Active/Powered Speakers - Cabasse

Active speakers are defined by their in-built amplifier and are ready to go straight out of the box. This is a great alternative to using passive bookshelf or floorstanding speakers with an amplifier, where space is at a premium or if a quick and easy installation is required. Unlike the generic poor quality "PC speakers", our range of active speakers are selected from premium hifi brands. Enjoy the minimalism of active, powered and wireless speakers and guaranteed high quality sound from your portable music devices, smart phones, Mac, PC's or TVs. Many of these are available to demo in our showroom. This section mostly includes paired active speakers but we also sell single box active/wireless speakers.

Cabasse was founded over seventy years ago, in France. The company’s main ethos is the reproduction of music, without any alteration, coloration or distortion. They are research based and are constantly innovating. For example, they developed coaxial loudspeaker technology.

This technology mounts multiple drivers in a small space. As a result the sound is clean and pure with no phase errors. Finally, Cabasse also make connected speakers that can stream hi-res files as well as connect to thousands of radio stations. An early innovation was cinema surround sound speakers.

In the early fifties the advent of colour television, drove film makers to ever greater efforts to attract audiences. Various wide screen formats came out, such as vista Vision and Cinemascope. Another complicated system was Cinerama, this used three projectors and seven channel sound. This early surround sound system used Coaxial loudspeakers developed by Cabasse.

Another innovation came in 1958 with the first active three way speaker. By the 1980’s Cabasse were making four way speakers and had entered the professional market, with studio speakers. Spherical speakers are also a Cabasse speciality. The current Pearl range combines coaxial drivers with the latest streaming technology. Cabasse have their own App named StreamControl. It can be installed on Apple and Android devices and helps you to manage your music collection. There are many streaming services such as Qobuz, Deezer, Spotify, Napster & Tidal. You can also listen to over 15,000 online radio stations.

Cabbase also make an innovative range of conventionally shaped speakers. There are bookshelf speakers as well as a range of floor standers and subwoofers. Another feature of the range are the beautifully designed custom stands. An unusual bookshelf speaker set is the Rialto. This is an active connected speaker pair with a built in display and streaming capability. It also uses coaxial technology for massive sound in a small space.

Active Speakers are also known as "amplified speakers" or "powered speakers" as they feature an internal amplifier which provides power to the drivers and eliminates the need for an external standalone hi-fi amplifier. Most Active Speakers include one powered unit housing an amplifier, and an additional passive “slave” speaker which draws power and signal from the other powered speaker. We stock a large selection of active speakers, wireless speakers, Bluetooth speakers, powered speakers, desktop speakers and monitor speakers.

Because Active Speakers come without the need for a separate amplifier, they are perfect for use with computers on a desktop or as a lifestyle system e.g. in a living room or kitchen, beacause the single-box design limits the unit’s footprint. These models are largely built with the same attention to detail as typical hi-fi speakers and some are also designed to be as much a piece of art or furniture as a functional speaker product. With this in mind, it is easy to find a product that looks and sounds great in any room or with any décor. Our knowledgeable team is always happy to offer a demonstration and advice in our showroom. As with all of our products, we offer a comprehensive range and free next day UK delivery on in stock models.

While they can perform capably on a desktop or surface, much like typical bookshelf hi-fi speakers, Active Speakers will almost always sound better on dedicated speaker stands. Dedicated stands will position the speaker at the ideal listening height and come in a range of heights for you to tailor placement to suit your typical listening position. Ideally, the tweeter should be placed at eye level to ensure the best possible stereo imaging and integration between drivers. Additionally, dedicated stands aid performance by decoupling the speaker and isolating it from the floor or any surface it might otherwise be placed on, which in turn results in greater and clearer bass performance. Many dedicated stands are fillable, which adds mass and weight, in turn adding extra bass extension and authority.

With some active speakers, a built in DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) enables you to connect your speakers to a digital source and enjoy high resolution audio files. This means you can plug your laptop or computer into your power speaker via a USB port and play hi-res WAV or FLAC files. Many models feature a range of inputs and connectivity options, enabling you to attach a wide range of devices and sources, meaning your active speakers can be the hub and centre of your multimedia or home entertainment system.

With Bluetooth technology advancing in leaps and bounds in terms of audio quality, aided by the creation of lossless CD quality apt-X technology, many Active Speakers offer wireless playback via Bluetooth. This enables you to connect a computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet or other portable device wirelessly via Bluetooth, and enjoy simple, high-quality wireless playback from your active system. With no external amplifier, and no unsightly wires from your device to the speakers, active speakers are perfect for use on desktops, counters, smaller shelves and in more constricted areas where it would be more difficult to accommodate a bookshelf speaker and integrated amplifier combination.