you have removed the high end amplifier from from the equation."

That's a problem. A high end system usually calls for a high end amp.

"Is a serious active full-range tower speaker a high-end audiophile possibility?"

Only if it sounds good.

The technology is there... it could be easily done and done well. The question is which companies will be the first to start the trend?

Active ATCs are among the best sounding stereos I have ever heard

so YES

Can be done well at modest cost as well. My NHT M00s are killer near field monitors w built in amp that I use at my computer. but I wouldn't consider an active speaker for my big rig 'cause I've never heard a SS amp that I prefer over the hollow state amps I use.