Make no mistake, audio is not one of the things that is most looked at in the computing world, especially by laptop and display builders. That is why for many users who appreciate how good what is played from their PC sounds, they end up turning off their speakers. However, we are going to ask you what you can do to improve the sound quality of these output peripherals and what options there are beyond the world of the PC, but which are fully compatible with it.
Active and passive speakers, how are they different?
The first thing we should know is the difference between the two and this is easy to see, an active speaker is one that has its amplifier in the same box as the rest of the components. Instead, one of the passive type requires an external amplifier and, therefore, its complete specification will depend on the quality of the amplifier that we use.
And many of our readers will be thinking the following: I have never had to connect any additional devices when connecting my speakers! And the answer to it is simple, most speakers sold in computer component stores include all the elements and the concept of active or passive speaker comes from the world of Home Cinema and High Fidelity. Of course, if you are an audio snob and what usually exists for PC does not convince you, it is possible that you go to a hi-fi store and opt for one of these speakers.
What’s the point of going for a passive speaker system? Well, the fact that being modular makes it easier to update the different parts of our audio system separately. Of course, we are going to need the use of an amplifier and these are not exactly cheap and also take up considerable space. That is why they have not been standardized on PCs, since with the little space that exists on desktops. The advantage is that if you are someone who gives importance to how things sound, you can set up a good setup and make your ears enjoy.
But what kind of speaker sounds better?
Since passive loudspeakers depend on the amplifier we have chosen, it is clear that we cannot make a direct comparison. Although if we are honest, the vast majority of active speakers sold for computers are bad and if we are already talking about those integrated into monitors and laptops, then the vast majority are worthy of being disabled. Not in vain, it is one of the reasons why many fans end up using headphones to watch their movies or play their games.
It all comes down to the common minimum and good enough for most of the public, that unwritten law that says that when a technological product gives a sufficiently acceptable performance, then any improvement on it ends up being seen as an extra cost. So the fact of setting up a more or less complex audio setup will depend on whether you consider it important or not. We have only dropped that there is life beyond the classic PC speakers.
