Reply To: passive v active speakers for gigging band

[[XAP]BobParticipant]

First up I’d recommend a QU16, or a QuPac.

Then I’d say that the extra wires for power are negligible in terms of setup (you can’t actually neglect them as the speakers won’t work if you do, but the time they take is virtually nil). You also save the cost of amps, and the cabling to the amp…

As for power – Wattage isn’t the only consideration.
If it’s a three person band with a Cajon and two guitars then the requirements will be fundamentally different from a 7 piece thrash metal band.