A wideband active antenna system comprising an antenna having N outputs and a nominal bandwidth, each of the N outputs being directly coupled to an associated buffer amplifier, with a distance between the N outputs and a first active stage of each associated buffer amplifier preferably being maintained as short as reasonably possible and preferably no greater than ¼ wavelength of any transmission and/or receiving frequency of the wideband active antenna system and/or preferably no greater than 0.1 wavelength of any transmission and/or receiving frequency in an extension band of frequencies lower than a lowest frequency in the nominal bandwidth of the antenna.