Active acoustic systems - their history and applications

The so-called "war for sound quality" has begun since humanity invented the speaker and loudspeaker, and continues to this day. The competition goes for both better sound quality, and for more powerful volume. At the same time, the highest competition can be seen among the manufacturers and distributors of sound reproducing systems with built-in amplifiers. These are the so-called active speakers.

Such systems are most common. Their application can be found everywhere - from professional speakers to studio monitors, from headphones to the speakers of a home personal computer. Active acoustic systems came to some extent to replace their passive counterparts, for which an amplifier was required separately. Using the built-in amplifier was an innovative solution. It is this feature that brought active speaker systems into the leaders. Less problems with switching audio devices, less wires and interference - these are all the undoubted advantages of this invention.

With such a device as an active speaker system, the amplifier is located inside a shielded case. This implies the absence of unnecessary wires and sockets, a more convenient adjustment of the sound. All these positive qualities were immediately placed by musicians and music lovers who can appreciate the quality and convenience of such systems.

The disadvantage can be called only one factor - the cheap price of such devices as active acoustic systems, and the complexity of their repair (if the amplifier burned out, it was necessary to completely disassemble the case and find a specialist who would repair equipment).

There are two types of such a system. The first is a household type, which is designed exclusively for home use. The second type is professional. It is used for concerts or organizing various large-scale events. Distributed such active speakers began around the sixties of the twentieth century - just with the invention of electric guitars and the beginning of the era of hard rock.

Even the very first guitar "combo" (amplifiers) were tube ones, and, in fact, were just an active element. Among many musicians, this "tube sound" is still considered to be the standard. That's why even now the main source of sound in concert venues is lamp technology (guitar and bass amplifiers). The sound from them is transmitted through microphones to monitors and main portals.

Acoustic systems active can be of different power, have different functionalities and, accordingly, sound differently. Systems up to 20-30 W are usually used at home. More powerful systems (from 100 W) are used at concerts.

As for the functional - active speakers can be adapted to work in a variety of abnormal conditions (for example, with high humidity), have independent power supplies, protection from overloads. Often such systems are equipped with a built-in reverb, an equalizer or even an effects processor.