Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

It seems passive speakers are what is confusing for @donavabdear , not active. Every problem he has listed in this thread is related to his passive setup.

So, why start this thread?

@kota1 I started this thread with 2 ideas, the first was to get an idea of how audiophiles were embedded in silly mythology, I thought it was a given that everyone knew that amplifiers and speakers should be made for each other, and the second idea was that since of course powered speakers are superior to randomly partnered speakers and amps what about the vibration the amp is going through inside the speaker along with vibration systems that nearly every audiophile spends good money on. Just yesterday I saw an equipment rack that sold for $75k. These ideas are mutually exclusive and I wanted to see audiophiles try to justify what was clearly unjustifiable.

I don’t see the problem with other points being brought up with such a general idea in the opening post. If the first post said "does anyone have experience with Steinway stereo systems" well then yes that’s pretty specific. Acoustics and speaker placement does include a lot of mythology in audio. I spent a lot of time in college studying math and physics and the things I remember decades later were stories by the professors that may have only had a slight reference to the subject of the day, I say fine.

first was to get an idea of how audiophiles were embedded in silly mythology

You are the arbiter of silliness?? Its been tried before by the engineering crowd, LOL.

I thought it was a given that everyone knew that amplifiers and speakers should be made for each other

Most members here agree, why is that silly?

the second idea was that since of course powered speakers are superior to randomly partnered speakers and amps

That is where you seem to be adopting the silly ways you protest about. I am not the arbiter of how people choose what they buy, I just see buying speakers with subwoofers in them and then buying... more subwoofers as wasteful.

Welcome to the silly audiophile world, call it addictive, crazy, nonsensical. I am not sub shaming you. However if you would have stayed in your lane (powered speakers=not silly) it would have been better (no buzzing subs, no tube frying amps, no problema )

I like the recommendation of cashing in your chips, chalking it up a weak moment of "silliness" as you entered this insane hobby and getting back to your OP.

@kota1 Also the reason I told the Focal story was that I was exploring mythology in audio, I had a unique position that I had just weeks previously been in recording sessions with the vocalist in maybe the best recording studio in the world with definitely the most famous recording engineer in the world with someone that had a voice that I knew every aspect of, that is a unique position that has only happened to me once in my career. I went to a stereo store that sold more Focal speakers than anyone in the world I spoke to the guy who personally sold more Focal speakers than anyone in the world and I told him those Focal speakers had to much sharp high end, I don't think I could have said that with so much practical experience at any other time about anything else I knew the recording was not what I was hearing at the studio. Why do Focal speakers and headphones have such a good reputation, I spent $8k on focal headphones and a Naim Unity Atom HP amp (Focal company). I was wrong about my purchase because I fell into the trap of believing the mythology. Mythology is a lot of what this thread is about.

I was exploring mythology in audio,

You were geeking out, we all do it, NP.

I had a unique position that I had just weeks previously been in recording sessions with the vocalist in maybe the best recording studio in the world

You should call them and see if you can move in and use their system, problem solved.

the most famous recording engineer in the world

If you tell me he has tube amps then I get why you were geeking out

I spoke to the guy who personally sold more Focal speakers than anyone in the world

Ahhh I see the first misstep, you didn’t meet just a salesman, you met a real killer and he saw your wallet comng from a mile away. I hope you didn’t tell him you came from that studio, all he heard from that point on was a cash register.

I was wrong about my purchase because I fell into the trap of believing the mythology.

You didn’t fall in, you jumped in like everyone does with few exceptions. I still think you should hit the bid with your passives and get that same salesman to show you the active setup I posted and I bet he wont. The two towers you auditioned ar $25K. The setup I posted is $25K all in for everything. If you were in sales what would you be pitching? Duh!