2 channel advice

[Mash]

But price is no guarantee of anything.

The only way OP could ever know is to compare.

I have not heard every cone-based speaker available- not in the slightest.

But the cone-based speakers I have heard fell into two groups:

Passive wherin the speaker is connected to an amp and the results simply are what they are. Some speaker-amp combinations produced results that are much better than the results produced by other speaker-amp combinations.

Active, i.e. servo-feedback controlled powered speakers which produce a more consistant as well as a superior result.

An example of the later would be the various flavors of servo-controlled subs offered by Velodyne and Paradigm, et al. These servosubs are invariably superior in linearity, bottom-end extension, and articulation when compared to otherwise similar passive (non-feedback controlled) subs. The same would apply to servo-controlled midrange cone transducers when compared to passive midrange cone transducers. This is what feedback control does.

[RGA]

Active, i.e. servo-feedback controlled powered speakers which produce a more consistant as well as a superior result.

An example of the later would be the various flavors of servo-controlled subs offered by Velodyne and Paradigm, et al. These servosubs are invariably superior in linearity, bottom-end extension, and articulation when compared to otherwise similar passive (non-feedback controlled) subs. The same would apply to servo-controlled midrange cone transducers when compared to passive midrange cone transducers. This is what feedback control does.

Sorry but nope - I have heard top of the line Active speakers from Genelec, ATC, PMC and while a powered sub sounds better than non powered subs in my experience (although it should be said that few bother to make passive subs at a high level so who knows how good they could be), many passive high quality speakers sound better than those active loudspeakers. Those active loudspeakers also sound a lot better than many passive ones but the blanket statement is absurd either way.

[Mash]

1. I did NOT write about POWERED speakers.

2. I wrote about SERVO-FEEDBACK CONTROLLED speakers.

3. All servo-feedback controlled speakers are ALSO powered speakers.

4. All powered speakers ARE NOT servo-feedback controlled speakers.

5. The speakers you have referred to are MERELY powered speakers.

An example of feedback control is when we are driving our car down a road and we see that the traffic light we are approaching has changed to RED. We lift our foot off the gas and think about using the brakes. The light then turns GREEN so we put our foot back on the gas. We, as the driver, are providing feedback control to the car.

Our car is analogous to a powered speaker that lacks feedback control, while we as the driver provide the necessary feedback control. Without us as drivers being inside the car and providing our feedback control, the car is not controlled and therefor cannot operate under its own power safely.

Loudspeakers are kinda like this.