Crossover Basics 17 1.8 The Next Step in Hi-Fi As we have just seen, active crossovers have a long and convincing list of technical advantages. The score is 22 very real advantages and 5 not-too-convincing advantages, as opposed to 9 advantages for passive crossovers. It is generally accepted that active crossover hi-fi systems sound obviously better than their passive-crossover counterparts. Any sort of consensus is rare in the wide field of audio, so this is highly significant. I strongly suspect that the widespread adoption of active crossovers, suitably matched to their loudspeakers, would be The Next Big Step in Hi-Fi, and possibly even The Last Big Step possible with current technology. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that active crossovers, despite their compelling advantages, have made very little headway in the domestic market so far, though they are used in all but the smallest sound-reinforcement systems, and extensively in automotive audio. The big question is how to make active crossover technology more acceptable in the marketplace. The first thing we shall do is look at ways of solving the "too many boxes and wires" problem.