Is it worth it to go active?

[LaserRed38 10+ year member]

Time alignment and crossover points were my two main desires for going active...

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

What would you say the main advantage is? Is it hard tuning it?

The main advantage is the ability to adjust the xover points. Passives have set xover points which may satisfy others, but not your taste. Active allows you to mess around with the points to get it to your liking (within reasonable limits of the speakers of course).

It's not hard at all. You just need to read up on xover slopes and those things, but playing around with it is the best way to learn.

Basically you can take the speakers where you want without having the restrictions of the crossover... My only worry is that I may blow my speakers. Lol.

Be careful with the gain, that's not too hard to do is it?

 

---------- Post added at 12:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:59 AM ----------

 

Time alignment and crossover points were my two main desires for going active...

TA is the shit, i miss mine //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[GavinVoy 10+ year member]

id have to agree most everyone else, without some serious control of your speakers, aka a processor. its not really worth it. anytime i talk to someone who has, tells me they spent near 50 hours tunning their stuff.

local shop here, charges $50+ an hour to tune and says he can do a good job with no less than 12 hours, lol.

if you want loud, just get a big 4 channel and some 100 watt speakers. more speakers equal louder.

 

[The_Grimy_One 10+ year member]

Thanks for all the input... Got some decisions to make.

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

If you go active, you don't have to buy components. You can mix and match home audio woofers and tweeters from stores like PE. However, I did a little survey and it seems like most of the really good woofers are 7 or 8inches. There are a few good 6.5 woofers but they're 8ohm. If you can't fit 7 or 8inch woofers then stick with car component speakers (with or without passive crossovers).
I personally don't think it's worth going active unless you have a processor like JBL-MS8. You need more amplifier channels. You need the active crossovers. Tuning your active setup can be a *****. Why not just use component speakers for which most of this tuning work has been already done?

Regarding high power component speakers, check out

Alpine Type R (110watt)

Polk MM

Alpine Type X Pro (not Type X Ref)

Personally i've used different types of xover and it doesn't need to be ridiculously high end or expensive for you to be able to tune it to sound nice. Would having more expensive equipment help? Yes, as long as it has better features. However, not all is necessary in an active setup.

id have to agree most everyone else, without some serious control of your speakers, aka a processor. its not really worth it. anytime i talk to someone who has, tells me they spent near 50 hours tunning their stuff.

local shop here, charges $50+ an hour to tune and says he can do a good job with no less than 12 hours, lol.

if you want loud, just get a big 4 channel and some 100 watt speakers. more speakers equal louder.

I don't need to spend 50hrs to get my shit to sound right to me. And that shop sounds like he's ripping people off

 

[Imtjnotu 5,000+ posts]

i like the sound of active but dont mind 3 way passive

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

i like the sound of active but dont mind 3 way passive

3way active //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/naughty.gif.94359f346c0f1259df8038d60b41863e.gif

I plan on doing that, just need a mid small enough to fit in the pillar //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[The_Grimy_One 10+ year member]

I was thinking 3 way passive, but yea I am not sure where to fit my mid... Possibly cut door panel or pillar...

 

[Bassin Buick]

If you go active, you don't have to buy components. You can mix and match home audio woofers and tweeters from stores like PE. However, I did a little survey and it seems like most of the really good woofers are 7 or 8inches. There are a few good 6.5 woofers but they're 8ohm. If you can't fit 7 or 8inch woofers then stick with car component speakers (with or without passive crossovers).
I personally don't think it's worth going active unless you have a processor like JBL-MS8. You need more amplifier channels. You need the active crossovers. Tuning your active setup can be a *****. Why not just use component speakers for which most of this tuning work has been already done?

Regarding high power component speakers, check out

Alpine Type R (110watt)

Polk MM

Alpine Type X Pro (not Type X Ref)

i got a pretty decent active setup for the low. its in my sig and didnt need a external processor or uber high dollar equipment , my mids will be getting upgraded soon though. they are not very good imo.

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

3way passive is probably more expensive than 2way active lol

 

---------- Post added at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:17 AM ----------

 

i got a pretty decent active setup for the low. its in my sig and didnt need a external processor or uber high dollar equipment , my mids will be getting upgraded soon though. they are not very good imo.

get some Lanzar opti mids, they sound decent and midbass is nice //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[The_Grimy_One 10+ year member]

Well depending on the amp I find. If I get a 2 channel then passive is my only choice. I was looking at some DLS 3 ways w/crossover. They are about 400-500.

 

[Bassin Buick]

3way passive is probably more expensive than 2way active lol 

---------- Post added at 01:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:17 AM ----------

 

get some Lanzar opti mids, they sound decent and midbass is nice //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

actually i'm gonna be getting some silver flute 6.5's from my brother , he says they sound like ish. Yet he has them IB , on adapter plates , and no deadener. LOL. They will be in sealed pods when i install them. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[GavinVoy 10+ year member]

lol. i did say he wasnt.

if OP wants to be loud and sound good. he doesnt need to go active.

maybe all he really needs is a SA 200.4 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[dragnix 5,000+ posts]

Well depending on the amp I find. If I get a 2 channel then passive is my only choice. I was looking at some DLS 3 ways w/crossover. They are about 400-500.

Soundstream 4 Channel 500W Amplifier : LW4.500-RB : $93.95 : VMInnovations.com

That amp has onboard xover to allow for active processing. HP for the front and BP for the rear channels. Can't get any better for the price IMHO. I should know, i have 2 of them //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

---------- Post added at 01:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:21 AM ----------

 

lol. i did say he wasnt.
if OP wants to be loud and sound good. he doesnt need to go active.

maybe all he really needs is a SA 200.4 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

and blow his speakers

 

[Bassin Buick]

Well depending on the amp I find. If I get a 2 channel then passive is my only choice. I was looking at some DLS 3 ways w/crossover. They are about 400-500.

i recently heard some DLS mids and tweets running on ppi art amps and wasn't really impressed with them. Sorry J. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif seems like a lot of money for something that didnt really blow me away.