Active vs Passive Speakers | Do You Need An Amplifier?

[@namesbinge3073]

I'm just trying to find a decent speaker for my 8-year-old computer. How did I end up here?

[@asole100]

You ended up wanting to throw a concert with your new possible speakers maybe? 😂

[@namesbinge3073]

@@asole100 update, I ended up with the YU4. Sound is on par with the klipsch 2.1 my brother dumped me in 2014.

[@Jdsofar]

@@namesbinge3073 I have this but am returning it. I think they are junk. Getting something better.

[@helloluiis]

this was EXTREMELY helpful. Thank you for this content

[@DarkoAudio]

Love this channel! However, I think this video really describes the differences between passive speakers and *powered* speakers. Active speakers put the crossover *before* the amplification (where we see one amplifier per driver). With passive speakers, the crossover comes *after* the amplification. I hope this helps.

[@readmelast]

Agree. My "powered" Wharfedale Active Diamonds are just passive speakers with a small amplifier in one cabinet whereas my "active" Mordaunt Short MS 700s (converted using a design based on the BBC LS5/8) are real active speakers and can only be used with their custom external crossovers and power amps. Presumably marketing departments are to blame for this trend in calling powered speakers "active".

[@AudioUniversity]

There is the potential for confusion here! I’ve always treated active vs passive crossovers and active (powered) vs passive speakers as two separate things. You bring up an interesting point - maybe sticking to “powered” when describing the amplifier and reserving “active” for describing crossovers is better.

[@marcusdavey9747]

The opposite of passive is active! Passive speakers are powered as well, by the amplifier, thru the speaker cable. Powered speakers are also passive, since they require a signal input. Neither terminology is perfect.

[@FARLANDER762]

I guess I'm old school here. I much prefer passive because a bad amp can be easily bypassed with passive speakers. Also, some of the earlier and current cheaper active speakers had/have some very pathetic amps in them to keep the weight down. Overheating the amp is also a concern in active speakers, they seldom have fans. JBL EON's had the amp transformer bolted to the speaker frame. I once had to Loctite 7 of them, both 12" and 15", after the 8th had the transformer fall off and bash a hole in the cone. Active speakers are like snakes: they have their place in the world, their place just isn't around me :) Oh, and if your speakers have lights in them (specific exception to JBL SonicGuard), you've missed the boat...

[@archer4922]

Great info. Love my active speakers. Qsc K12's, best speakers I've used for mobile DJing. The set I have now have lasted me over 10 years, they have fallen off of Mardi Gras floats and have been left outside in the rain and of course the random drunk spilling their drink on them and they still work like new, but with a bunch of character marks lol. Little bit of black paint and hammer out the front mesh screen and look like new 🤣.

[@christophercarter7134]

Lol Yea hammer it out

[@optipwr40]

Questions for ya if you happen to see this: 1. When do you turn off your active studio monitors? Or do you keep them on? 2. When using things like the 2i2 or maybe an effects pedal for guitar that feeds into monitors and it has its own volume knob how do you know when to turn up the volume and on which device? your monitors, the 2i2 and effects pedal might all have volume controls. I guess the specific question is "When do you adjust volume on the monitors themselves?" Thank you for your great content!

[@AudioUniversity]

I’ll usually keep my monitors powered on unless I’ll be powering on or off the devices connected to them. In that case, I’ll make sure the monitors are off to avoid pops. As for setting the levels of each device, I’ll usually aim to place the knob I’ll be adjusting the most at a moderate setting (for turning up or down from the starting point) while maintaining a healthy level along the signal chain. Check out this video for more info: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inSleayph7tnrNU

[@optipwr40]

@@AudioUniversity Good points. Thank you!

[@FARLANDER762]

Amps (including active speakers) are ALWAYS the last thing powered on and the first thing powered off.

[@MrDoneboy]

Happy New Year Kyle...Hope you are still playing that Gitfiddle,,,Cheers!

[@AudioUniversity]

Happy New Year, Don!

[@zakgrigerek1530]

I’ve recently been asking this question as I have both types of speakers. Thank you Professor Kyle.

[@DJShuffle07]

I love my 2 pairs of Harbinger vari v2312, I just used both of them for the event DJ gigs yesterday, I didn't have to mess with the bass at the back of the speaker because it already have bass on it's own

[@buildingsheriff]

You are bloody brilliant, Kyle. Great knowledge and superb delivery. Thanks for the content.

[@filosopherf]

Thanks for making it so simple .

[@johnbryan9200]

You'll get a lovely deal on second hand passive pa equipment. Other than that, active makes sense

[@adinnugroho6544]

I have 2 Active Speakers at home. 1 is Skinny and 1 is Big One. Mine are twin speakers when purchased from store, I mean have both Active and Passive Is more than just enough for home audio listening

[@arianrasel3498]

Thank you sir

[@Slurkz]

Great guide! Thanks a lot.

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching, Joris!

[@samjoelj6840]

Thankyou for this video

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching, Sam!

[@SubhashKumar-jq8uf]

Thank you so much sir

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching, Subhash!

[@123Ahilan]

Thank you Kyle!

[@broadcastedtube]

Great Video as usual!

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Roger!

[@tasteapiana]

My main consideration is having a modular system where each step along the signal path can be quickly swapped out for a replacement or upgrade. It's a more costly option and can take more time to build but will result in a more power efficient and robust system. Source > Stereo EQ > Stereo 2-way Crossover > 2x stereo amps (1x running @ 4ohm 50w/50w for passive mid+high bookshelf monitors internally crossed at 2.8k, 1x running @ 8ohm 100w/100w for stereo passive subs with zero internal components but crossed by external crossover at 132hz). If a monitor or amp goes down it can be swapped out quickly, same for a sub. If I need to check bass in isolation I can do so without crosstalk or bleed and if something isn't summing to mono or has phase issues I'll know it and not be guessing. I've learned that the closer you can work as a mastering engineer works from step 1, all the other steps become much easier and faster. Good signals IN during tracking results in good signals OUT at mixing more times than bad signals IN during tracking does. I would suggest dual a 3-way system with 3x amps but that's way too tempting to start playing with the mid-high crossover point when something isn't ''going your way''. 4-way systems are for distributed commercial applications where reflections and room tuning becomes a nightmare. Component crossovers bleed power by default, keeping them down to a minimum is a must as is not driving bass at lower ohms for tightened response. Dual amps in a 2-way monitor is nice but look at how that is implemented 99% of the time. Most powered monitor manufacturers are playing games of cost reduction in this respect and it annoys me to the point of just avoiding them. Look at how JBL is using dsp in their products. Who needs that headache to save $50 or $100 or even $250? I'm sick of the game of expensive gear being timed to fail just so a CEO can ''earn his/her keep''.

[@zipena5926]

For church use . Should we use passive speakers or pa speakers? Thankyou for the answer sir

[@AudioUniversity]

Either could work for a church.

[@mister3722]

Thanks for the help mate

[@wiggyflat]

I am using two record decks and a mixer with an old PA system with quarter inch inputs from the mixer to the amplifier then the same out into passive speakers from the amp but im getting a low hum.

[@christophercarter7134]

Heak yea I'm learning alot though these chanelles

[@chiacarlson1664]

Clean 👍 thank you so much 🙏

[@senogamoses5319]

In terms of producing better sound, which type of speaker works best ?

[@mrkakashi9888]

Thank you so much for the info. For use with a Karaoke machine, would you recommend active speakers or passive + amp? Kindly advise.

[@TravelShortcuts]

Very helpful thanks

[@hughmcgown]

thought i could plug some rca speakers straight into my ps1 cord to bypass the mono crt tv, learnt about passive speakers the hard way, now i need a tiny amp.. or i just get some powered speakers haha damn! Oh well learned something today

[@youssefidhammou4990]

Bro you're amazing

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks, Youssef!

[@ernieredmond8609]

I have singers. How do i add 2 monitors into my mix on my gtd 9600 You are right I have my speakers hooked up on the back through my unbalanced quarter inch A and b. But that leaves me with no way to hook up even one nevertheless two monitor speakers for my singers

[@pspk70]

Excellent !

[@harleyestrada6476]

Is it recommend to use an amp for a powered speaker?

[@toluwalaseayodele]

I'm learning...

[@JohnRanjitDavid]

Nice content 😊

[@GoldenToothBrush]

Can I use a passive mixer with an active speaker and just plug it into said speaker?

[@AudioUniversity]

Yes, you can! Line Level out of the mixer and into the speaker.

[@totodomination6809]

Great explanation :)

[@MichaelDaniels]

At time 01:43 you mention a trs cable... Should we be using these for all equipment? Guitar, Bass, and keyboards?

[@PampostReturning]

Thank you!.

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching!

[@taleinz1]

Help help Amateur here . I have just bought a mixer with an inbuilt amp . (Play music at home guitars etc ). Then I bought a pair of passive speakers . Help with connecting the two. I am being told different things by different people . Thanks in advance 😃

[@ravinwolf4970]

I’m trying to find out if there’s a way to hook a powered speaker to a powered mixing board?

[@japhdanaoofficial2205]

Hi, I have a powered Edifier subwoofer rated at 70 watts RMS and I was wondering if I could connect my bose 101 passive speakers (60 watts) directly to my subwoofer? Or do I need an amplifier to power my passive speakers? Hope I get an answer. 😊

[@pbenson56fran]

Good evening. After listening to your video I am not sure if I need an amplifier or not. Can you direct me to one of your videos that can answer this question. I have a Behringer PK112A. I need to get an in ear monitor system. But the Behringer I chose, best for the type of show I do, does not have the ability to accept an in ear monitoring source. With everything I said please help to direct me to more information. Thank you very much.

[@MichaelDaniels]

If we have an old PA system speakers, can we use these as monitors? If so, do we need an amp for them?

[@Sarakftsolo]

some information i didn’t knew that i needed to know, love the content keep up…

[@AudioUniversity]

Glad to help, @DmDm Extra! Thanks for watching!

[@anweshachakraborty685]

Thanku so much...

[@AudioUniversity]

Thanks for watching, Anwesha!

[@arvinedselsioson6688]

Can I connect an amp modeler (line 6, headrush, etc) directly to a passive speaker?

[@peteralexander1155]

I just bought the Klipsch the Fives. I am new to audio speakers. I have them connected to my LG 65" with the HDMI arc connection. Will there be even more better sound when I apply an amplifier?

[@AudioUniversity]

The Fives have amplifiers built into the speaker cabinet.

[@morespinach9832]

Klipsch is a starter grade sound. Enjoy your speakers.. but your only way in your hifi journey is up.

[@aaronbenjamin7362]

Can I connect my powered bookshelf speakers to my denon x2800h avr?

[@agnibeshkarroy1123]

Is Mackie CR 5bt is combination of active and passive spekar ? Can you please clear my doubt i will be very glad. Love from India

[@باسممحمودمرسي]

Can I use the active speaker as an amp for my bass guitar? Instead of the normal amplifier

[@TheGrateful108]

yes, if it has a jack for the guitar or a mic. Karaoke speakers will play record + voice and guitar= simple mix

[@TheBinaryWolf]

Can an active subwoofer be safely connected to the line out or aux out on a mixer-amp, which does not have a dedicated sub-woofer/LFE jack?

[@MattiasStrandAudio]

Excellent video as always! I have a question regarding power amps and passive speakers and the potential of a video covering the subject. I recently got some NS10's and have been going through forums trying to find a decent power amp for it. In the end i went with Behringer A800, as it seemed like the best for that price, but that fact that the power amp is rated for 200w and the speakers are rated for 50w makes me scared. Although i know this is an exaggerated. How do you go about setting the levels going to the power amp and then the speakers? Do i turn up my sound card level until the power amps input shows (if it haves a monitor function) that the level is at -6 dB (or something), and then just turn up the power amp to a good monitor level? Is there a standard to doing this? What is the general process behind it?

[@AudioUniversity]

It’s better to have too much power than not enough! Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHOTgJ-HlqmSn5Y You bring up an interesting question about setting the gain structure to avoid the possibility of overpowering the amp. I’d be very interested to hear from others about the methods they use! I will usually aim for a line level signal out of the interface and use the attenuation knobs on the amplifier to scale back the power that makes it through to the speakers.

[@PotatoflakeJake]

Yessss get the popcorn and get ready to actually fking understand concepts for once!

[@MexicanLindo]

so i have a question, so im planning to build studio monitors, so my question is what kind of amo would i need because there are amps the have a eq which chance the soind of the speaker aka regular stereo amps like sony etc etc, what would i need to? do?

[@doublek321]

So a setup of a CD player going to a receiver and the receiver going to passive speakers means that the receiver is boosting the signal of the CD player to "speaker level"? Since CDs are mostly outdated at this point, is there a way to send an MP3 output to a receiver and then to passive speakers?

[@AudioUniversity]

That’s right! The line level signal from the CD player goes into the receiver and a speaker level signal comes out of the receiver’s built-in amplifier. Depending on the receiver you’re using, the method will differ for MP3s and other files. Generally, you can connect a source that will play the MP3 to the receiver with an analog cable, a USB cable, or a wireless protocol like Bluetooth. It just depends on the inputs available on your receiver and the outputs on your source.

[@hopesonhigh]

QUESTION: I have a Passive Speaker with a Speakon only input. However I use two Amps - 1 has only Banana Plug terminal output and the other has only a TS/TRS output jack. So, if I use a cable with a Speakon end for the Speaker and the other end I choose to have a TS/TRS plug, is there a TS/TRS adapter for Banana Plugs, so I can use in the other Amp? Is this OK or those it interfere in the audio/power?

[@hobonickel840]

what's the consensus on quality of sound difference these days ...active speakers back in the early days use to be quite inferior and seem to have interference issues.. I just plan on using two monitor speakers and planning to incorporate a vintage analog turntable into my setup ...so what would most people recommend active or passive? which are generally more expensive quality active or passive? You would think active would be but I'm betting that's not the case

[@dhavallakkad4974]

Hi ... i have sony MHC V43D speaker ... from this video, i understood that it is an active speaker having inbuilt amplifier... but if i want to boost the vomule even more, can i connect an amplifier to this speaker ? If yes, which amplifier can be connected to it??

[@RedeyeCountry]

is it possible to daisy chain a passive to a powered speaker

[@MrdotKstar]

Not me with passive speakers wired to a 3.5mm jack and plugged into my laptop ..... That said, I really need to get an amp

[@peteryousef5177]

if i have two different passive speaker can i connect them together ? sec , if i have two different amp........... can i connect them together?

[@saintchristie7029]

Infinity beta 20 speakers. Do you know if these are active of passive?

[@gershuni8]

Is there any issue with using a powered mixer with a powered speaker?

[@AudioUniversity]

You just need to make sure you are using a line level output from the mixer - NOT a powered output!

[@gershuni8]

@@AudioUniversity to clarify, xlr would be on a powered output, so I should avoid that?

[@gershuni8]

I was told that I am using the term powered mixer incorrectly. The mixer I am using is the Pro FX10.

[@AudioUniversity]

Yes. That is not a powered mixer. A powered mixer has a built-in amplifier for powering speakers.

[@gershuni8]

@@AudioUniversity thank you. I really appreciate your videos and website.

[@PotatoflakeJake]

Hey Kyle. Unrelated question so no prob if you don't want to answer but I haven't found any info online. I recently purchased the Zoom L8. I plugged my dt770 32 Ohm into 1 of the 4 headphone Jacks however when I crank the volume to track-able levels, the headphone output clips horribly even though the recorded track has no clips and is clean when listened to. I guess the headphone amplifiers on the L8 aren't powerful enough? Maybe cause its plugged into my laptop as an interface? I'm stuck. Thanks! (I had a scarlet 2i2 3rd with the same setup and I could hear myself Clear and loud.

[@AudioUniversity]

I don’t believe the output power is the problem. The headphone amp should have no issue supplying enough power. Have you recorded the inputs to your DAW to make sure the signals are free of distortion?

[@PotatoflakeJake]

@@AudioUniversity Yes, when I listen to the recorded tracks in reaper the signal is clean and sounds good. The l8 is connected to my surface pro 7 with USB.

[@MatthewMcclatchie123]

Can you explain 1 way speaker , 2 way ect .. if you understand what I am talking about .

[@AudioUniversity]

Check out this video: Complete Guide To Speaker Crossovers [Crossover Settings, Active vs Passive Crossovers, & More] kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnOxqat3a8xgp80

[@richarddegannes2928]

Hi, Would you say that ATC SCM40A (active) speakers are better than their SCm40 model and why? Thanks

[@morespinach9832]

Many reviews on the subject, including A British Audiophile who's an engaging and insightful reviewers. The A version of ATC has their own high quality amp inside the speaker, and it's hard to match that quality unless you go real high end in the amp with more cables... like Gryphon, Pass Labs, Accuphase, Luxman... and even then it's hard. The synergy of drivers/amps being inside the speakers is hard to beat.

[@gikochinai4527]

Why does my passive speaker have two quarter inch inputs?

[@colourbasscolourbassweapon2135]

i'm 1000% use a Passive Speaker subwoofer that a dual 18 inch

[@pamelakamar376]

How much

[@davidperry4013]

Active if you want convenience and passive if you want better sound quality and redundancy.

[@Jamez1093]

So many idiots in the comments 🤦‍♂️ Active speakers: Mixer>speaker Passive speaker: Mixer>amp>speaker It’s really not hard to grasp.

[@palashchoudhury5565]

Active Speaker alwys

[@angelosanchezamrbunaallzz6612]

Superb information sir idol....well appreciated sir..MRBUNAALLZZ of pilipinas..

[@avriyas007]

❤️

[@lucabertolaso2167]

If you speaker do have a woofer... It is a speaker 😂

[@dennisverduz6289]

❤❤👍👍

[@christophercarter7134]

Sp sp

[@dricjackson4902]

Nope… keeping it ol school. Passive has better sound. Active is just loud and bad