@grislybutter,
There's only filters on your subs, not active. I guess you can call them really simple crossovers. They work whether the subs amp is on or off. I believe what @deep_333 is saying is; in a higher end system, unless your gear has a 'sub out' to go directly to your sub so your amp speaker outs can go directly to your speakers so you can bypass the subs sound degrading outs, it's always the way to go since your speakers will receive a much 'cleaner' signal than if also run through the sub.