←back to thread

Reverse-engineering my speakers' API to get reasonable volume control

(jamesbvaughan.com)
287 points jamesbvaughan | 5 comments | 25 Jul 24 15:11 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
Show context
christina97 ◴[27 Jul 24 10:05 UTC] No.41085534[source]▶
For those considering buying speakers: (1) do it, (2) get passive ones and a separate amp. Honestly it’s such a mature market that buying these active speakers just creates e-waste. Keep the e-waste to the amp. You can get really solid speakers for $300 and a cheap amp with BT for $50-100, replacing them basically independently depending on your needs.
replies(5): >>41085599 #>>41085799 #>>41086235 #>>41087834 #>>41089735 #
Endurancee ◴[27 Jul 24 12:47 UTC] No.41086235[source]▶
Quality of active speakers are really good these days, they have matched amps and speakers from neumann, genelec etc also has active crossover which is superior than any passive setup. Mature market sure, but even companies like KEF who didn't offered or focussed much on active systems, have growing range of options now.
replies(1): >>41086476 #
2OEH8eoCRo0 ◴[27 Jul 24 13:31 UTC] No.41086476[source]▶
Nobody is arguing their quality is bad, but that amps die long before speakers die. Do passive speakers even die?

Also, online services built into these will die before the speakers do.

replies(5): >>41086579 #>>41087625 #>>41089395 #>>41092645 #>>41098544 #
1. atoav ◴[27 Jul 24 13:49 UTC] No.41086579[source]▶
Sure from a longevity perspective, you are 100% correct and for HIfi/Home use I'd recommend the same.

I am not sure however if your estimation is correct for all cases. The amount of killed tweeters I have seen would not have happened with an active speaker..

replies(2): >>41086871 #>>41086876 #
2. otteromkram ◴[27 Jul 24 14:35 UTC] No.41086871[source]▶
> I am not sure however if your estimation is correct for all cases.

Apologies. Next time they'll do a 10-year study on the subject before daring to comment on a public forum, ensuring that each and every angle is covered so that le smart folks like yourself will be able to sleep at night.

replies(1): >>41091958 #
3. cobbaut ◴[27 Jul 24 14:36 UTC] No.41086876[source]▶
>The amount of killed tweeters I have seen would not have happened with an active speaker.

My 1978 (no brand) speakers are still in excellent condition, so are the 1991 Bose. Hifiberry works fine. ymmv

replies(1): >>41091968 #
4. atoav ◴[28 Jul 24 08:27 UTC] No.41091958[source]▶
No need to be bitter. I don't even know you, so I mainly said my experience is different.

Now maybe that is because I am an electronics guy and people come to me with their broken stuff and I see what actually breaks, but isn't the point of a public forum to say something and be occasionally wrong? Should I rather have stayed silent?

I don't know about you, but if some knowledgeable person corrects me, I am grateful for getting a check on my perspectives. This is the value of discussion.

5. atoav ◴[28 Jul 24 08:31 UTC] No.41091968[source]▶
Yeah, my mileage is running a media technology rental in one of the biggest art universities of Europe.

And as a known electronics guy people bring their broken stuff to me for at least the last decade.

If you handle stuff correctly it will survive. But the point about reliability is to also take into account how stuff survives when it is abused.