Sind aktive oder passive Lautsprecher besser?

Das lässt sich nicht pauschal sagen, weil der Klang von der Qualität der einzelnen Box abhängt. Aktive Lautsprecher haben den Vorteil, dass Verstärker und Treiber aufeinander abgestimmt sind und man kein weiteres Gerät braucht. Passive Lautsprecher sind flexibler, weil sich Verstärker und Boxen getrennt austauschen lassen. Am Fernseher sind aktive Lautsprecher meist einfacher anzuschließen.

Was ist ein Aktivlautsprecher?

Ein Aktivlautsprecher ist ein Lautsprecher mit eingebautem Verstärker. Er braucht einen Stromanschluss und lässt sich direkt an eine Tonquelle wie den Fernseher, einen Computer oder ein Smartphone anschließen. Ein zusätzlicher Verstärker ist nicht nötig.

Kann man aktive und passive Lautsprecher mischen?

Ja, das ist sogar ein häufiger Aufbau. Zwei passive Lautsprecher an einem Verstärker lassen sich gut mit einem aktiven Subwoofer ergänzen. Zwei Boxen für links und rechts sollten dagegen gleich gebaut sein, weil sich sonst Klang und Lautstärke zwischen links und rechts unterscheiden.

Woran erkennt man, ob ein Lautsprecher aktiv oder passiv ist?

Ein aktiver Lautsprecher hat ein Netzkabel oder eine Buchse für ein Netzteil und meist einen Ein-Aus-Schalter. Oft hat er außerdem Cinch- oder optische Eingänge, manchmal auch Bluetooth. Ein passiver Lautsprecher hat auf der Rückseite nur Klemmen für Lautsprecherkabel, meist ein Paar, bei manchen Modellen zwei. Genauso sieht allerdings auch die zweite Box eines aktiven Paars aus, weil sie ihre Leistung von der Hauptbox bekommt.

Kann man aktive Lautsprecher an einen Verstärker anschließen?

An den Lautsprecherausgang in der Regel nicht. Eine Ausnahme sind Boxen mit Hochpegeleingang, wie ihn manche Subwoofer haben. Aktive Boxen brauchen ein schwaches Signal, wie es ein Vorverstärker- oder Line-Ausgang liefert. Hat der Verstärker einen solchen Ausgang, lassen sich aktive Lautsprecher dort anschließen.

TV Listening Solutions for the Television

Active or passive speakers

By faller audio Editorial Team | Updated on October 19, 2026 | 5 min. read time

Active and passive speakers differ primarily in where the amplifier is located. With active speakers, it’s built into the housing, which is why they need their own power connection. Passive speakers do not have an amplifier and receive their power via a speaker cable from an external device.

Active speakers can usually be connected directly to the TV because they come with their own amplifier. For passive speakers, the TV does not have a suitable amplifier. Therefore, a stereo amplifier or an AV receiver is needed in between. How good the sound quality is, however, does not depend on whether you use active or passive speakers.

The Active Speaker

An active speaker is a speaker and amplifier in one housing. You connect it directly to a sound source like the TV and don’t need any other device. Many devices that wouldn’t be called active speakers are also active, such as Bluetooth speakers, PC speakers, and soundbars.

Construction and Power Supply

Inside the housing, in addition to the drivers that produce the actual sound, there is an amplifier and a power supply. In many models, each driver has its own amplifier. The crossover network splits the sound into high and low frequencies. It is then located before the amplifiers and can be precisely tuned to the drivers. Simpler models, however, only have one amplifier for both drivers. The crossover is then located behind the amplifier, similar to a passive speaker.

Every speaker with a built-in amplifier needs a power cable and an outlet nearby. Such speakers also consume some power in standby, but usually very little.

Many active speakers also have their own tone control for bass and treble. With some, you can set whether the speaker is free-standing, close to a wall, or in a shelf. The speaker then adjusts the bass so that it doesn’t boom when close to the wall or in a shelf.

Connections on the Active Speaker

Which inputs an active speaker has depends on the model. Often there is an analog input with RCA or jack, plus Bluetooth. Some models also have an optical input or an HDMI connection with ARC. For the TV, these two connections are particularly important because sound is transmitted digitally through them.

Bluetooth is convenient because no cable to the TV is needed. However, when watching TV, the sound via wireless can arrive with a slight delay and then not match the lips. Furthermore, not every TV outputs sound via Bluetooth. For movies and series, a cable is therefore usually more reliable.

The Passive Speaker

A passive speaker consists only of a housing, drivers, and a crossover network. It does not have an amplifier or a power connection. It only plays when connected to an amplifier.

Construction without Amplifier

The crossover network in a passive speaker consists of coils, capacitors, and resistors. It distributes the already amplified signal to the drivers. Since there is no electronics with its own power supply in the speaker, it consumes no power. Only the amplifier needs power.

Amplifier and Speaker Cable

A passive speaker is connected to a stereo amplifier or AV receiver with a two-core speaker cable. The amplifier must match the speaker, especially in terms of power and impedance, i.e., the electrical resistance of the speaker. Both specifications are in the data sheet. The advantage is that the amplifier and speakers can be exchanged or supplemented independently of each other.

Some passive speakers have two pairs of terminals on the back instead of just one. This allows the high and low frequency sections to be supplied via separate cables or connected to two amplifiers. This is not necessary for normal operation. A simple cable is sufficient if the metal bridges between the two pairs remain in place. If you connect two cables or two amplifiers, you must remove the bridges beforehand.

Passive speakers do not need an outlet. Therefore, they can also be mounted on the wall behind the sofa or on the ceiling. However, the speaker cable must then be routed from the amplifier to the speaker. For longer distances, the cable should be somewhat thicker so that not too much power is lost along the way.

Hybrid Forms

Not every speaker can be clearly assigned to one type. For TV use, you mainly encounter three hybrid forms that combine characteristics of active and passive speakers. They differ in which speaker the amplifier is located.

Active Pairs with a Main Speaker

Many active stereo pairs consist of a main speaker and a second speaker. Only the main speaker has the amplifier, power supply, and inputs. The second speaker is connected to the main speaker with a cable, like a passive speaker. You then only need one outlet, but you have to run a cable between the two speakers. With some pairs, the speakers are connected wirelessly instead. In that case, each speaker needs an outlet again.

Passive Speakers with an Active Subwoofer

A subwoofer almost always has its own amplifier because low frequencies require a lot of power. It is therefore active, even if the other speakers in the room are passive. Often, two passive speakers are connected to an amplifier or AV receiver. In addition, there is an active subwoofer that receives its signal via its own subwoofer output. AV receivers almost always have this output, but older stereo amplifiers often do not.

Subwoofer with Amplifier for All Speakers

In many small sets consisting of a subwoofer and two small speakers, known as satellites, all the electronics are located in the subwoofer. It has the inputs, the power supply, and the amplifiers for all speakers. The satellites are connected to the subwoofer via cable and are passive themselves. A separate amplifier is not needed for such a set.

Active or passive speakers with the TV

With the TV, the sound quality is less critical than how the sound reaches the speakers. Current TVs generally do not have terminals for speaker cables. Whether active or passive speakers are a better fit therefore primarily depends on how many devices you want to have in your living room.

	Active Speakers	Passive Speakers
Amplifier	built-in	external, as a separate device
Power Connection	per speaker or on the main speaker	not necessary
Connection to TV	often direct, e.g., optical, via HDMI ARC or analog	only via amplifier or AV receiver
Expansion	mostly only within the same system	amplifier and speakers interchangeable individually
Devices and Space	only the speakers	speakers plus amplifier on the shelf
Cost	amplifier included in price	amplifier added separately

Active speakers require fewer devices with the TV. Passive speakers need an additional amplifier but offer more flexibility in combination.

Active Speakers Directly with the TV

If the active speaker has an optical input or HDMI ARC, usually a single cable to the TV is sufficient. Via HDMI ARC, the volume can typically also be controlled with the TV’s remote control. If the TV has an analog output or a headphone jack, the speaker can also be connected there.

The main thing is that the output and input match. Many newer TVs no longer have an analog output. A speaker that only has analog inputs therefore cannot be easily connected to such devices.

Passive Speakers with Amplifier

Passive speakers are a good option if an amplifier is already present in the living room. They are also common for surround sound with multiple speakers. However, the amplifier needs a suitable input for the TV’s sound. This is not always the case with older stereo amplifiers without a digital input.

In return, passive speakers offer more flexibility. You can connect a better amplifier later, add a center speaker, or keep the speakers if the amplifier is replaced.

However, you will then have one more device in the living room that takes up shelf space and needs to be turned on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are active or passive speakers better?

This cannot be said generally, as the sound depends on the quality of the individual speaker. Active speakers have the advantage that the amplifier and drivers are matched, and you don’t need another device. Passive speakers are more flexible because the amplifier and speakers can be replaced separately. For TV use, active speakers are usually easier to connect.

What is an active speaker?

An active speaker is a speaker with a built-in amplifier. It requires a power connection and can be connected directly to a sound source such as the TV, a computer, or a smartphone. An additional amplifier is not necessary.

Can active and passive speakers be mixed?

Yes, this is even a common setup. Two passive speakers connected to an amplifier can be well supplemented with an active subwoofer. However, two speakers for left and right should be constructed identically, otherwise the sound and volume between left and right will differ.

How do you tell if a speaker is active or passive?

An active speaker has a power cable or a jack for a power supply and usually an on/off switch. It often also has RCA or optical inputs, sometimes even Bluetooth. A passive speaker only has terminals for speaker cables on the back, usually one pair, or two pairs on some models. However, the second speaker of an active pair looks the same because it gets its power from the main speaker.

Can active speakers be connected to an amplifier?

Generally not to the speaker output. An exception is speakers with a high-level input, as some subwoofers have. Active speakers need a low-level signal, such as that provided by a preamplifier or line output. If the amplifier has such an output, active speakers can be connected there.