Active vs. Passive ?

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I agree with Cam that the new Eon tops (both 10 and 15) look & sound like crap!

JBL should have left well enough alone, but the GOOD NEWS is you can still buy the 46 pound Eon 15's for a really cheap price.

I might buy another pair of Eon 10's if the price comes down to $300 apiece!
 
Had active's, they're gone- Passives with lot's of headroom :D:D:D:D:D:D
 
I have both but use my active only outside, pool parties, that kind of thing. I LOVE me passive system and always have back-up amps and speakers at the ready.
 
I plan on staying in this business for quite a while and I ain't getting no younger. Today I loaded out a big show for a sound job tomorrow morning and all I could think about was how nice the light weight would be....

Then I thought how nice I can make those kiddies sound with those heavy old Cabs and the weight became well worth it for now...

At any big show I run a bi-amped or tri-amped rig and always have power to spare and great tone. There will come a day if I am around long enough that weight will become a major issue, I know that. I also know that for the most part clients don't notice when you have decent tone they are happy but they do notice when you have great tone...

I'll stick it out for a while yet :sqwink:
 
mikeyg said:
I am thinking very seriously of going to active speakers and mostly due to the easier set ups and tear downs.
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Question. How can it be easier to set up and tear down if you have to run two sets of cables per cabinet (Power/AC & Signal)?
 
ahoustondj said:
Question. How can it be easier to set up and tear down if you have to run two sets of cables per cabinet (Power/AC & Signal)?
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I guess it is six of one, half dozen of another. I think that I have just become tired of carrying my amp box and was looking for less bulk. Cable is not a big deal to me. It is light and can be wrapped and stored quickly.
To each his own.
 
mikeyg said:
I guess it is six of one, half dozen of another. I think that I have just become tired of carrying my amp box and was looking for less bulk. Cable is not a big deal to me. It is light and can be wrapped and stored quickly.
To each his own.
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That is all well and good, but there is also a weight difference that really stands out between passive and active cabinets. Although one doesn't think in terms of an extra 12 or 15 pounds being that much but when high lifting a cabinet it can make a huge difference.

Also mentioned by others there is the difference in power, sound and control between an active and passive cabinet in the same make and model. Actives limit all three!
 
Hi Mikey. I say keep your current passive rig and then add a set of FBT Maxx 40a as your second rig. Compare the two for a month and then make your decision based on ease and portability.
As stated in my earlier post I love both. I was against powered rigs before, but I ended loving the ease and sound of powered cab. All of the processing is done internally and all you have to do is plug and play.
 
Fred Stewart said:
Quite possibly for the reasons many mention here, reliability and longevity being tantamount, my friend.

We already have passive systems that work well. They've been working well for many years. Why give up a good thing for something that might serve as well just because it's lighter in weight?

The overall quality is questionable as well. Many plastic active boxes are made in China. They're often loaded with inexpensive, off-brand drivers, not the better quality Eminence and B&C that most OEM manufacturers use.

Can you say Aluminum voice coils, children? I knew you could. ;)

And I am not convinced of the inherent quality of the built-in amps either. I expect my system to be working ten years from now. It's all Made in USA so I suspect it will be. :)

We don't lug the rig up stairs, period. If there's no working service elevator, find somebody with a pair of actives. See if them actives rattle the house or project full range above the roar of the crowd. Ain't likely to happen.
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Fred,
Most of passive plastic speakers are also made in China.
B/C for Europe is Made in Italy and they made also Custom speakers for mostly Italyan Brands.
Eminence in Europe i find are also Made in China.Werry small series comes from US.Check by some other European friends and you will see its true.:sqwink:
 
I've had both and I prefer active. My cabinets are small, light and sounds incredible. Unless you bi-amp your tops in a passive rig, meaning one amp for the woofer and one for the horn (not to mention, more cables!), active tops are going to sound better and be more efficient due to their built-in active crossover. You would also need a third amp for your sub woofer. A built-in 24dB per octave crossover in a bi-amped top will always provide better sound quality than simply pushing power into a passive top equipped with an old-fashioned passive crossover. Do you know how much of your amps power is being sucked up by the passive crossover? Not to mention, the active crossover built into any decent active top is perfectly matched, calibrated and time-aligned for that enclosure and those drivers / amps. Wattage and limiting is perfectly matched to the driver as well. I could go on...

As far as transportation goes... I can carry my normal active sound rig in three parts consisting of just two 36 pound FBT tops and one 90 pound RCF sub. To match that in a passive rig, in addition to the two tops and one sub, I would need three amps, a complicated 3-way crossover and lots of heavy weight speaker wire. No thanks...

For small scale mobile applications, it's active all the way.
 
Question. How can it be easier to set up and tear down if you have to run two sets of cables per cabinet (Power/AC & Signal)?
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I dont have to bring in an extra rack or a large rack with amps in it...
I also dont have to have as much of a variety of cables... I only need XLRs... and Euros for power... I find it much much easier... I also like that I can use multiple outlets around the buildings... I usually will put the speaker near an outlet...
 
OOPS! I kinda made a boo boo. I think of myself as primarily karaoke. In that situatain I don't use subs. This is a passive system.

However, I DO run a straight DJ or mixed event on occasion. When that happens, I use thumpers, and THEY are powered....
 
Prefer and use passive from the get-go!
however, did buy a pair of active speakers I bring along as backups
(for my amp and/or speakers!)
 
"Old school" passive guy here. LOL i like the pain of hefting "big iron" Crowns around. No plans to go active.

Best,

Paul :sqbiggrin:
 
My favorite system (right now) is 100% active:

2 Eon 10 g2 mains (27 pounds each) + one Eon 518s (65 pounds).

This system provides very loud sound for up to 200 persons, with ease of setup and NO AMP CASE!
 
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