Perhaps you are in the market for a set of loudspeakers. Or you have been tasked to setup a sound system for a venue. You’ve heard about choosing between either active or passive speakers. But really, what’s the difference between active and passive speakers and which type of speakers should you be getting?
Loudspeakers or speakers are the part of the sound system that projects sound out towards the audience. A familiar sight is probably the set of boxes (known as speaker enclosures) hung up in a venue and aimed out at the crowd.
These loudspeakers need to be powered by an amplifier. It is the amplifier that moves the cones in the speaker boxes to create sound waves that we can hear.
The Difference between Active and Passive Speakers
Here is the main difference between active and passive speakers – an active speaker has a the power amplifier built into the enclosure. On the other hand, a passive speaker makes use of a separate power amplifier unit. This can be situated away from the speaker.
3 Essential Things to Know When Choosing Between Active & Passive Speakers
1. Active Speakers Require Power, Passive Speakers Do Not
Since active speakers have the power amplifier built into them, they require an electrical power source. Wherever you deploy an active speaker, you will not only need to supply it with the speaker cable with the audio signal but also with an electrical power cable.
If you are installing the active speaker at a venue, for example mounting it on a wall at a hall, you will also need to make sure that there is a power supply available for the active speaker.
On the other hand, passive speakers only need to have a speaker cable carrying the audio signal from the power amplifier to the speaker. The power amplifier can be sited away from the speaker, for example, at the location of the mixing console.
2. Active Speakers may include a mixer and EQ
In addition to having a power amplifier built in, many active speakers would also a small mixer section that allow you to directly plug in equipment such as a microphone or a music player. It could even have simple EQ controls to allow you to adjust the amount of bass or treble coming through the speaker.
This makes an active speaker attractive all-in-one solution if you are looking for a PA system that is portable and easy to use. You would just need to supply electrical power to the active speaker and then you can plug in a microphone and start to use it.
3. Cost & Maintenance
As Active Speakers are essentially two pieces of equipment (speaker and amplifier) in one package, they cost more than Passive Speakers. To do an apple-for-apple comparison of the cost of an active speaker with a set of passive speakers, you would need to consider the cost of the separate power amplifier as well.
Another consideration when deciding between an Active Speaker and a Passive Speaker is the ease of maintenance. With a sound system using Active Speakers, if the speaker fails, you could need to send in the entire unit (effectively both the speaker and amplifier) for repair. On the other hand, with a sound system that uses Passive Speakers, if either the speaker or the amplifier fails, only the component that is faulty needs to be sent for repair.
Deciding on Active vs Passive Speakers
Whether you choose to get active or passive speakers will depend on your circumstances and what you intend to use them for.
Many venue installations make use of passive speakers for ease of maintenance and customizability. For example, the wattage of the power amplifier can be selected based on the needs of the venue.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a portable and easy to use speaker system, an active speaker may sufficient for your needs. However, you will need to bear in mind that electrical power is required for the active speaker.