Monitors: Powered or Passive?

[malabor]

Hey folks! This is my first post and I would really appreciate some opinions. I am just getting my home project studio up and running and I need some monitors. I can't decide on if I should get with active or passive monitors. Suggestions? Comments?

[COOLCAT]

Originally Posted by malabor

Hey folks! This is my first post and I would really appreciate some opinions. I am just getting my home project studio up and running and I need some monitors. I can't decide on if I should get with active or passive monitors. Suggestions? Comments?

daang, jump around with the search. monitors galore.
i'm in the 250-300 range and a few models ~4 or 5 have
faired quite well.

I've been reading for two days!

great stuff. I made 4 purchases by this gang here and some wall-traps.

....just wish I'd known it sooner. very humbling...learning that is.

but wht the fhk, i'm happy with my "good sht" cheap gear.

good luck. rocknroll

[Ethan Winer]

Mal,

> I can't decide on if I should get with active or passive monitors. <

There are many advantages of active monitors for the typical project studio, besides a simpler hookup with less pieces to carry if you ever do remotes:

Active speakers are typically bi-amped, which often yields a cleaner sound with less distortion. And bi-amping offers more ways to optimize the crossover performance because it uses active rather than passive components. Also, the power amps will be well matched to the speakers, they won't have a fan, and the wires from amp to speaker are shorter which improves damping. But to me the overwhelming advantage, as implemented in the Mackies anyway, is that the woofer cone's motion can be included within the power amp's feedback loop to reduce distortion by a significant amount.

--Ethan

[malabor]

So it sounds like for what I'm going to be using them for, Active monitors would be better. I found a set of Behringer B2031A's for a good price. Any thoughts on these monitors?