adding an "active" amp to passive speaker

[COOLCAT]

Just wondering if anyone has added "active monitor" type amp to a passive speaker.

I have my HR studio actives, and was thinking of adding my tower speakers but don't want to add the amp and all that....

I want to run speaker/monitor outs from my pc interface box, directly to my passive "modded" speakers as I do with my actives.

any inputs? do's or don'ts?

cheap good stuff.. recommendations for this amp "mod"?

[dementedchord]

either you misunderstand signal flow or i'm misunderstanding you... the passive speakers will require a separate amp... they cannot be run from the "active" portion of your HR's...

[COOLCAT]

just looking for a amplifier to physically attach to each speaker. one amp for each speaker, like a Active Monitor.

Maybe I could buy a replacement amp from an Active speaker? Wonder what that costs for example a KRK RP8 amp unit?

I was thinking about attaching the amps to the back of these passive tower speakers.

[xstatic]

There are power amp packs that you can add on to speakers. I know that at least crown and Bryston both make them, but they will be spendy. I have seen some pretty darned cheap ones on some websites, but I do not remember where I saw them or what brand.

[COOLCAT]

I looked for a couple hours today and couldn't find any decent ones...seems several sub woof amps were there available.

i have an old old magazine that one company tried selling these things.

i need cheap too.

[Farview]

Originally Posted by COOLCAT

I have my HR studio actives, and was thinking of adding my tower speakers but don't want to add the amp and all that....

But you would still be adding an amp, two in fact. The only difference would be how long the speaker cable will be. This might be more of a pain in the butt than it's worth.

[Lt. Bob]

Originally Posted by Farview

But you would still be adding an amp, two in fact. The only difference would be how long the speaker cable will be. This might be more of a pain in the butt than it's worth.

ditto ...... you're looking at needing two mono amps instead of a single stereo amp. I'm not sure I see any advantage to simply getting a cheapo stereo amp and sticking it back by the speakers.

[pohaku]

Go to E-Cost and pick up a refurbed Onkyo receiver for cheap. That's what I use for my Avantone cubes. My main monitors are NHTPro A-10s and a sub which are all active monitors.

[COOLCAT]

thats a lot of the point as in this location there is no rack, no table really ..no space for the amplifiers.

so yes, two mono amps for the passives.....and then all I need is a cable from the pc interface box to the monitors.

but surely someone sells these? I mean KRK, Yorkville, M-Audio...their getting their "active monitor" amplifiers built for them somewhere?

I'd like to find two decent, cheap 100watt amps...mono...to semi-professionally put on these tower cabinets...eliminating the need for a typical stereo amp and stuff (which I already have.)....

surely someone sells them...maybe a sub woofer 100watt amp would work fomr one of the sub DIY kits?

[Minion]

Maybe look into getting a couple lm3886 Chip amp Kits, Like Two Dual mono kits which you could build directly into your Passive speaker boxes....

The LM3886 Chip amps can put out up to 68w into 4 Ohms and could quite easilly be built into a speaker box , they also sound quite good and are even used in some higher end Active monitors.....

do a google search for "Chip Amps" andc you should find a couple kits quite easilly....

Cheers


PS: you can even easilly make your own PCB"s and source your own parts and make thses amps really cheaply.....

[Lt. Bob]

Yeah .... do something like the chip amp. I wouldn't use a sub amp because some of them have severe peaks and dips in their freq response once you get above the sub freqs.

[COOLCAT]

yes, i didn't feel like the sub amps were right either.

i know the beauty of a hi-end audio system, but these days all my listening has moved to the computer really and it's time to merge my 4 way towers into it.

then i'll just hope for the day mp3 is replace by something better....24/48?

two mono blocks is all I want, i can live with the passive crossover and all that.

[dementedchord]

2 mono blocks are gonna cost more than a single comparable quality stereo... room for the amp is really that much of an issue for you???? put it in the closet maybe??? personaly i'ld try craigslist hi-fi listings....

[xstatic]

For a hifi amp have a look at http://www.audiogon.com

[Lt. Bob]

Originally Posted by dementedchord

personaly i'ld try craigslist hi-fi listings....

I needed a small power amp and went to pawn shops 'till I found a Sony stereo reciever that had those jumpers connecting the preamp to the power amp ..... pulled the jumpers and voila! ..... a 80 watt per channel stereo power amp for $50.
BTW ..... it sounded a LOT better when running one of my good preamps into the power amp ..... the Sonys' pre was really harsh sounding but by eleminating it, it became a fairly nice sounding power amp.

[COOLCAT]

Originally Posted by dementedchord

2 mono blocks are gonna cost more than a single comparable quality stereo... room for the amp is really that much of an issue for you???? put it in the closet maybe??? personaly i'ld try craigslist hi-fi listings....

damn...you would have to bring common sense into the equation....

there goes another gearhead dream..busted...kaput...

save some money though....go buy something else....I do need a ...

[dementedchord]

sorry dude.... and BTW for you and anyone else that checks this out... the Lt's point about useing the by-pass inputs is a serious trick... if at all possible use them... it's not so much of an EQ thing as some believe but more of a levels...