Powered vs passive

J

Jimmy Hardin

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Jan 29, 2013
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Hi you all, I am at a crossroads about getting new monitors. I am looking at getting some powered monitors . I have always used passive , but what I would like to know what do you all like or dislike about powered speakers and for all you passive speakers people like me what do you like or dislike about the passive speakers?


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I've used both styles, and I'm not convinced there's a clear winner

I've not found the extra power runs on stage for self-powered boxes to be that big of a deal, as I usually need to provide stage power for the musicians anyway. And self-powered boxes are certainly from an inventory perspective (no speaker cable to stock, no worrying about how many channels your amp rack has, delay and fill applications can use wedges, etc.)

But moving the amplifier out of the loudspeaker can reduce the weight of the speaker cabinet, and removes several knobs that can get bumped from the stage (yes, there are self-powered boxes that lack onboard controls, but they are less common). And on the lower-end of the market, it's often possible to squeeze a touch more performance out of an externally-powered speaker (via DSP and amplification choice) than the self-powered boxes have (although this, too, is changing as more manufacturers are incorporating DSP into their self-powered designs)

Ultimately, though, the choice is not internally vs externally powered, it's which boxes make sense for your inventory
 
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Randy Gartner said:
I don't like having to run power cords all over the stage. Plus passive monitors are usually lighter.
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I don't mind running power cords. They're already there for effects pedals, keys, etc. I hate the added weight of amp racks having to move them in and out of trailers, not to mention the extra room those racks take up. In this day and age of digital snakes, I'm much happier running an XLR cable to an active monitor from a well-placed digital snake than moving another amp rack!
 
I run passive monitors most of the time as I like a "clean stage" ie; less tripping hazards... Let me see; running one cable per wedge as opposed to two cables per wedge is my rationale.
To save weight in one of my racks I use a Crown XS4300 four-channel power amp for four mixes.

I have two QSC K speakers that can be used as monitors. I have used one as a drum wedge and it does work well. Going all "active" monitors is not in my near future...
 
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I couldnt be happier about being all active speakers. I run power all over the stage already anyway. My cable trunks are just AC and xlr now, I dont have to carry amp racks, and if something dies its only 1 box that ever goes down. They cross rent more often than passive boxes because someone can just grab a box from me, and they have dsp built in designed just for that box.
 
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Thanks guys, The things that I liked about my considering getting powered is that there would be no more speaker cables to run, no monitor amps to lug around, although I still have a passive front of house. Those amps would be the only ones to carry as of right now and oh yeah, the price of it all. So on a gig where the stage has no top and the sun is beading down on them for a certain amount of hours how do you keep them cool? I have heard others in different circles say it was hard to keep them cool in those conditions?


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Brian Frost said:
I couldnt be happier about being all active speakers. I run power all over the stage already anyway. My cable trunks are just AC and xlr now, I dont have to carry amp racks, and if something dies its only 1 box that ever goes down. They cross rent more often than passive boxes because someone can just grab a box from me, and they have dsp built in designed just for that box.
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That’s one thing I would totally love about it is less cable trunks .


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If you've got to move 1000 watts to a speaker you're going to have to carry that copper. Where is the difference in cable other than running two cables instead of one? A minor improvement might be in improved damping factor with a shorter path from amp to speaker but 75 ft and under is pretty much a wash for 8 ohm loads with 12 gauge cable. If powered speakers are an improvement it's got to be about work flow not inventory.


Jimmy Hardin said:
That’s one thing I would totally love about it is less cable trunks .


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In my experience, an all powered monitor setup works incredibly well up until a certain level of event, at which point you're probably going to be deciding between one of the big boy monitor solutions anyway. For the levels of events, including festivals, where a 12" two-way cabinet is more than enough, powered boxes are an excellent solution. They are quick and easy to deploy, sound good, and aren't any more expensive than a passive solution. The best part, however, as that they are typically great utility loudspeakers which can be used for PA at weddings, on smaller stages as mains, and many other things. I, personally, am not a big fan of 15" boxes as much as a good 12" for this kind of utility box, but to each their own.

Ultimately, I think they key thing to remember is what you're going to be using them for. If they're just monitors, and only monitors, and that's it - go specialized, passive or powered boxes. However, if a utility box that can be used for monitors is more what you're looking for, a powered cabinet is the way to go.
 
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Max Warasila said:
In my experience, an all powered monitor setup works incredibly well up until a certain level of event, at which point you're probably going to be deciding between one of the big boy monitor solutions anyway. For the levels of events, including festivals, where a 12" two-way cabinet is more than enough, powered boxes are an excellent solution. They are quick and easy to deploy, sound good, and aren't any more expensive than a passive solution. The best part, however, as that they are typically great utility loudspeakers which can be used for PA at weddings, on smaller stages as mains, and many other things. I, personally, am not a big fan of 15" boxes as much as a good 12" for this kind of utility box, but to each their own.

Ultimately, I think they key thing to remember is what you're going to be using them for. If they're just monitors, and only monitors, and that's it - go specialized, passive or powered boxes. However, if a utility box that can be used for monitors is more what you're looking for, a powered cabinet is the way to go.
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Some events I will be probably having to use them for mains but 90 - 95 percent of the time it’s going to be monitor duty.


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The reason I don't like powered monitors is that I haven't found one that has NO controls on it. I much prefer having all control at monitor world versus having to go to each speaker to check the settings. As we move to network controlled devices, this problem will alleviate itself, but for now that means 3 cables to each speaker instead of one. It's more to go wrong on stage where you don't want to have to go to fix a problem during a show.
 
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Passive, because:

I have some Powersoft M50Qs in my stage rack: they are light (7kg), compact (1U) and provide sufficient power for monitors. (There are other options from other brands as well.) So, that takes away the ‘heavy, additional rack’ argument to go active.

You only need 1 cable to carry 2 monitor channels and feed up to 4 monitors: I use 4-wire speakons that carry 2 monitor channels each. My monitors (SRX712) are cross-wired internally (the link out speakon has +/-1 swapped with +/-2). This allows me to daisy chain monitors (up to 4) and still be able to select per monitor on which channel it is (by swapping input/output speakons).

And indeed: you don’t want people to mess with knobs at the monitors. You don’t want issues with rain and power at the front of stage (also indoors...) Same holds for (over) heating due to sun light.

But that’s my opinion, YMMV ;-)
 
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Powered, because:

Completely self-contained and optimized package. Point and go.

Easily mix and match, scale up and down for different venues and stage situations. Grow your rig without having to grow your power amplifiers. No crossovers to worry about.

Less gear to haul: no racks, no power amps. Simple is good, especially when it's effective.

Lessee, how many of these self-powered puppies do I have? Answer: way too many. One pair each QSC K8,K10,K12. One pair QSC KW153. One pair QSC K8.2. One pair RCF TT08-a. One pair Fulcrum Acoustic FA12ac. And a few self-powered RCF subs.

I can easily scale from a small acoustic coffee-house gig to a weekend outdoor festival and still bring enough monitors for everyone. Plus nice amplification for myself as a keyboard player.

Never, ever had a problem with my amplification equipment: no overheating, no moisture issues, no glitches, etc. If one ever DID fail, swapping it out in the middle of a gig would take maybe two minutes.

As others have pointed out, there's power all over the stage anyway. All XLRs on stage are either mic level or line level instead of pushing 500w, so less chance of having a bad day. Simpler set up, which means I can get my band mates to do things.

A few years ago, I was in a bar band where the band leader swore by a powered mixer and passive speakers. His rig sounded pretty good, but it was designed for a specific application and didn't flex well when needed -- so he'd hire a sound guy.

Guess what the sound guy would bring? Self-powered gear.
 
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Ok guys thanks I think I am gonna try and use some powered stuff and see how that goes. I think I may like it from what y’all have told me. I like a lot of y’all have to run power all over the stage anyways so why not give it a try and see if I like it. Anything I need to know about how to run them? Y’all remember that I have never had any of powered stuff. So any advice will be appreciated. I am using them for monitors duty.


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It's a total toss-up. Pros and cons to each. I personally prefer passive because they tend to sound more clear and can be pushed harder without the built-in limiters that active speakers tend to use, but with this being said, you run the risk of blowing a speaker because of this. Also active speakers are much more fragile and tend to be heavier to lug around. This, of course, is due to the built-in amplifiers.
 
The clear winner in our bands eyes are powered speakers. It allows to eliminate a lot of extra gear. It gets tiring loading/unloading a 16' trailer after awhile.
 
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