Passive Vs Active Speakers: What's Better!? Airpulse A300 Pro Review

Curious about how passive and active bookshelf speakers compare? Look no further, as my detailed comparison shows you everything you need to know!
Buy the Airpulse A300 Pro from Amazon: locally.link/jRnZ
Airpulse A300 Pro specs: fave.co/3zO8BNg
My Audi e-tron S review on TotallyEV: • Audi e-tron S review (...
My passive setup: • Q Acoustics 3030i revi...
Buy the Q Acoustics 3030i from Amazon: locally.link/dukM
Q Acoustics 3030i specs: fave.co/2AmI92x
Buy the Q Acoustics Q B12 subwoofer from Amazon: locally.link/0RWU
Q Acoustics Q B12 specs: fave.co/3AeZHtG
Buy the Cambridge CXA61 amplifier from Amazon: locally.link/XOkP
Cambridge CXA61 specs: fave.co/3C6mIjw
Creative E-MU XM7 surrounds: • Creative E-MU XM7 revi...
Buy the Creative E-MU XM7 from Amazon: locally.link/uwV7
Edifier S3000 Pro review: • Edifier S3000 Pro revi...
Buy the Edifier S3000 Pro from Amazon: locally.link/IMUj
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Video timestamps:
Price: 00:00
Connectivity & features: 00:42
Circuitry & issues: 04:15
Sound demos: 05:36
Audio setup: 08:29
Bass: 09:41
Mids & highs: 10:55
Soundstage & gaming: 12:41
What is best: 13:41
#speaker
#speakers
#edifier
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Unless otherwise specified, I'm not sponsored, endorsed or given any monetary incentives for reviews. All views and opinions are my own.
Enjoy!
Chris

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Buy the Airpulse A300 Pro from Amazon: locally.link/jRnZ My Audi e-tron S review on TotallyEV: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnTWiGZoeq-gf8U Video timestamps: Price: 00:00 Connectivity & features: 00:42 Circuitry & issues: 04:15 Sound demos: 05:36 Audio setup: 08:29 Bass: 09:41 Mids & highs: 10:55 Soundstage & gaming: 12:41 What is best: 13:41

[@user-hr4hu8xb5f]

This is pretty unfair to the a300 pro which is meant for mid-field or far-field listening, plus the treble/ bass knobs are for room modes not really for personal taste. Also both the Qacoustic and airpulse are choking to death, the Qacoustic may have a better time cause the low end is passed to the subwoofer but still lol.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

You could create the argument at any distance/place/product. Note, the S3000 Pro didn't struggle, nor should a product that's double the price.

[@DangerousDougal]

I'm inclined to agree. You've not given either speakers a good platform to show what they're cable of. Badly positioned, one set with a sub the others without one, and maybe not the best DAC plus how good is the source material? It's fun to do these tests but the way you've gone about provides a misleading outcome.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

@@DangerousDougal you're welcome to your own opinion, but it's wrong to think you need to setup a speaker in a set way etc. Happy with my setup and have been for a good portion of a decade.

[@DangerousDougal]

@@TotallydubbedHD what I'm getting at is that the speakers could be set up much better. You may be happy with your set up, which is great but what you have is not optimum. You're not showing what they're really cable of. Set them on solid stands with the tweeters at ear level with good isolation and no reflective surfaces affecting the sound and they'll sound even better. What you have isn't showing what the speakers are really cable of. You'll therefore not be able to provide a true comparison as your really strangling them so to speak.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

@@DangerousDougal that won't work with my setup. Should I turn my entire room upside down to cater for just two speakers? No. Stop with this nonsense.

[@kennethdesiderio8153]

does the edifier remote have bass and treble button adjustment?

[@Karol-vn7lu]

Thank you for your review :) . What surprised me the most is that you said that your passive system has better soundstage. Those speakers are recommended because of great soundstage. Obviously I need to hear them myself. As always everything comes to personal taste but thanks for your opinion either way!👋

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Pleasure, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@binoymathew246]

Nice review. 👍🏽

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Thank you!

[@madd5]

Hard to reach volume knob? Doesn't it have a remote?

[@ggdfggdfgdffgfddg34]

Dude you did what I dreamed of!

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Glad you enjoyed the review!

[@ggdfggdfgdffgfddg34]

@@TotallydubbedHD the only friend if you order them directly from China, they will cost you $ 1000. one question is how to connect an active speaker to your cambridge amplifiers through a symmetrical connection?

[@TotallydubbedHD]

@@ggdfggdfgdffgfddg34 not sure you'll want to do that with customs fees though lol

[@ggdfggdfgdffgfddg34]

@@TotallydubbedHD one question is how to connect an active speaker to your cambridge amplifiers through a symmetrical connection?

[@Vi-XiphiqiX]

So passive for Bob Marley and Active for Death Metal was a misconception. :D Cheers for the information, thumbs up!

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Haha, thanks!

[@chandleryt7496]

Very informative 👌🏻

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Thanks buddy!

[@English4J]

Even I understand your perspective somehow, I wonder why you didn't use a balanced DAC - like i.e. the SMSL D-6 (169$) - in order to compare apples with apples, in particular: active vs. passive speakers with a active sub connected to the signal chain of each contestant? Your chosen setup defines the outcome, imho. Another shortcoming which isn't mentioned but displayed with the acoustic perfomance of the given setup, is the bandwith limit of the A300 pro Kleernet wireless connection. Your test signal bandwith of 24/192 is converted to max. 24/96 by XMOS and transferred to the left speaker (slave) using Kleernet. Therefore this wireless mode seems to be flawed, but practical in real life situations. However, if you really want to test performance you should rather select the best performance practise for both chains under review. Sorry to conclude, your review shows Apples vs. Oranges, imho.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Yes, very much in your opinion. While in my realistic test, it's fair and I'm happy with the analysis.

[@English4J]

@@TotallydubbedHD It's surely good for you that you feel happy. For your own trade and craftmanship, it may be an objective to accept critical amendments to your work rather as an opportunity than an personal attack. I understand that the internet makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish this. Have a perfect NYE.

[@Patrick-hq9yp]

Hi, can you help me? I can't decide between these 3 monitors. 1. AOC 24G2U 2. ASUS TUF VG249Q1R 3. ASUS VG249Q

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Not tried the others but can recommend the AOC

[@triumphant_54]

hi, have you listen to the B&O 607 s2 anniversary edition?

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Sorry, what?

[@2k9flash]

I currently have Edifier s3000pro and do you think is it worth to upgrade to Airpulse a300pro ? Will I hear better sound quality ?

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Nope, would be a sidegrade

[@PeterPeter-zd7eo]

Of course. This is a completely different class of equipment, components, etc. You just need to know that these are not desk speakers. Distance is needed for them to play to their full potential. It's best to check it yourself because everyone perceives sound differently

[@evgenishestoperov54]

@@TotallydubbedHD Of course it's worth going over. I had S3000mkII and sold them, now I have A 300pro and it's the best sound quality.

[@vladsavchuk5265]

Can you please tell me that every active speaker you tested has that static noise when idle? I especially interested in Airpulse A80 that you reviewed earlier. Recently, I bought an Audioengine A1 for a mobile/movable laptop setup, and it also has the same idle noise even without input cables connected. The noise is prominent even from 1.5-2 meters away. They sound great to me even without a sub, but I had to return them because my purpose is to use speakers only with background music at low volume when working. And as I set the volume level to low, that noise interferes with the sound. It is a horrible situation. I don't understand why they produce such products and market them for desktops, and who is going to tolerate this? I also have my old Creative T7900 7.1 PC setup that has gone through two repairs since 2007. The satellites are passive and also have such a noise when idle, but it's much lower and only noticeable from a very close distance, probably 20-30 cm.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

That to me sounds like you've got an issue with your socket or computer connection (interference).

[@vladsavchuk5265]

​@@TotallydubbedHD Unfortunately not. I disconnected the passive speaker and the audio input and tried different sockets, as well, without any electric devices and wires nearby. So, even with one speaker with just a power cable connected, when I turned it on, the exact constant noise you recorded in this video occurred. As I mentioned earlier, it could be tolerated from a distance of 2-3 meters, but not on the desktop where I sit at a distance of 1-2 meters. So that was my question whether you noticed a similar idle noise with other systems, particularly with Airpulse A80?

[@TotallydubbedHD]

@@vladsavchuk5265 if I did, it would have been highlighted in the video to be honest! I'm VERY sensitive to such interference (pointing it out in other electronic devices, such as monitors and soundbars, too!)

[@vladsavchuk5265]

@@TotallydubbedHD Very much thanks for the information. So all is not lost. Probably it was my particular sample of the Audioengine A1. I want to give Audioengine a second chance and try the A2+ model. If this doesn't work, I'll go with Airpulse A80.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

@@vladsavchuk5265 fair enough!

[@alexandrus6653]

U must try yamaha NX-E100/200/400/800,i bought the 200s for like 100 bucks in very good condition and i bet that they sound better than edifiers,they have a very flat sound and u can create music or adjust them so easy to anyone s taste,having a good amp,of course. I have them for 1 month and im still searching for cons,they are just perfect,the highs are so transparent and pleasant for ears,mids are just perfect,and lows are pretty good considering their size,fast,balanced and deep enough. They are another sleepers from yamaha😆

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Glad you're enjoying them!

[@madd5]

Speakers are to close to each other. Put them on top of each other for the best sound.

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Lol.

[@PaperBoat.]

Budget picks: JBL 305p MKii (I have two of them), or Mackie MR524 Premium pick: Adam audio T5V

[@GOLFADDICT65]

I tell ya one thing is would go KLIPSCH THE NINES or THE SEVENS waaaaay before the Airpulse A300's....for many reasons...

[@Astartes5]

I have Klipsch The Sixes and I'm totally disappointed in the sound department (connected via optical/usb cable to my PC). The bass is heavy and bold but my old cheap Microlab Solo 6c produces much clearer sound in mids and highs. That's why I am most likely moving to Airpulse A300