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Sorry @lonemountain but high passing mains,. especially residential is often the right thing to do, and done right, with quality subs and filtering on both is inaudible. There will be no shift in tone and no localization is possible.  You have to be cutting off below the Schrodinger frequency. Your subs have to be low distortion, especially anything third order and higher. That may be as much a consideration for where you're cut off frequency is as anything.   If you've got large means that can play low distortion at high volumes at base frequencies, then I would consider it beneficial to run them full range. But most mains these days don't fit that criteria. For most means I would far prefer a cut off that's not full range especially if the customer likes high volume levels. 

I don't understand your comment with respect to DSP. With any modern half decent quality ADC, you're not going to hear any sound of using an ADC and then DSP. And of course if it's an all digital system, it's a nonstarter. Talking about DSP delay is also not relevant when you bring up in the same paragraph 180° out of phase operation which is a delay. There are no absolutes speakers like a line array can be difficult to integrate with subs and an evaluation needs to be done based on mains speakers, room size, listening levels etc

@kota1 phasing sub and full range speakers is not difficult, just put you head exactly between the sub and the speakers, play and 80hz tone with all your equipment on and slowly turn the phase knob until you hear the null point and the strongest point. Go back and forth to be sure you are not 180 degrees off, stop at the strongest tone. 

thanks

@lonemountain , I beg to differ Brad. Subs belong in corners. That is where they are most efficient. I have been using digital signal processing including full range room control for 25 years. My main speakers are ESLs and I high pass them at 100 Hz. The result is far less distortion and much higher volumes. The advantage will not be as great for multiway dynamic speakers but still detectible. IMHO digital signal processing done right is a boon to overall system performance for a multitude of reasons not just subwoofer crossover. You can not perfectly match your channels any other way not to mention tuning your system exactly the way you want it. I even use dynamic loudness filters. The system sounds exactly the same regardless of volume.

The best way, IMHO, to manage subs is to put them where they are most efficient using at least two in a symmetrical array with the main speakers, cross them steeply (48 dB/oct at least) using matching high pass filters on the mains putting the crossover point 6 dB down. Then matching the subs in time and phase with the main speakers. I would argue that if a symmetrical array can not be done due to room issues then it is the wrong room for a HiFi system. I have set up systems in rooms I would have never used for HiFi and made the best of it but I always warned the person the situation was not optimal. Most people do not care. They listen to music but do not imagine it. To them an image is something coming from the right and something else coming from the left. 

I can very much appreciate the experience of others.   SpeakerDude, yes, the speakers in question are good down low without subs, almost always a 2nd order roll off.   All analog from a good converter, usually a Burl.  Target for max SPL (for dynamics) is 100 to 110dB SPL.    

Mijosten, I appreciate corners are where subs can have the most boundary gain but corners are rarely available in a studio.  They are frequently occupied with gear or bass traps.  Somewhere along the floor where it meets the wall is usually the best available location, with only 3dB less boost than the corner.   Sub arrays are certainly a goal but its extremely rare to have a studio actually allocate the control room space (often living room sized) to implement one.  In 25 years I have not seen a single studio example.  In live or fixed install, I have seen many examples. 

Is this the conflict of the practical vs the theoretical?

Brad