To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

T o be ac tive or not to be ac tive – that is the question...

1. A c t i ve, pa ssi ve – t he si t ua t i on
2. A c t i ve a nd pa ssi ve l oudspea k er – t he ba si c di fferenc e
3. Pa ssi ve l oudspea k er
4. A c t i ve l oudspea k er
5. T he A D A M l oudspea k er: pa ssi ve opt i on, a c t i ve opt i mum

1. Ac t ive ver sus P assive – t he S it uat ion

In any hifi-system, the loudspeakers are the pivotal component concerning sound quality.
That is not to say that the other components do not matter. Nevertheless, it is indisputable
that the loudspeaker is decisive for the sound of a hifi-system. It is – besides the acoustical
properties of the listening room and the recording itself – the core of any music
reproduction.

The history of loudspeaker development has produced a great variety of very different
systems and designs. The circuit technology of the frequency-separating filter that separates
the audio signal into different frequency ranges is determining the design of a loudspeaker.
In this respect we distinguish between active and passive systems. Usually, this is a topic
that is often underestimated in its importance for sound quality. Active-passive is much
more than just a technical negligibility: In fact, the impact of the dividing network on the
overall sound of a loudspeaker is substantial.

Active or passive – which system is preferable? Considering the aspects mentioned before, it
may become a little more comprehensive why the very question comes up over and over
again in the hifi-world. For decades it has been spooking as a debate on principles in the
journals and magazines and for some time, now, in the web forums. It is a debate that often
has a polemic character and that is one corner stone of controversy in high fidelity.

For the music lover interested in that matter the arguments of this discussion are not always
comprehensible. This is the reason why we would like to present the basics of this topic, i.e.
the advantages and disadvantages of both active and passive systems, aiming at explaining
the fundamental technical differences of these systems and their impact on the sound of a
loudspeaker in an intelligible way.

page 1
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

2. Ac t ive und passive loudspeaker – t he basic Differ enc e

Generally speaking, active and passive loudspeaker systems are different in respect to the
amplifying and the crossover network. Active systems (in the strict sense of the word) have a
built-in amplifier and an electronic dividing network whereas passive systems are driven by
an external receiver or power amplifier and have a passive frequency-separating filter. That
means:

a) A passive system amplifies – necessary for the transformation into sound waves –
the music signal externally whereas an active system has integrated amplifier
sections.

This difference brings about differences concerning the design of active and passive
loudspeakers. The most crucial aspect is the succession of amplification and frequency-
separation of the filter(s). That means, the second important difference concerns

b) the design (construction) and the parts employed in the crossover network.

Before we address these aspects in more detail we can pin down that active/passive is not
a marginal feature of loudspeakers but an alternative of principle nature in terms of
amplification and crossover network.

page 2
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

3. P assive Loudspeaker Syst ems

Passive Systems still dominate the world of hifi. This predominance has many reasons of
which the following two are the most important ones in regard of our topic:

• On the one hand, the occasional susceptible active electronics and,

• on the other hand, the fact that there have been only a very few convincing agents of this
kind on the market which could live up to the promise of technical superiority.

But how do passive systems basically work and what are the problems with this technology?

3.1 Const ruc t i on of a pa ssi ve l oudspea k er

For the transformation of the audio signals into sound waves, passive loudspeakers require
an external power amplifier. That means that the loudspeaker gets a signal that already has
been amplified and is many times ‘bigger’ than the original signal.

In the loudspeaker, this signal hits the (passive) crossover network that divides it up into the
different frequency bands.

Figure 1: passive crossover network

The massive components (spoolings, condensers, etc.)

are obvious at first glance, especially when compared
to an electronic crossover network (see fig. 3).

Having been divided into these different bands, the electrical signals are being sent to the
corresponding drivers, which transform them into mechanical vibration, i.e.: sound waves.

Now, the crucial point here is the downspout of amplification, split-up, and distribution of
the audio signal, to put it simply: Where and when happens what to the signal? Figure 2
visualizes the way of the signal: First comes the amplification, then the split-up into the
different bands, and finally the transmission to the driver.

page 3
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

Figure 2: Schematic representation of the

signal’s run in a passive three way loudspeaker

The original audio signal ≈ is amplified (bold lines)

and separated • into high (high pass), middle
(band pass), and low (low pass) frequencies. Then
the signal is forwarded (dashed lines) to the
corresponding driver that transforms it into sound
waves and radiates them.

3.2 D i sa dva nt a g es of pa ssi ve syst ems

It is exactly this progression of the signal described above that causes the main problem of
passive loudspeakers (compared to active):

• Generally, the high signal streams require massive components of the frequency-
separating filters. These massive components inevitably cause distortions and
phase shifts. To put it differently: Exactly because the original signal is being
amplified before it reaches the crossover network, its components (resistors,
spoolings, condensers, etc.) have to be quite voluminous to be capable to
withstand the amperage. So, a st rong si gna l hi t s st rong resi st a nc es.
Inesc a pa bl y, t hi s si g na l wi l l be i mpa i red a nd di st ort ed.

• The most important specific deprivation caused by passive filters is the so-called
‘damping factor’. This factor indicates the precision with which an amplifier is able
to control the movements of the membranes (of the drivers). A bad damping factor
means that the amplifier is not capable of controlling (the vibrations of) the
membrane(s) in an exact way. Distortions concerning the sound are inevitable. Up
to date high-class amplifier achieve excellent damping factors – but the passive
crossover network impairs this factor drastically. To put it simple: In pa ssi ve
l oudspea k ers, t he frequenc y-sepa ra t i ng fi l t ers a re l oc a t ed i n
bet ween t he a mpl i fi c a t i on a nd t he dri ver uni t s a nd nec essa ri l y c a use
a l oss of prec i si on wi t h whi c h t he a mp c a n c ont rol t he dri vers.

The best (and therefore quite expensive) crossover networks available today can reduce this
impairment but never avoid it. Even the best ones diminish the damping factor drastically,
on average down to five (yes, 5!) percent of the original value!

page 4
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

4. Ac t ive loudspeaker s

Due to their different construction, active systems are able to avoid the problems explained
above. They can process the electrical signal much more efficiently and almost lossless
before it is being sent to the single driver.

But how do active systems basically work and are there any other problems with this
technology?

4.1 D esi g n of a n a c t i ve spea k er

The crossover network of active systems gets the electrical signal directly from the music
source (e.g. CD-Player, preamplifier, etc.) and therefore does not need massive components
to withstand high currents.

figure 3: active (electronical) crossover network

A comparison with a passive filter (see fig. 1) makes
the differences become evident.

Since the electronical signal is very weak and the components of the network do not
subtend any considerable resistance to the signal, it can be split-up with almost no loss or
any kind of impairment. Within the realm of their frequency bands, the signals now reach
their own amplifier. They are amplified and sent to the corresponding driver. That means,
that each driver gets an almost loss-free electrical signal that it now has to transform into
mechanical vibrations.

Figure 4: Schematic representation of the

signal’s run in an active three way loudspeaker

The original audio signal ≈ is sent directly (dashed lines)

to the electronic crossover network•and separated
into high (high pass), middle (band pass), and low
(low pass) frequencies. An own amp then
amplifies ‘his’ frequency range. Finally, this signal is
sent (bold lines) to the driver.

page 5
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

So, each driver has its own power amplifier. The loss-free processing of the signals and the
direct coupling of driver and amplifier result in an optimal damping factor, so the amp has
perfect control over the driver. This means that a fundamental problem of all passive
speakers can be avoided and the aim of authentic music reproduction approaches.

4.2 D i sa dva nt a g es of a c t i ve syst ems?

So how about possible problems of active loudspeaker systems? One hears respectively
reads of mainly two objections: On the one hand the alleged susceptibility to damage of the
active electronics, on the other hand higher costs.

The latter one is simply a prejudice although a very obstinate prejudice that has been
passed on over decades. There are differences concerning specific models, of course. But in
general, an active speaker system is not more – rather less! – expensive than a set of
passive loudspeakers and adequate external amplifiers. The point is not to compare apples
and oranges but systems of assimilable quality.

The mentioned susceptibility, however, is a different matter and a point that one has to take
serious. It is a fact that in the past some active systems did show technical problems. The
main reasons for that were deficient amplifier designs and strong heat development.
Especially with bigger systems this heat could cause problems because it made the system
susceptible do different kinds of damage and diminished the durability.

This problem has been tackled by the development of new amplifier technologies. ADAMs
PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) amplifiers have an extremely high efficiency of more than
90%. That means they produce only one fifth of earlier A/B amplifiers. Due to substantial
progress in components and circuit technology excellent power amplifiers became possible
which belong to the absolute top class concerning technical data as well as sound quality.

So, the one and only serious problem of active speaker systems could have been solved.
What remains is a distinct superiority concerning both technical aspects and the sound
quality.

page 6
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

5. ADAM loudspeaker s: passive opt ion, ac t ive opt imum

Which system is to be preferred – an active or a passive loudspeaker? In the professional

audio world, this question has been answered a long time ago decidedly in favor of active
systems. Accordingly, this question is not posed anymore in the professional area. The
superiority of active systems has not only been theoretically but also practically proved.

Nevertheless, in the world of hifi passive system are still predominant. It would go beyond
the realm of this text to speculate about the reasons concerning habits, the market and
alike. Without any doubt one can achieve good results with passive loudspeakers if the hifi
components (and the loudspeakers in particular) are of the appropriate quality. That is the
main reason why ADAM offers hifi speakers as passive (or semi active) versions, too. Our
active technology is an important feature but only one of many features, which are
responsible for the outstanding sound quality they are famous for. This allows any music
lover who does not want to relinquish his own amplifier(s) to enjoy the ADAM sound.

We are, however, convinced of the advantages of active loudspeakers. Due to our far-
reaching experience in the production of active studio monitors and our proprietary
transducer technology we are able to offer loudspeakers that avoid earlier problems of
active systems. We have developed many both passive and active models and thus have a
wealth of experiences in that matter. Over and over again we found that despite similar
overall sound the active versions always showed advantages concerning the precision and
the resolution of the sound.

Truly, we are not alone in advocating active systems. To give you only one example amongst
many more, the eminently respectable German magazine image hifi writes:

“…refrain from the baublery with power amplifiers and loudspeaker cables. Thus
with active configurations alone one can expand into the very best reproduction of
music. No driver, as perfect as it may be, can give back what the passive crossover
network takes away from the signal.” (02/2001)

Active or passive? At the end of the day it is one’s own ear, it is one’s own taste that decides
– and there’s (no) accounting for taste. If, however, one takes the technical and acoustical
facts serious, this decades-long question would need to be rephrased: why still passive at
all?

page 7
www. adam-audio.com
 To be active or not to be active – that is the question...

© Copyright 2007 ADAM Professional Audio (www.adam-audio.com). All rights resevered. If

you use this text and/or the figures in any way, please make sure you clearly indicate its origin.

page 8
www. adam-audio.com