Difference between speakers

[boostedVT]

Hi guys,

I am currently looking buying new speakers and just getting a little confused with all the lingo

Some speakers say passive, others say active, or monitor and PA.

what is the difference between them all?

[eggssell]

im not the most technical, but here is what i do know:

passive: requires an amplifier

asctive: does not require an amplifier, and also requires power

PA: is public announcement system. i think in most cases these are considered of not high sound quality to monitors. i.e. the sounds are usually muddied. their purpose is to get sound out to a large area

monitor: speakers used for production to reference the track, and so their grade is based on how truly they can represent the sound. people also use these at home to dj with

however monitor in dj speak is also what you use to "monitor" the mix. you can actually use any speaker for this. i have used a guitar amp; a ghetto blaster; a hifi system; or just by putting one of the PA speakers behind me

[SolDios]

Here's the basic rundown.

Monitors: More for studio/production use, as they are made to play the sound straight without coloring it.

PA: Pa gear is alot louder than your every day hifi, however the low end units (below $800 for a pair) seem to lack a fair bit of quality compared to the 1k+ ones.

(Active and passive)

Active: Includes an amp inside, all you need is to plug your mixer ext in.

Passive: Requires an external amp.

Edit: Beaten to it :c

[boostedVT]

thanks guys very helpful info for a fool like me

Thanks