What is the difference between an active and passive subwoofer. Active or passive subwoofer: how not to make a mistake in choosing

A subwoofer is an acoustic system that reproduces low-frequency sounds. The approximate range of frequencies converted by the device varies from 20 to 160 Hz. A person has difficulty perceiving low frequencies, which is why he feels more outgoing vibration. However, sound waves can create the necessary atmosphere when listening to music or watching blockbusters, so the device is often included in the speaker system.

There are two types of subwoofers in relation to the power amplifier:

passive;
active.

Passive and active subwoofers

The separation is associated with an amplifier, which is either built into the device or is absent, which requires its additional connection.

Passive subwoofers

A passive subwoofer is quite simple in design. It consists of a housing and one or more low-frequency heads. It is they who are later connected to an external amplifier. This type of device also differs in connection type. When transmitting the audio signal to both the subwoofer and other speakers, severe sound distortion occurs, so direct connection is not recommended. In order to achieve purity of transmitted sounds when listening to music, you should connect a passive subwoofer through a crossover filter, as it separates the bass from the higher frequencies.

Active subwoofers

An active subwoofer is a more advanced device, since it already has an amplifier and crossover filter built into it. This technique can connect directly to the sound source, so it does not cause difficulties during the installation process. The active subwoofer has built-in functions for adjusting the signal level and frequency; the rear panel is equipped with line-type input and output connectors. A high-quality device allows you to clearly reproduce sounds from a wide range of low frequencies, which is important for a good speaker system.

The difference between the two types of subwoofers

Depending on the purpose for which the device is purchased, it is better to give preference to one type or another. The standard active subwoofer settings are good for heavy or rhythmic music. The device better transmits low frequencies and allows you to adjust their degree of expression. A similar effect can also be achieved with a passive subwoofer, but this will require expensive equipment connected to a powerful system.

Active subwoofers are already equipped with an amplifier, so problems with power differences cannot arise. A passive subwoofer requires an external amplifier, since often the sound source and the speaker system have different powers. If they are connected directly, the sound waves will be distorted, causing noise to be heard or the sound will be quiet even at maximum volume.

A passive subwoofer, when properly configured, can produce clearer sound that will outperform an active subwoofer. True, to achieve such a result you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. Moreover, not every average person understands these subtleties so deeply. Thus, for the average listener, an active subwoofer would be much preferable, while a passive subwoofer is more often purchased by true connoisseurs of high-quality sound.

Why does a passive subwoofer sound cleaner?

As already mentioned, a passive subwoofer, with the right settings, can produce denser and more spacious sound. This is due to a number of parameters:

no overheating of the air inside the device;
possibility of connecting additional filters;
external amplifiers have a large number of parameters for configuration;
The power and depth of sound are enhanced due to the fact that there are no unnecessary obstacles in the cabinet.

In addition, when comparing active and passive subwoofers with similar parameters of converted sound waves, the latter will cost less, since they are not overloaded with additional devices. True, you will have to buy an additional amplifier, which will significantly increase the final costs.

How to connect an active subwoofer?

There are three ways to connect a powered subwoofer to a sound source. The diagram shows the most common version of the inputs and outputs of speaker system devices.

The subwoofer has two high-level inputs, so connecting the device will require a long and thick speaker cable. When connecting, RCA cables or, in other words, “tulips” are used. One end is connected to the subwoofer, the other to the input on the rear panel of the receiver labeled “Subwoofer”. If the panel has two RCA type connectors or four, then a white connector is used.

You can also use the outputs to connect speaker systems. In this case, both the subwoofer and the system will operate in parallel in the low-frequency range. It is possible to connect active subwoofers to the amplifier, but this will only increase the load on the device, causing the sound quality to suffer.

How to connect a passive subwoofer?

If the subwoofer has two terminals, the device is connected through an amplifier to the Pre Out Subwoofer output. The connection diagram can be represented by the following chain: Passive subwoofer – Speaker cable – Amplifier – RCA cable – Receiver. In this case, it is necessary to set settings on the receiver that limit the frequency of reproduced frequencies.

Often, passive subwoofers are connected in parallel with the front speakers. For this:

three terminals on the rear panel of the subwoofer are the advantages of the front speakers and a common disadvantage;
The four terminals on the back of the subwoofer are the pros and cons of the front speakers.

To connect a passive subwoofer to an amplifier, it is recommended to use speaker cables with a thickness of 2.5 to 4 mm. During the connection process, the poles of the plugs and channels must be observed. When using the device in a home theater, the subwoofer outputs are connected to satellites.

Connecting a subwoofer in a car

Since space in the car is limited, most vehicle owners prefer active subwoofers. This is due to the fact that to connect a passive one, the installation of an additional device - an amplifier - is required. To install the speaker system, you will need to perform a number of steps:

connect the linear outputs of the radio to the subwoofer inputs using a “tulip”. If there are no such outputs, the connection is made to HI INPUT;
The subwoofer is powered using a positive cable from the battery to the twelve-volt terminal of the subwoofer and a negative cable to the GND terminal. The fuse must be installed 20 cm from the battery;
The subwoofer is connected to the radio via the REM control wire. It is carried out from the radio to the terminal on the subwoofer; it is better to take a thinner cable.

Which device should you choose?

If you want to purchase a subwoofer, you need to decide which one is more suitable, taking into account the user’s goals. Some people need bass in their car, others need bass to listen to their favorite music, others prefer surround and multi-faceted sound when watching movies. For the average user, an active subwoofer is more suitable, since it does not require complex settings and comparison of parameters of different devices when connected.

Few users prefer passive devices, since setting them up requires special knowledge. If you have a suitable amplifier and the ability to adjust the parameters to the required needs, you can give preference to this type, which can give a denser sound.

When purchasing car speakers, the question of choosing a subwoofer – passive or active – often arises. To briefly answer the question at the very beginning of the article, how an active subwoofer differs from a passive one, we need to give a definition. We are talking about a special low-frequency speaker that expands the bass frequency range and makes it richer and deeper.

A passive speaker connects to an amplifier and produces higher quality sound. Active is an all-inclusive system with built-in amplifier. At the same time, convenience and savings affect sound quality.

Features of choice: which subwoofer is better

There is no clear answer as to which subwoofer is better: active or passive. It all depends on the specific situation of choosing between these proposals. A passive system will cost more. It will be more hassle to install and will require the purchase of an amplifier. But with proper installation, Hi-Fi class sound awaits you. With this formulation of the question, which is better, there is no point.

True, in order to get professional sound in a car, in addition to high-quality acoustics, you will need a car radio with a sound processor. This device takes into account the features of the interior shape of the cabin. So, with all the advantages “at the output”, a passive subwoofer has two major disadvantages - high cost and installation complexity.

You can connect the active sub yourself immediately after purchase. Moreover, with some preparation for the issue, you can purchase a very high-quality speaker. When choosing specific brands, it is quite difficult to say which is better and choose between an active and passive subwoofer.

Manufacturers come up with various tricks that level out differences in sound quality, while the active version has a number of advantages (in such models the question of which is better is not relevant):

compact size;
no need to purchase additional equipment;
ease of installation.

The principles described will help you understand the differences and differences, and choose which subwoofer is best for you. If desired, you can make a passive subwoofer into the car yourself by adapting the housing to the car’s interior. In this case, the difference in ease of connection and price will not greatly affect your media system. But such installations are for passionate people and professionals.

So, active and passive subwoofer: we figured out what the difference is. Now let’s look at the question of what is different, the choice of functions and qualities of the system, let’s look at it in more detail.

What does the choice promise?

As they say, every case is personalized. If the car owner has paid close attention to the issue, then they know perfectly well what the difference is. The purchase is related to certain factors: price, personal, installation features in the car. In general, we can recommend taking the active version from a good manufacturer.

This will protect you from a number of problems. If you want a sound no worse than the Maybach, then go for the passive model, but provided that you have a good quality stereo system in your purchase plans. Putting this all together is not that easy.

It is quite difficult to complete such a system, since, by definition, the passive versions are intended for home theaters. Models with a bass reflex are designed only for large rooms.

They are not intended for cars. Thus, the smaller your salon, the more you need to lean towards a good quality active model. This option is also suitable for those users who do not place excessive demands on car acoustics and are looking for the best option for their car.

Conclusion: between rationality and functions

As a result, the difference between an active subwoofer and a passive one is its purpose. The first version is more suitable for regular class cars. The second is exclusive cars with a large interior or versions for those people who love good acoustics and are a master at it.

A high-quality model with a built-in amplifier solves most of the problems in organizing good sound. In most cases, the sound improvement will not be felt in a small car interior, so you can choose a system with average parameters.

The passive version is purchased mainly by connoisseurs of high-quality sound who prefer modern music. Since the sub makes the bass richer. Choose this option if this is the difference you are interested in. Now you have a clear idea of what is better: an active or passive subwoofer. You can also watch a video on how to connect speakers to the system.

Users who are thinking about purchasing a subwoofer have a variety of goals. Someone wants to improve the sound of an existing speaker system. Someone wants to get a unique feeling of body vibrations from rich, powerful bass in their car. Another part of consumers wants to create a crystal clear, completely authentic sound environment of a concert hall. An active or passive subwoofer has certain advantages and disadvantages and can solve certain problems.

To better understand how an active subwoofer differs from a passive one, you should start by getting to know the structure of a simpler product. The housing, which houses a large-diameter speaker and frequency filters, is a classic design. This is how you can describe a passive subwoofer.

There are several options for this type of equipment. The most common design is a sealed housing with a speaker. This is called a closed passive subwoofer.

Another type of device is a housing with a path for air circulation, called a bass reflex. Such subs have a stable increase in volume from the supplied power, which closed systems cannot boast of.

There is one design option in which a passive subwoofer can differ sharply from an active one. The latter uses it extremely rarely. The bandpass system is a two-zone emitter. The sealed segment of the housing in which the speaker is located is connected to the area of ducts for air passage.

As a result of the work of such a tandem, the sub sounds very good, especially in large rooms. It produces rich, rich bass thanks to intense air vibrations.

To operate a passive subwoofer, you definitely need a good external amplifier. The more adjustments of signal parameters it provides, the better the quality of the sound image can be achieved.

The active subwoofer is self-sufficient. It is a housing that houses not only a speaker, every inch of which provides high-quality bass, but also its own power amplifier. This scheme is convenient, compact, and is generally rated by users as quite practical.

Features, pros and cons of active subwoofers

An active home subwoofer is an almost ideal device. He has everything he needs on board. Here is an amplifier, an adjustable filter to adjust the cutoff frequency. In expensive models, it is possible to change the phase shift of the signal. Individual products may have differences in the proposed sets of inputs and outputs, and signal formats.

An active sub has the following advantages:

easy to connect;
does not require an external amplifier;
features a compact design;
if there are outputs, you can connect speakers to the device, creating a compact speaker system;
you can buy top models with many adjustments and high power.

The active sub has a good rating among consumers. Mainly due to its affordable cost and wide range of applications. An active subwoofer will perfectly complement the sound of an existing speaker system. It is easy to install in your home due to its compact size.

The disadvantages of the active system are as follows:

due to the heat generated by the amplifier, the air inside the speaker chamber heats up, which can affect its electrical characteristics and worsen the sound;
operation at critical volume levels is fraught with the risk of amplifier failure due to rising temperature in the housing.

You need to choose an active subwoofer carefully, focusing on the power of the sound system that it will complement. It is also recommended to strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding placement and cooling conditions.

Features, pros and cons of passive subwoofers

A passive subwoofer is an extremely simple design. This may mean that it is not difficult to make yourself to install in your car. The passive system has a number of advantages:

spaciousness of design;
bandpass class solutions, which are rarely found in active systems;
even a home passive sub sounds rich, delivering clean and rich bass;
there is no overheating of the speaker and air inside the case during system operation;
You can easily modify the characteristics of the subwoofer by adding self-made or purchased frequency filters.

But the main thing that distinguishes a product of this type is its low price. And this attracts not only lovers of experimentation, but also music lovers who want to improve the sound of an existing speaker system. But a passive subwoofer also has disadvantages.

The main disadvantage is that a passive subwoofer requires an external amplifier to operate. Its power should be at least one and a half times higher than the maximum performance of the sound emitter. First of all, such a product is expensive. Secondly, installing a passive subwoofer to improve the sound of existing acoustics may require a complete replacement of the amplification equipment, since the existing one will not be able to pump the subwoofer without causing distortion.
The disadvantage associated with the formation of an external signal: conventional amplifiers are not suitable for a passive type subwoofer. You need to buy a device that works only in the low frequency band.
All sound adjustments are purely external. The amplifier controls the playback quality. The number of its adjustments is directly responsible for the richness of the bass, cutoff frequency, and other subwoofer parameters.
In closed subwoofers, the required increase in power supplied to the device, depending on the volume, increases exponentially. This is due to air resistance in a sealed housing.

However, these shortcomings do not in any way detract from the excellent sound of a passive subwoofer. According to the average statistical assessment, it will always show stable results, in contrast to the active one, where there is overheating and the influence of vibrations on electronic circuits.

What is better to choose

It’s not difficult to give an exact answer whether an active or passive subwoofer is worth buying if you focus on the needs of the average user (except motorists). An active sub wins by all criteria. This is a self-sufficient device with its own amplifier, the power of which is carefully selected for good performance of the installed speaker.

Today you can buy an active subwoofer with a wide variety of functional equipment. The devices may offer adjustments to the cutoff frequency and phase shift to perfectly complement the sound of a multi-speaker system.

As power increases, active amplifiers begin to cost significantly more. However, if you don’t want to bother with installing additional filters or looking for a suitable amplifier, then the additional investment is justified, and the cost of a subwoofer with built-in electronics fades into the background.

Motorists have their own rules. Only passive subwoofers are installed in the car. The reason is that the devices are installed in confined spaces where there is little or no air circulation. Therefore, the active sub will simply overheat and fail.

But the amplifier for a passive subwoofer can be placed in an area where it is convenient to provide the required temperature conditions, including with the help of forced ventilation.

Many people wonder, in search of high-quality music sound, what is the difference between active and passive subwoofers. Which one is better to choose? Let's look at the features, advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

What does active subwoofer mean?

For high-quality music sound you need a subwoofer. These devices can be divided into two groups: active and passive.

In order to understand the difference between an active and passive subwoofer, you need to understand what each of them represents.

You should not choose a speaker system based only on power - some manufacturers deliberately underestimate or overestimate it.
The optimal speaker size for high-quality sound is 12 inches (30 cm).
You should only choose products from trusted manufacturers.
Knowing the size and height of the voice coil, you can easily check the real power of the speaker.
A car amplifier should be less powerful than a subwoofer.
It is worth choosing an aluminum box and a rubber top suspension.
Depending on the location of the subwoofer in the car, it is worth taking an additional amplifier. If the speaker system is located in the trunk, then the sound may be somewhat distorted.

A subwoofer is a special additional speaker that reproduces low frequencies. Conventional speakers contain speakers responsible for mids and . Even if your speakers are hung on the walls or on the table, it is still better to place the subwoofer on the floor, this will improve the sound of low frequencies. But when buying a powerful subwoofer, it is important to make sure that your downstairs neighbors share your love for beauty.

A passive subwoofer is quite simple. Its housing contains one or more low-frequency “heads” that are connected to an external amplifier. Passive subwoofers come in two types. The first type of device differs in that a signal is supplied to the stereo amplifier simultaneously for speakers of all frequencies. Thus, the speakers must reproduce all frequencies, including those unusual for them, and the sound is unclear. The second type of passive subwoofer is equipped with an additional electronic crossover filter that sorts the frequencies so that each speaker receives only the signal corresponding to it.

An active subwoofer contains everything at once: it has both a crossover filter and its own amplifier. On the device you can find various line inputs and outputs, as well as crossover frequency controls and signal level settings for various frequencies. An active subwoofer is often the preferred option as it provides good sound by expanding the dynamic range of the speaker system.

Which subwoofer to choose

If you want to connect everything and have the audio system work well right away, without additional settings or other actions, then choose an active subwoofer. The standard settings of such a device in the vast majority of cases satisfy the sound of heavy or dance music; bass frequencies are deeply transmitted. Plus, an active subwoofer already has an amplifier, so you don't have to worry about it.

But if you can do a really good job of tuning your audio system (and are willing to figure it out), then a passive subwoofer may well be your choice. An expensive and high-quality audio system with a professional passive subwoofer allows you to adjust the sound much more fully than with an active subwoofer. Despite the fact that it can be quite painstaking and difficult, and you need to feel the sound of the music in order to cope, nevertheless, true lovers of good sound often choose this option.

To summarize, we can say that precise and very high-quality tuning of a passive subwoofer allows you to get a much more spacious and dense sound than a speaker system with an active subwoofer. But the latter option sounds good right from the start and is noticeably better than a cheap passive subwoofer.

Nowadays, more and more people are paying attention to car acoustics. Various types have become very popular subwoofers. However, not everyone can afford such luxury. The way out of this situation is to make your own passive subwoofer.

Instructions

First you need to think about making a box for your future subwoofer. To do this you need to select a form. Please note that making a cylindrical box is much more difficult than making a square one. Chipboard is suitable for the job. It is best to fasten this material together using self-tapping screws. After that, use a jigsaw to make a round hole in the front of the box. You will need to install a speaker in it. Also make a hole on the back side. It is necessary for the output of wires.

Next, start finishing the inside of the body. To do this, lay sound insulation sheets in several layers. The box should not make any extraneous sounds when vibrating. Interior decoration must be taken extremely seriously.

Once the box is ready, you can move on to filling it internally. The speaker must be positioned correctly, otherwise you will not get the expected effect. It is recommended to lay a good seal around the edges of the round hole. The fact is that the speaker will constantly vibrate. It's unlikely that you want to hear creaks and knocks when playing music. Place the speaker into the housing and screw it tightly onto the self-tapping screws.

Next, place cotton wool in the body. She must fill it completely. Vata promotes good sound. Now all that remains is to finish the outside of the body. For this you can use a variety of materials. Carpet is very popular. Cover the subwoofer with this material. Use regular Moment glue. Connect the wires to the amplifier and check the functionality of your homemade subwoofer.

Video on the topic

Tip 3: What is the difference between an active and passive pickup

Every guitarist knows what a pickup is, but not everyone is aware that there are two types: active and passive. What is the difference?

The pickup is so called based on the principle of its operation. It picks up sound from the strings and transmits it to the amplifier, almost like a microphone. However, the microphone can amplify other, completely unnecessary sounds, while the pickup is aimed only at the strings. After all, without pickups we would never hear our fans at a rock concert.

Passive pickup

This type of pickup is common to see on electric and bass guitars. It converts the vibrations of the strings into an electrical signal and sends it to the amplifier. The fact is that such pickups send a weak, unprocessed, “raw” signal to the output. The shorter the cable through which the sound travels, the more intelligible and louder it will be. However, there are also advantages: you connect the cable and you can play right away.

Active pickup

The principle of operation of such a pickup is similar to the first. The only difference is that it amplifies the signal in the housing itself, sending a strong, processed sound to the output. And nothing depends on the length of the cable here. Such pickups require a battery to be installed, from which the current will flow to the preamplifier.