Simple Explanation

A loudspeaker that needs an external amplifier to function, with a passive crossover that splits the signal to drive multiple speakers.

Concise Technical Definition

A loudspeaker that requires an external power amplifier to function. The amplifier sends the signal through a passive crossover, which splits the audio signal to feed the appropriate drive units.

Layman-Friendly Analogy

Think of a passive loudspeaker as a team of workers (the drive units) that needs instructions (the amplifier) to do their job. The passive crossover is like a manager who tells each worker what to do based on the task at hand.

Industry Usage Summary

Passive loudspeakers are commonly used in home and professional audio systems. The external amplifier provides the power, and the passive crossover ensures the signal is properly divided between different drivers (like woofers and tweeters) within the speaker. They are popular in situations where users want the flexibility to choose their amplification system separately.

Engineering Shortcut

A speaker requiring an external amplifier and a passive crossover to split the signal.

Full Technical Explanation

A passive loudspeaker or monitor requires an external amplifier to provide power, as it has no internal amplification. The signal from the amplifier is passed through a passive crossover, which divides the audio signal into different frequency ranges and routes them to the appropriate drive units (such as woofers, midrange speakers, and tweeters). The passive crossover consists of components like inductors, capacitors, and resistors, which filter and distribute the signal based on frequency. The passive loudspeaker’s key feature is that it doesn't need its own power source or amplification, making it dependent on an external amplifier for both power and signal processing.