Anyone Using Active Loudspeakers??
neil.gader -- Tue, 05/13/2008 - 14:23
Just interested in forum contributors who enjoy a good active loudspeaker. They offer a lot of advantages. Since they have a known load they are optimized to a specified amp and crossover and they eliminate alot of cable expense. But most of audiophiles I speak with don't take to them. What gives??
Neil
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I have chosen a halfway solution:
1. I selected my loudspeakers of choice (mbl 101e) in my price range
2. They weren't active, though if they had been, that would have been fine with me
3. But, mbl does make amps. I initially thought that I would try less expensive amps than what mbl offers, but eventually switched to mbl amps because on evaluation they seem ideally suited to the speakers
I believe there have been other pairings like this (Classe and B&W; Krell and Apogee)
CEO and Editorial Director, Nextscreen LLC
I do have an active speaker system, upgraded from a passive system in the same manufacturer's range. The difference is not subtle and was a massive improvement. My old speakers were Spendor BC1s which were becoming old and slow, even though much loved. So I auditioned a wide range of alternatives, some of which, but never all, were available in the same store. So I moved around London listening to and comparing two or three at a time in different places. The budget, around 15 years ago, was around £1,000. I listened to newer Spendors, Rogers (RIP!) ProAcs, small Sonus Fabers, Harbeth (you may detect a preference for sonic neutrality creeping in here!) and other sundry brands, before settling, slightly to my surprise, on Linn Keilidhs. These, for those who might not know them, were compact floorstanders with two mid/woofers and a tweeter in a d'Apollito configuration in a sealed box. I found them to be fast and pretty neutral, if a little lacking in get up and go. Then a friend mentioned that he'd heard them driven in an active set up, so I asked my dealer to arrange a dem. We drove them with the lowest end of the then Linn range - a Wakonda pre-amp and two LK 100 power amps with the appropriate internal cross-over boards and the internal crossovers disabled. I already had one LK100 and a Wakonda, so the comparison was relevant. The difference was massive. More slam, more detail, more space and air, more everything. When I got home and listened to the same music on the passive version, it was like throwing half the sound away. I ordered them at once and later upgraded to a third active power amp, for another, smaller, improvement. The system was, by now, multi room, using the Linn Knekt system.
I then upgraded to Linn Ninka floorstanding speakers, which had the same crossover points, so the same amps worked well. That was another improvement. I then upgraded the power amps to Linn Klouts and had the boards transferred. Another major leap forward. The last big leap was to upgrade again to Linn Akurate 242 floorstanders, which are driven actively by five power amps, the three Klouts and a four channel 4100 power amp. By this time, I had upgraded the preamp to a Kairn and finally a Klimax Control and bought a secondhand CD12, which Linn serviced and brought up to spec. The other main source is an SME model 10 turntable, with series V arm, Linn Akiva cartridge and Linto phono stage. This now sounds tremendous and beats the passive version on dem at my dealer into a cocked hat!
The downside is cost. For the price of the speakers, crossover boards and five power amps, you get a lot of choice! In another home, where I use a Linn Akurate DS streamer with all my CDs and high res downloads on a NAS drive (this feeds a multi room system with PMC GB1i speakers as the main front speakers in a medium size living room) we are just building an extension with a large listening room. The stand alone system there will have a Linn Klimax DS streamer and Klimax pre-amp, with the SME as the other main source. I considered another active Linn system, but the price of the Klimax active system really is prohibitive. So there, the power amps will be two NuForce Reference 9 V3 SE mono power amps driving a pair of Usher BE10s in passive mode and this, to me, sounds utterly wonderful. The cost is not dissimilar to the Linn Akurate active set-up, but sounds, to these ears at least, miles better. I haven't made a comparison to the Klimax active system at roughly double the price, as that was getting just too expensive. So the point about comparing active versus passive at the same price point is truly relevant, as excellent speakers and amps can sound better passive than less good components in an active system. Within a one brand upgrade path, however, there is little doubt that, to my ears, the active version is always better.
the mbl issue is an interesting one-My impression is that few amps if any match no less surpass the mbl amps driving mbl speakers. mbl amps on other speakers I find is a different issue. Clearly they've been designed within the family, the electrical characteristics of the mbl speakers receiving primary consideration.
What I like about the full active solution is ease of setup, the elimination of a set of cables and most important the full realization (IMO) of the designer's inspiration. I know this runs counter to the tweaker aspect of our hobby but so be it.
Neil
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
And I think mbl amps and speakers, which are so synergistic might suggest that for difficult speakers at least the "integrated" approach -- where active is one version -- has merit.
I highlight the non-active-but-integrated approach because, when I look at my setup, there is no way mbl could shoehorn the amps into the speakers without sacrificing the acoustic layout of the speakers. mbl amps are huge! But so are a lot of other very capable amps.
CEO and Editorial Director, Nextscreen LLC
Hello Neil,
I’ve owned several active speakers: Quad 11L & 12L, Wharfedale 8.1 & 8.2 and
Alesis DSP820.
The only ones I still have are the Alesis DSP820 and the Wharf 8.2’s. These are all very nice speakers, but just not right for me. I use these in a small room and listen in the nearfield. The Quads and Wharfs are very close in sound, the biggest difference I heard seem to be in the bottom end. Probably because the Quad is dual ported in the rear, and the Wharf is single ported in the front. In my small room placement was easier with the Wharf’s with their front port. The Wharfs also have a larger heat sink on the back, where the Quads had to allow room for their two ports.
I listened at great lengths, and couldn’t tell any difference between the active models and their passive counterparts using a Denon DRA-395 Stereo Receiver. They were all okay.
The Alesis DSP820 is a different story, not so much because it is active, but because it has DSP processing. You can hook this up to your PC or laptop, and have complete control over the sound of the speaker. It comes with eight presets that mimic some famous and not so famous speakers. It’s very helpful when you want to find out how something will sound on different systems. I use these now and then, but lately I find myself listening to the Quad 22L2 and AKG K701 most of the time.
What type of active speakers are you using, or what have you heard that you like?
Thanks
Music is the most wonderful noise.
Active speakers are prevalent in a lot of project studios (and also in many recording studios) particularly for nearfield monitoring. Some of the Genelec active monitors are pretty darn impressive and I've also used/owned some from Mackie (along with their mixers).
I used a hybrid Genesis V loudspeaker for several years. It had its own amp for the woofers, which meant that I could use smaller amps, particularly of the tube variety, for the mids & tweeters. The remote control helped integrate the bass with the rest of the system from the listening position.
Thiel showed a wireless active speaker at CES. Now that's really cutting down on the cabling expense (and hassle).
Jim,
I've heard several musicians that put good sound high on their list, say that the PMC active speakers are the bomb. Have you ever heard any of their models? We have a dealer fairly close to me, maybe I'll take Mary for a ride one weekend for breakfast and a listen. I see they have just released an updated line.
Later,
Moto
Music is the most wonderful noise.
I've heard a variety of active systems although mostly in professional applications. From JBL, Genelec, UREI, Focal and ATC. I should add that I own a pair of ATC 20s albeit the passive version of their compact monitor. I won't say that all are universally fabulous-the range of sound quality is as diverse as the audiophile world.
What I'd like to see however is more interest among audiophiles about the real benefits of this approach. Obviously is does lock the owner into the amp/speaker component which may not be as much "fun" for many, but as I've said before I think the merits of active still far outweigh the negatives.
Neil
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
tmartin wrote:
I highlight the non-active-but-integrated approach because, when I look at my setup, there is no way mbl could shoehorn the amps into the speakers without sacrificing the acoustic layout of the speakers. mbl amps are huge! But so are a lot of other very capable amps.
I hear you on that. The mbls are certainly a special case. In more "real world" terms the active approach, integration of amp within speaker is a genuine benefit. In the average home it can translate to a real space-saving boon in terms of the reduction of real estate dedicated to the system. In my smaller listening room, this is a major plus.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Nearly every amplifer and loudspeaker designer I've spoken with believes active loudspeakers are technically superior to the current model of separate amplifiers on the floor. The amplifier can be designed around the requirements of the loudspeaker driver. Much money is wasted in amplifiers because the designer must create the product to handle the worst-case conditions of impedance, current demands, reactance of the load, and sensitivity.
The reason active loudspeakers have generally failed in the market is purely because of entrenched bias, and audiophiles' need to mix and match their own systems.
Robert Harley
Genelec and ATC speakers are primarily active designs. You'll find a pair of one or the other in almost every pro studio and mastering facility.
If audiophiles want to hear what the mastering and recording engineers heard when they made a recording, an active speaker is far more likely to achieve that end.
Of course as Robert mentioned that would make life too simple, and we couldn't have that... :)
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
robert_harley6 wrote:
The reason active loudspeakers have generally failed in the market is purely because of entrenched bias, and audiophiles' need to mix and match their own systems.
Robert Harley
Amen to that! And I would add that an active system more closely approximates the true intention of the designer.
A common argument among audiophiles is that top speaker and amp engineers are rarely one and the same person and thus the active speaker will inevitably be compromised based upon which discipline that engineer is weakest in. Personally I think this is hooey.
Neil
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
StevenStone1 wrote:
Of course as Robert mentioned that would make life too simple, and we couldn't have that... :)
Agreed-for many audiophiles, it's all about achieving their own sonic nirvana-and reality be damned. There's so much snake oil out there for those disposed to fall for it. Still on the other hand I've met engineers over the years who've pooh-poohed all kinds of tweaks and accessories whose utility was scientifically verified at a later time. Look at the entire market for resonance control...etc.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Neil Gader wrote:
[I've met engineers over the years who've pooh-poohed all kinds of tweaks and accessories]
The thing about most pro engineers is they are all about reliability and standardization when it comes to gear. Few have time for tweaks. There are some exceptions - I've watched Malcolm Burn try out five sets of speakers before he decided on a pair for control room monitoring on the String Cheese Incident album he produced.
Decent sound but what a boringgggg album.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
I hate to endorse a single product, but maybe more of us should try the DEQX active xover. It's probably not perfect...but it should be considered. DEQX makes substantial claims about the superiority of "intelligent" actives on their website.......
:wink:
J-Phay wrote:I hate to endorse a single product, but maybe more of us should try the DEQX active xover. It's probably not perfect...but it should be considered. DEQX makes substantial claims about the superiority of "intelligent" actives on their website.......
:wink:
these are fascinating systems but are active "fixes" only in the "retroactive" sense. What I'd like to see is the kind of acceptance and support among audiophiles that would allow speaker designers and engineers to extend their vision to true active designs-designs that would untie their hands and permit fewer concessions to the vagaries of component mismatching. Can you imagine what companies like Wilson or TAD (two of many examples) could come up with? Personally I'd love to hear it.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
robert_harley6 wrote:Nearly every amplifer and loudspeaker designer I've spoken with believes active loudspeakers are technically superior to the current model of separate amplifiers on the floor. . .
. . . The reason active loudspeakers have generally failed in the market is purely because of entrenched bias, and audiophiles' need to mix and match their own systems.
Robert Harley
I tend to agree. I have heard some "direct driven" electrostats that were really quite special, making me think that "active" could be the way to go.
Unfortunately, many active speakers in the studio are made for "near field" monitoring and most audiophiles do not listen in the near field?
(You'd be surprised how dreadful many of these monitoring systems sound, but that's another story. I suspect the addition of active EQ could be a real bonus here).
Perhaps a couple of other things get in the way:
1. The quarter inch jacks on the backs of many active speakers used in studios (although this problem is readily solved with adapters)
2. The somewhat irrational fear that if one or the other blows (amp/speaker) then you're screwed with an active design. I would bet most audiophiles would change out their speakers long before this happened.
Jim Hannon
I'm surprised no one mentionned Meridian yet ..
A long time ago, I owned a pair of Meridian M2 - these (active) speakers were excellent and did certain things so right. Add a tiny preamp (again Meridian) and they were pretty decor-friendly too. I used them for 13 years then replaced them with Maggies. The Meridians are still going strong at my sister's, 27 years later!
I've heard some of their newer speakers in AV settings, and they sounded pretty impressive. Probably worth checking out.
I too had Meridian M2's (they replaced my Quad 57's). I pounded them mercilessly for 20 years and they were great! Meridian still makes some great actives and I wouldn't hesitate to buy them.
Zeb wrote:I'm surprised no one mentionned Meridian yet ..
I've heard some of their newer speakers in AV settings, and they sounded pretty impressive. Probably worth checking out.
Of course-that goes without saying. And as you imply the AV setting is perfectly aligned for the active concept. With all the additional speakers in the room who wouldn't want to reclaim the real estate normally lose to multichannel amplification. For me it's a no-brainer.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Of course some speakers such as Magnepans can be driven actively. You need an outboard active crossover. Even the three-way models such as the 20.1 can be triamped, but it's more money--amps and cables. Passive is less expensive. It seems to me the most is gained by running the bass actively. The argument against passive components is that they chew up amplifier power, introduce distortion, and are inaccurate, or at least less accurate, as far as slopes and crossover points are concerned.
Jacob, I think you're mixing the two things up...
The tern "Active Speaker" refers to one with a built-in amp. So a Magnepan would not be considered an active speaker.
An active crossover can be used with any speaker if you are coupling it with a subwoofer.
Some speakers such as the Apogee Divas, could be purchased with an active or passive crossover.
Steven Stone
Contributor to The Absolute Sound, EnjoytheMusic.com, Vintage Guitar Magazine, and other fine publications
"Jacob, I think you're mixing the two things up...
The tern "Active Speaker" refers to one with a built-in amp. So a Magnepan would not be considered an active speaker."
Steven,
I'm afraid an active speaker is simply one with an active crossover. The amplifier can be external if you wish. Companies such as Linn and Naim use this approach to sell more boxes to the consumer.
StevenStone1 wrote:Jacob, I think you're mixing the two things up...
The tern "Active Speaker" refers to one with a built-in amp. So a Magnepan would not be considered an active speaker.
An active crossover can be used with any speaker if you are coupling it with a subwoofer.
Some speakers such as the Apogee Divas, could be purchased with an active or passive crossover.
to underscore Steve's point-the amp is not only built-in, it's also been purpose-designed and optimized to match the specific electrical characteristics for only that specific speaker's transducers and crossover. In theory this frees up a designer to produce a product without consideration for amplifier mismatching. the designer needn't worry if the speaker presents a difficult load because the active speaker's electronics already know this.
Neil
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Has anyone heard the latest Meridian active loudspeakers?
I haven't heard their actives in some time, but they were at the head of the pack years ago with active speakers for the home.
(I consider Genelecs et al as studio/project studio speakers)
Jim
jimhannon1 wrote:Has anyone heard the latest Meridian active loudspeakers?
I haven't heard their actives in some time, but they were at the head of the pack years ago with active speakers for the home.
(I consider Genelecs et al as studio/project studio speakers)
Jim
Haven't heard the latest from Meridian but if memory serves they also include DSP (& digital crossovers)
in their Actives-which raises all sort of other issues.
IMHO-studio control monitors (except near-field designs) should sonically be just as comfortable in the home environment as they are in the studio. Obviously the utilitarian look wouldn't be palatable for the home but in terms of most of the sonic criteria we tend to key on (tonal balance/dynamics/transient response) many of them should sound fabulous.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
I have heard Genelecs (can't remember which model) in a studio environment that was set up like a living room (sofas, rugs, cushy chairs and the required tube traps) and they did sound quite good, particularly their massive active separate subs. We also used a smaller set at Opcode for the NAMM show and they really kicked butt. Project studios guys were literally drooling.
I may have to look into them again (although I think the utilitarian battleship grey style isn't going to be a hit at home---except perhaps those awesome subs).
Thanks,
Jim
Guys--I thought I wrote that the Magnepans can be driven actively rather than calling it an "active" loudspeaker? In any case, the point, I think, is that with a speaker using an outboard active crossover (digital or analog), you can select whatever amps you want, tube. solidstate, digital, to run the various drivers. With builtin amps, you don't have that luxury.
I agree that there are a lot of advantages to using active crossovers, but I thought this thread was about active loudspeakers?
I've never seen a pair of active Maggies, Infinity Betas or RS1Bs, or Apogee Duettas, yet each uses (or can use) an active crossover to great effect. However, I would consider the original Acoustat X as an active loudspeaker with its built-in tube amps.
All the best,
Jim
Meridian Audio has championed active loudspeakers nearly since the company's inception. When DSP came along, they combined DSP crossovers with active loudspeakers to create the DSP6000 (which I reviewed in Stereophile in 1991).
I heard the latest Meridian DSP speaker, the DSP7700 at CES and thought it was spectacular. We have a review in progress. I also intend to interview Meridan's Bob Stuart about active DSP speakers for publication in the same issue. We also plan to review the Meridian 808.2 CD player that uses a radically different digital filter that reportedly obviates the problems of conventional digital filters and, consequently, doesn't introduce an artifact that we've come to regard as "CD sound."
Robert Harley
Jim--the Magnepans can be driven actively no differently than an active loudspeaker. Each amp sees the driver without any intervening passive components, just as in the case of an active loudspeaker, in which the amps are mounted inside the loudspeaker. In the case of a Magnepan, all you need is an outboard crossover to replace the passive crossover. In theory, this could be accomplished with any loudspeaker, of course. Magnepan makes it easier by having an outboard passive crossover that can be removed. The next step, if you want to go fully active, is to rip out what remains of the passive crossover for the treble, which some Magnepan owners have done--the AudioAsylum forum goes into all of this in some depth.
That sounds great! I'll be looking forward to the Meridian review and interview with Bob Stuart.
It makes sense to have amplification, DSP room correction, and possibly the DAC in an active loudspeaker.
Perhaps these articles will help audiophiles seriously consider the real benefits of active loudspeakers in high-performance systems.
Happy listening,
Wolfi
Jacob wrote:Jim--the Magnepans can be driven actively no differently than an active loudspeaker. Each amp sees the driver without any intervening passive components, just as in the case of an active loudspeaker, in which the amps are mounted inside the loudspeaker. In the case of a Magnepan, all you need is an outboard crossover to replace the passive crossover. In theory, this could be accomplished with any loudspeaker, of course. Magnepan makes it easier by having an outboard passive crossover that can be removed. The next step, if you want to go fully active, is to rip out what remains of the passive crossover for the treble, which some Magnepan owners have done--the AudioAsylum forum goes into all of this in some depth.
I guess we interpret the definiton of an active loudspeaker differently. My definition is more narrow---the amp is built into the speaker's enclosure. Yours is broader whereby the crossover and amp can reside outside the speaker enclosure, as long as they directly drive the speaker elements.
That said, I heard a tri-amped Maggie system with each of the speaker elements driven directly by a dedicated amp via an active crossover. I've never heard a better Maggie system in all my years!
Jim
Hi Jim,
My impression is that it is a divide between: 1) a speaker driven actively and 2) an active loudspeaker. The advantage of an active loudspeaker would be that it doesn't require a separate active crossover, since the built-in amps themselves are set for the specific frequencies and slopes.
I have run my 20.1 triamped and should probably do it again. I've stuck to biamping, for the most part, because it's simpler. My caveat about the Magnepan, however, would be that the bass panel remains the weak point of the loudspeaker, even run actively.
My impression is that an Active does use a filter network to control the slope of the rolloff as well as phase. However, in my narrow definition a pure Active doesn't allow for the luxury of arbitrary amplifier swaps by the user. It would simply not be the same speaker that was painstakingly engineered in the first place. Obvisouly this kind of precision forms a rigidity that doesn't appeal to many audiophiles but it has always intrigued me.
A Wilson Audio active? A TAD active engineered by Andrew Jones? I'd be darned interested!!
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Yeah, I'd love to hear/see a Wilson and TAD active, too, among others.
I heard there was a Thiel active (and wireless, too) at CES.
Did anyone get to hear it?
Wolfi
Jacob wrote: My caveat about the Magnepan, however, would be that the bass panel remains the weak point of the loudspeaker, even run actively.
Hi Jacob---I agree. Deep bass extension and slam was somewhat MIA. However, I did think the midbass was quite good on the tri-amped system I heard (many times). It also had a complete Cardas wiring harness. Still in all, it's one of those speakers that is very special (except for all the wires).
Best,
Jim
Wolfgang wrote:Yeah, I'd love to hear/see a Wilson and TAD active, too, among others.
I heard there was a Thiel active (and wireless, too) at CES.
Did anyone get to hear it?
Wolfi
I thought the Thiel system was more lifestyle oriented. Off base?
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Jim--when you say complete Cardas wiring harness, do you mean that the speaker (panels) itself was internally rewired, or only the wire leading to the panels themselves?
These were Maggies modified by George Cardas.
Since I didn't own them, I don't know the full extent of the mods.
I'm assuming the wires leading to the panels, but it would be best to contact George and see what wiring and other Maggie mods he offers (if he still does).
Best,
Jim
Ah, my memory is now jogged. As I recall, George is emphatically against messing with the wire in the panels themselves. I did rewire to the panels, as per his suggestion, so it sounds like I have the same kind of Magnepan set-up you heard. While the mids and highs are very pure, I still fear it lacks the whap in the bass, though, of course, opinions differ about what constitutes true reproduction of the nether frequencies, with some claiming that panels, in fact, offer a more realistic, if less exciting, version than dynamic drivers.
I also heard the Meridian DSP 7700 active speakers coupled with there new 808.2 CD player at CES and have to echo Robert Harley's impression of this combination - simply fabulous. It really made me think about simplifying my rather traditional multi-box, multi-cable system to the elgance and simplicity of what Meridian has put together.
sydsM3 wrote:I also heard the Meridian DSP 7700 active speakers coupled with there new 808.2 CD player at CES and have to echo Robert Harley's impression of this combination - simply fabulous. It really made me think about simplifying my rather traditional multi-box, multi-cable system to the elgance and simplicity of what Meridian has put together.
High End audio & "simplicity"? A sacrilege for some-a goal worthy of applause for others.
Neil Gader Associate Editor The Absolute Sound
Active/powered speakers seem to be getting more play especially from the computer audiophile community. TAS has favorably reviewed the KRK Rokit and I've read reviews elsewhere of units from AVI, ADAM, QUAD and Dynaudio. Some were "professional" monitors others designed for desktop applications. The AVI/ADM 9.1's even have a built-in DAC. With the exception of some of the smaller desktop monitors these speakers are pricey, but when you consider what would be spent on a passive speaker plus a high quality amp it's about the same. The principal disadvantage I see is that if one amp goes up you lose a speaker also.
My son's guitar teacher has a pair of Behringer 2031A's in his studio and I was impressed after a brief listen. The sound was not at all "hot" or edgy as I have read in some audiophile reviews of pro monitors. These particular speakers are surprisingly inexpensive $540 list but are available retail for $300 and change. Needless to say there are dozens of other makes and models.
TAS has already tested the active waters at both ends (Rokit low, Meridian high) so how about a look at those in the middle both audiophile and pro? Many hobbyists seem to moving in that direction.
the Barefoot MM27 is a superb speaker----lots of pro audio guys use them, and they deliver the goods. would love to see TAS review them!
audiophiles are too finicky typically to appreciate such a concept though.
I'm in the market for speakers and near the end of my search I auditioned the ATC SCM50 ASL active speakers. I was so impressed with the honesty of the sound I bought them. And I've been a planar guy my whole adult audiophile life (40 years)!
The idea of eliminating amps (I'm selling my Pass Labs Aleph 2 and Paraound A21) and speaker wire and generally simplifying my system is very appealing to me. I can't wait to get them set up.
mrpetemd wrote: "The AVI/ADM 9.1's even have a built-in DAC."
I can recommend the ADM9.1´s. Astonishing clear sound without brightness or harshness. They can play loud without a hint of audible compression, and tonally they stay the same. I use them with a sub and a separate sub equalizer. Works better for my room than my recent speakers, the Gallo Ref 3´s. (Which are splendid in their own right.)
My decware single driver HDT speakers have no crossover and deliver ACTIVE results without the insane expense.
I have been using Meridian M30 Mk II active speakers for the last 20 years and they are simply great. Accurate, dynamic, easily adjustable to room acoustics and very good value overall. And extremely practicle if you want a compact system of high quality: I had many systems before with separate pre- and power amplifiers, small and big speakers, but they never stayed very long. The M30's did.
I now plan to upgrade to Meridians DSP5200's which I heard recently and which are extremely impressive despite their limited size. But these DSP speakers are not just active speakers, they are very high quality units that are meant to be integrated in Meridian's state-of-the-art digital systems. Strongly recommended.
I have ATC 20ASLT active speakers for the last 7 years and love them.
ATC designs and manufactures their own enclosures, driver units and amplifiers. As the result there is a complete synergy between these components. I used to have many different passive speakers in 30+ years. None were as musically satisfying as these active ATC are.
As a matter of fact I am considering a larger ATC 50SLT active speakers for my new listening room. I love the fact I do not need to spend my time looking for amplifier and speaker wires to connect and to match it all. Instead I enjoy the simplicity of the setup and amazing sound quality these speakers produce.