“For the best home cinema audio experience an active speaker system carries a wealth of benefits.” - Matthew Cupper

Introduction

In recent years, home cinema systems have become increasingly popular, and for good reason. A good home cinema system can provide an immersive, high-quality audiovisual experience that beats that of a commercial cinema. When it comes to setting up a home cinema system, one of the most important components is the speakers. In this blog post, we will be discussing the benefits of using active speakers in a home cinema setup.

Firstly, let's define what active speakers are.

Active speakers, also known as powered speakers, have built-in amplifiers, which means that they do not require a separate amplifier to be connected to them. Instead, they can be connected directly to a preamplifier or source, making them an easy and convenient choice for home cinema setups.

One of the main benefits of active speakers is their ease of use.

With active speakers, there is no need to worry about matching amplifiers and speakers or dealing with complex wiring. This makes them an ideal choice for those who want a simple, plug-and-play setup that is easy to install and use.

Another advantage of active speakers is their compact size.

Because they have built-in amplifiers, active speakers can be designed to be much smaller and more compact than traditional passive speakers. This means that they take up less space in your home cinema room and can be more easily integrated into your decor.

In addition to their ease of use and compact size, active speakers also offer excellent sound quality.

Because the amplifier is built into the speaker, it is specifically designed to work with the speaker's drivers, ensuring that the audio signal is delivered with precision and accuracy. This means that you can enjoy clear and detailed audio that is free from distortion, even at high volumes.

Active speakers also offer greater flexibility in terms of placement.

With traditional passive speakers, you need to position them close to an amplifier, which can limit where you can place them in your room. Active speakers, on the other hand, can be placed anywhere in your room as long as you have a power outlet nearby. This means that you can experiment with different speaker positions to find the perfect setup for your home cinema.

Finally, active speakers are often more affordable than their comparable passive counterparts.

This is because you do not need to purchase a separate amplifier, which can be a significant expense. Instead, the amplifier is built into the speaker, making them a more cost-effective option.

Another important thing to know about crossovers.

Some active speakers have an amplifier channel for each individual speaker driver, which allows for the speakers crossover to be managed digitally, analogue crossovers are less efficient as they manage the signals using wiring, resistors and circuitry. With a digital crossover you have a completely linear switching of signal between the speakers drivers, which means no interference or 'muddying' of the sound.

In conclusion, active speakers offer numerous benefits when it comes to setting up a home cinema system. They are easy to use, compact, offer excellent sound quality, and provide greater flexibility in terms of placement. Additionally, they are often more affordable than comparable traditional passive speakers, making them a great choice for those who want to get the best sound quality without breaking the bank. If you are looking to set up a home cinema system, active speakers are definitely worth considering.