Passive vs. Active Monitors

[FarFromElysium]

Whats the difference between passive & Active monitors?

[Seafroggys]

Active have their own power source
Passive needs a power source

[Motleyguy]

Power source = amp

With passive I think generally you'd need a crossover as well.

[Seafroggys]

my PA speaker is passive and I just have a poweramp. Unless a crossover is included.....I dunno.

[FarFromElysium]

thanks dudes

[pikester]

If you don't have a subwoofer, a Crossover would be monumentally useless. Also, you'd lose all of your low end.

[Seafroggys]

well, crossover is if you want to divide frequencies between different channels, not necessarily with subs exclusively though that's where they see the most common usage. The earliest multiband compressors were strewn together from regular compressors and crossover circuits.

[Aaron]

Hijack! What's the difference between active and passive DIs. I can't see a real point, but that might be cause I assume all desks have phantom power.