Audio Optimum MS8EH Mk3
Product information "Audio Optimum MS8EH Mk3"
"The only reason for passive crossovers is cost. If the goal is accurate music reproduction, it is a waste of time to deal with them."
Siegfried Linkwitz (1935 - 2018)
In professional recording studios, active speakers have long been established, but for home listening enjoyment, passive speakers still dominate because they place lower demands on the amplifiers used. For active multi-way speakers, first, two to three amplifiers per stereo channel are required, and second, they must be of the highest quality because they drive the voice coils of the individual speakers directly, allowing for much better reproduction of transients with active crossovers. Even the slightest imperfections in the amplifiers can be noticeable, which may bother the pleasure listener more than the sound engineer.
Speakers with passive crossovers reproduce sound less accurately and are more tolerant of amplifier imperfections. Of course, passive speakers also benefit from perfect amplifiers, but less-than-perfect amplifiers do not spoil the listening experience as noticeably as they would with active multi-way speakers. Therefore, if technical precision is less important than the feel-good factor, a passive amplifier/speaker combination is often preferred.
This changes with the SINCOS MonoAmps of the Mk3 generation. Due to extremely elaborate voltage stabilization and filtering, the signal processing is so clean that the fundamental advantages of active multi-way speakers prevail. The MS8EH Mk3 active system, which can be used universally for both music playback and film sound, achieves a level of sound quality that no passive amplifier/speaker combination can match, regardless of size and price. With an actively filtered 6th-order bass reflex system, impressive deep bass reproduction is achieved for small to large rooms, eliminating any desire for an additional subwoofer or "5.1" setup.
An MS8EH Mk3 system includes two speaker cabinets with 8-inch mid-woofers and 30mm tweeter domes, two SINCOS MonoAmps with two amplifiers each, an analog 2-way active crossover, and three separate power supplies, two stands with integrated MonoAmps, and two 4-core special cables for connecting the speakers and amplifiers.