Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

@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!

@donavabdear , about to run out the door, but the high end Focals, like some other speakers in that space, B&W comes to mind, have too much off axis energy at high frequencies and by today's standards poor directivity control. Unless they are in a heavily damped room, they will come across as bright. Same problem with Focal professional monitors like the aforementioned Solo/Trio6 Be from Focal.  The Focals probably could sound very good in the right room.

w.r.t. tearing out crossovers and DIYing, back to one of things I said early in this thread. To make a good active speaker, you still need to start with an acoustically good speaker. If using simple external active crossover, then you need to start with good low distortion drivers too.

@thespeakerdude 

To make a good active speaker, you still need to start with an acoustically good speaker.

If I have $40K and want a home theater of active speakers what would "acoustically good" system would YOU recommend?