Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

@kota1 My notes of several of the curves we have to deal with to get a coherent signal in our listening rooms is exactly on topic. @lonemountain said it perfectly "Active is not about where the amplifier is, it’s about where the crossover is." Absolutely!, Keeping timing issues coherent in audio is very difficult. It's more complicated that most everyone thinks even if you use DSP with all of your equipment on. 

If you are listening to a wonderfully recorded live album in which the lead singer uses a wireless microphone that recording will have internal latency issues if that wireless mic is digital like the best wireless systems are, the latency in digital wireless mics varies depending on the version of microphones usually a production company has many of these mics lead vocals, backgrounds, etc. so the newer versions of these mics are different and uses updated digital circuits. So all that to say there are very few modern recordings that are phase coherent from the start, When I was recording movies and TV and some music I had to use a digital mixer that was able to put a delay on each channel of different digital and analog microphones, that is very difficult and I didn't know of any other production sound mixer who did that, I really worry about such things.

Keeping timing issues coherent in audio is very difficult.

It will never be perfect but you can do what you can, often for very little $$, just some time and effort. I got a laser pointer/measurement device for like $20 and got my MLP the same distance from my front speakers as from my back surround speakers. Then my front height channels and angles the same as my rear height channels and angles. Then your DSP is able to do a much better job.

I found the angles recommended by dolby in speaker setup to work very well in my room too. All it required was moving my MLP to the center of the room and then I could place my surrounds and wide channels at the proper angles. Obviously YMMV depending on the size of your room. This diagram of Floyd Tooles personal HT is a good example of an equidistant listening position:

"Active is not about where the amplifier is, it’s about where the crossover is."

IMO the speaker setup in your room is free and the proper specs to follow are available for free. You just need to take a half a day to move stuff around. What knee caps a HT once you get the room right isn’t the source or the processor, it’s the power. Did you ever wonder why a company will sell a 2 channel amp for more money than a 5,7, or 11 channel amp?
How can a traditional power supply provide the equivalent SQ to MCH amps as a 2 channel amp? This is like putting a 4 cylinder engine in a Lamborghini IMO. Whether you use a receiver or separates your speakers are still knee capped. To light them up proper those speakers would need to be bi-amped with proper power. Good luck fitting 22 channels of amplification for a 7.1.4 system into your room.

Now, enter the elegant and dare I say BETTER solution. Unhobble those wobbly knee caps and add rocket thrusters like I did with active speakers in the HT. Free up space, free up budget, add a frigging lightning bolt of power and get out of the way :).

The SQ you get per dollar spent using the active HT is mind boggling.

You can go with 5 pairs of Yamaha HS8’s and a single one for a CC and a Yamaha CX-A5200 processor (or their next gen when it comes out) for less than $10K.

You could go with 5 pairs of Emotiva Airmotiv 4’s and a single for a CC and their RMC-1L Processor for less than $10K.

Of course you would want to add some subs (of the active variety) and you have simplified the entire HT process. Anyone reading this thread who wants a SOA home theater would be hard pressed to do better without paying 3-5 times the price. You get matching amps, speakers, and processors and all you need is a shelf for your gear, not a 6 foot tall rack. Take the $ you save on speaker cables and spend it on your sources and you are done!