In Reply to: Re: Complex reactive/resistive loads posted by Charlie on January 08, 2003 at 19:04:47:
for different tastes and attitudes towards music and gear are what drives the debate. For me, I've settled it, by embracing ANYTHING that sounds good :)
I love my single driver TQWT's, and they have seen primary use for maybe 2 years driven by conventional denon electonics. Altec 511's, passive and active amped I've lived with a couple of years in my living room system(s). Can't recall the "birthdate" of my quasi-4 Pi Pro's, but they use passive "Pi Spec" type xovers, but hand built from scratch. As varied as they are, I would not part with any of them.
The 4 Pi's are often "in the line-up" situated in front of idle "big gun" systems. And they keep up damn well. Actually, the single jbl2035's are louder per watt than the dual jbl2226J's of the bi-amped systems, even with the "imagined" xover losses :) Big benefit of passive xovers is the simplicity allowed of running a source direct into a power amp, and on to the speaker with minimal wiring and gear involved. Say one IC and some speaker wires.
The bi-amped signal chain, at minimum takes THREE IC's, and twice as much speaker wire :( Greater headroom, dynamics, blah, blah, blah. At under 1 watt listening levels? MOVING AIR is the main benefit of biamping. Great bass with the amp and voice coil intimately connected. The higher order active filters reduce interference between the drivers, "clarity" and intelligibilty increase. Love/hate here, cause everytime time I have to power up four or five items at a time, I feel the situation is "an inelegant solution to the problem", which is enjoying the MUSIC.
But then the horse drawn sleigh on Roger Waters' "Amused to Death" album crosses the room from left to right and drives well off into the distance thru the wall of my listening room...damn cattle dog keeps chasing it till she hits the wall :(
Designs "sans xover" like the 1 and 2 Pi's have a special appeal to the enjoyment of simplicity. Bang for the buck is also a strong inducement.
So some of us dig trying to build "the best buggy whip" possible. Others are running NOS under the hood. In the real world, they are both probably driving 55mph (well, maybe 75dB?). Except Wayne in his Olds :) Sam
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