Achat 104 A : Expected more

Having been pleased with the passive version of these speakers, I ordered 2x 104As to compare. I'm a little dissappointed at the comparison;

It seems that the volume control is acting as an attenuator before the amplifier rather than altering the gain. Therefore the speakers are very noisy! I have used the passive 104s as near field monitors before but struggle with these thanks to the loud hiss.

They evidently suffer from a low quality, internal amplifier as their tonal quality is inferior to that of the passive version (paired with t.amp TSA 4-300).

Cosmetically, the volume pot protrudes further than the rest of the cabinet which suggests vulnerability to damage and could foul otherwise tight fitting cases.

HOWEVER;

In an environment that would mask the noise and with appropriate EQ I'm sure that these would find their place. A relatively discreet, active loudspeaker with a "can't go wrong" setup. For the price, I can't complain too much but would still prefer their passive counterparts for many applications.