mwmkravchenko
Active Member
An intelligent question. I'll try yo give you an answer.
Best.
Best means not opinion of what a person tells you is best. But what you can demonstrate as being best.
So lets look at a few simple things.
In a real blind listening test a given two amplifiers with similar power ratings and similar distortion will not be discernible from each other.
Not new. Also not saying that there are no poorly designed amplifiers out there. There are. But I'm referring to competent designs.
An amplifier per section of frequency division is a great way to assign amplifier power and headroom capability. Ideally you have amplification that can reach, and exceed your design goals of getting 105db at the listening position on peaks as stated in my beginning goals post.
That's a number very few of the mentioned loudspeakers in this thread can even attain anywhere in the musical spectrum.
So why amplifier per bass, midrange, and treble? Simply because you have eliminated inter-modulation at one of it's sources. Power supply modulation as well.
Best is the goal. not the status quo.
Second. It is true that you can mimic any crossover reduction slope in either passive or active. This is possible. You can even contour your frequency response. But you cannot add gain. You cannot add, you must always reduce in your attempts to compensate the response when you are using passive components. Reduction is the key, you loose efficiency. And you will hear this when you are comparing a highly efficient loudspeaker system next to a low efficiency loudspeaker system.
Third. Power where needed with the headroom required. A truly well engineered system does this. You have people that design and research what is required. Not leaving these kinds of decisions to people with little to no understanding of what it takes to achieve the best outcome for a complex loudspeaker. It is like taking your Ferarri to a tractor repair garage and thinking that with no problems whatsoever they will be able to make adjustments and repairs to your sports car. Yes they are mechanics. But do they understand what and how your Ferrari works when they work on John Deeres and Internationals? Hardly. The audio press has set itself up as the clergy of audio. Listen to us. We have the answers. Just like the church of old they have vested interests. And they want to keep things the way they are. Asking questions simply rocks the boat. ANd we don't want that do we?
Yes, I mean that reviewers do not necessarily know what is best. They have an agenda. selling you more reviews. As do the mix and match amplifier and magic cable people.
A best system is exactly that. A system. Not everything that has been done for decades in audio is best.
A simple point. Loudspeaker motors. The best design borne out by many research papers, and known for decades is the underhung voice coil motor. It means that the magnetized portion of the motor, the top plate is taller than the height of the voice coil. It's advantages start with lower distortion and wider usable bandwidth generally speaking. It's downside? Expensive to make.
Never heard of them? I wonder why? ( Expensive to make remember ) I have taken systems that I designed for clients and designed them underhung equivalents. They never go back to a conventional motor. The difference is noticeable. It's literally a clarity or removing of a veil between you and the music. And that is the types of distortion that are inherent in the way a tall coil short magnetic gap motor works. Something you only notice in it's absence. But, once it's gone. It is very noticeable.
Also has zero to do with cables or amplifier changes.
I'll add.
I have great admiration for competent cable design, good amplifier and preamplifier design of Class A, A/B, B G and Switching amplifiers. They all can sound very good if they are designed to the state of the current art.
I'll give you that there are really poorly designed cables. Ones that have excessive impedance or capacitance. But funny enough they are not the cheap ones that exhibit these characteristics. I value a good solid male and female connector. Not bashing everything thing. Just hoping for reason and moderation in design and spending choices.
So what should such a monster of an loudspeaker all powered and ready for flight cost?
Reasonably about $60k, if you totally trick out the cabinetry in exotic veneers and finishes add another $20k. Factory direct that would pay the B.O.M. and the R&D in small runs and modest sales. And you could honestly say you are producing state of the art bleeding edge loudspeakers.
If you are still wondering. Passive versus active.
How many studios are running passive monitors?
And why do they run active monitors?
And why are the majority of those monitors at least from the midbass on up highly efficient systems?
Mark
