Don’t get me wrong, audio isn’t one of the most watched things in the computing world, especially by laptop and monitor makers. This is why many users who appreciate the sound quality of their PC 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 devices and what options exist beyond the world of the PC, but 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 it’s easy to see, an active speaker is one that has its amplifier in the same box as the rest of the components
And many of our readers will think the following: I never had to connect any additional devices when connecting my speakers! And the answer is simple, most loudspeakers sold in computer component stores include all the elements and the concept of active or passive loudspeaker 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 choose one of these speakers.
What is the advantage of opting for a passive speaker system? Well, being modular makes it easy to update different parts of our audio system separately. Of course we’re going to need the use of an amplifier and these aren’t exactly cheap and also take up a lot of space. This is why they have not been standardized on PCs, because with the little space that exists on desktop computers. The upside is that if you’re someone who values sound, you can set up a good setup and get your ears to enjoy it.
But what kind of speaker sounds better?
Since passive speakers 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 built into monitors and laptops, then the vast majority are worth deactivating. Not in vain, this is one of the reasons many fans end up using headphones to watch their movies or play their games.
It all boils down to the common and good enough minimum for the majority of the public, that unwritten law that says that when a technology product performs sufficiently acceptable, then any improvement in it ends up being perceived as an extra cost. So the fact of setting up a more or less complex audio configuration will depend on whether you consider it important or not. We’ve only dropped that there’s life beyond typical PC speakers.
