Self-Powered Versus Passive Speakers
Speakers powered by an external amplifier are called passive speakers. When you use
separate amplifiers and passive speakers, a number of factors affect the overall
frequency response and quality of your audio. Instead of using a separate amplifier and
speakers, a simpler option is to use self-powered speakers (speakers with built-in
amplifiers). These have become increasingly popular, especially for studio monitoring
and video editing.
Self-powered speakers deliver more consistent performance because both components
are designed to work together and are housed in a single enclosure. For video editing
systems, self-powered speakers are a good, easy-to-use solution. Self-powered speakers
accept line level inputs, so it’s fairly easy to connect them to your audio interface.
Flat Not
flat
20 Hz
200Hz
– dB
+ dB
– dB
+ dB
1 kHz
5 kHz
20 kHz
20 Hz
200 Hz
1 kHz
5 kHz
20 kHz
Chapter 2
Assigning Output Channels and External Audio Monitors
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