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Are powered speakers better than passive
ones? This debate will probably rage on
as long as the CD versus vinyl debate.
The one thing that is certain is that
powered cabinets are here to stay. The
2003 NAMM Exhibition was all the proof I
needed. They were everywhere, in all
types of cabinets, with all types of
amplifiers and at price points across
the board. The popular speaker vendors
were present in full force but I’ll just
be focusing on the newer market  entrants
that made an impression on me.
I.S.P. Technologies out of Clarkston, MI
(http://www.isptechnologies.com)
signature model, the Tripower Reference,
impressed me like no other pro-sound
speaker ever has before. Its three
patent pending D-CAT amplifiers provide
1100 watts RMS output to 2-12” woofers,
a 4” titanium mid-horn and a 1.75”
polyester HF-horn to produce a room
filling 134dB peak SPL. Polyester
drivers are common in hi-end home
systems and produce soothing highs
devoid of the harshness typical of
titanium drivers. The overall result is
a sound that rivaled many audiophile
speakers. Their demo featured a 5.1
channel surround sound configuration
using their more portable but just as
pleasing Triwedge and Tripower 900 3-way
models for the center and surround
speakers respectively. The demo sounded
so sweet, I didn’t want to leave the
booth. If it weren’t for the Wife
Acceptance Factor, this would be my
choice for the ideal home theater
system, especially if entertaining a few
hundred of my closest friends |
