The pros and cons of active vs passive speakers.

                            The pros and cons of active vs passive speakers.

Many people like active speakers, but they may not really understand the pros and cons of passive and active speakers. They just heard that active speakers are better, which may bring a lot of trouble to their future use. It is very necessary to figure out these.

01 Passive Speaker

Passive speakers are also the most commonly seen. The most traditional speakers do not need to be plugged in. They are driven by power amplifiers and connected with speaker cables. They are non-electric devices.

benefit

It works without plugging in itself, and there is no problem in electrical safety. It can be installed in any place where it can be installed, and there is no need to arrange a power supply at the installation location. It is suitable for complex and large-scale fixed installation and mobile systems. The system has a large degree of freedom in construction, is easier to guarantee and maintain, and has high safety and reliability.

disadvantages

Its performance is affected by the length and quality of the external power amplifier and the connection cable between the amplifier and the amplifier, and the performance is relatively unpredictable. The cabinet where the power amplifier needs to be placed, the distance from the speaker to the cabinet will increase the power loss of the power amplifier and reduce the damping coefficient of the power amplifier system, which will have a negative impact on the performance of the entire system.

02Active Speaker

Active speakers are a relatively new form of speakers, with built-in power amplifiers, or DSP processing modules, or even small mixers, which are speakers that need to be plugged in to work.

benefit

The built-in power amplifier of the active speaker avoids the uncertainty of the system performance caused by improper configuration of the power amplifier, and the performance of the system is guaranteed. Moreover, the power amplifier module and the speaker unit can be designed in conjunction with each other to achieve the best match. The power amplifier module also comes with a DSP processor, which optimizes the speaker's own characteristics to make the speaker perform at its best, and is particularly simple and convenient to use.

The connection between the power amplifier and the speaker unit becomes very short (only the distance of the internal space of the speaker), which greatly reduces the power loss and the reduction of the damping coefficient caused by the internal resistance of the speaker line. The cabinet required for placing the power amplifier is omitted, which saves system space and reduces the cost, which is especially convenient for small systems. Easy to install, where the speakers are installed, just pull the power and signal lines there, no need to lay speaker cables (in places far away from the computer room, speaker cables will greatly increase power loss, and it is also a lot of work) cost).

disadvantages

Self-contained power amplifier needs to be plugged in to work, and there is an electrical safety risk. It is not conducive to the safe operation of the power amplifier module when installed in places with fire safety requirements, inconvenient maintenance, poor ventilation, and harsh environments. If there is a problem with the module, it is difficult to replace it in time for remedial treatment on site, which reduces the reliability of the system and increases the difficulty of maintenance. The power amplifier module needs to face many problems. The conventional power amplifier has enough space in the chassis to accommodate the required components, and the power amplifier module needs to compress and pack the components of a normal power amplifier in a small chassis space. Therefore, the performance of the power amplifier module Usually lower than conventional amplifiers.

In addition, the power amplifier module needs to resist the continuous vibration during the working process of the speaker. The power amplifier module is installed in a semi-closed environment such as the speaker. The heat and heat dissipation of the module directly affect the reliability. All of these pose severe challenges to the technical level of the module manufacturer. . Since each speaker requires an independent power supply, it needs to be operated by qualified electrician personnel during installation and use, which increases the trouble of installation and use.