WELL I AGREE IT CAN BE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU BUDGET YOUR SYSTEM (WHAT TYPE OF AMPS, PREAMPS ETC.). MY POINT WAS AND IS INSTEAD OF WASTING MONEY ON HIGH PRICED D/A'S FANCY CABLES AND TWEAKS WHICH CAN COST INTO THE THOUSANDS, PUT THE MONEY INTO THE X-OVER AND ANOTHER STEREO AMP.IF YOU ARE BI-WIRING YOU ALREADY HAVE THE EXTRA CABLES AND YOU MIGHT ALREADY HAVE THE EXTRA INTERCONNECTS. IT'S NOT THAT EXPENSIVE UNLESS YOU INSIST ON CABLES THAT ARE LIKE $500 A METER. I AGREE THAT IT DOES DEPEND ON THE X-OVER, BUT MOST PASSIVE ONES DO NOT DO THE JOB WELL SO BI-AMPING WINS OVER 95% OF THE TIME.A SUGGESTED SET-UP WOULD BE 2 BRYSTON 4S-ST'S AND A 10B X-OVER FOR A RETAIL PRICE OF $6000 WHICH IS LESS THAN THE MARK LEVINSON. CABLES YOU CAN GET THE CANARE OR BLEDEN WHICH ARE JUST AS GOOD AS THE HIGH PRICED BOUTIQUE BRANDS FOR A LOT LESS.
BI-AMPING
BI-AMPING IS THE TRUE WAY TO REALLY GOOD SOUND THE X-OVERS IN PRETTY MUCH ALL SPEAKERS OVERLOAD DISTORTING THE SIGNAL. ACTUALLY, ALL SPEAKER REVIEWS AND RATINGS ARE WORTHLESS UNLESS THEY ARE BI-AMPING,THEY ARE MERELY REPORTING THE COLORATIONS AND DISTORTIONS IN THE PASSIVE X-OVERS. CONSIDER THIS, BI-AMPING AND TRI-AMPING ARE THE INDUSTRY STANDARD IN RECORDED AND LIVE SOUND. SO, WOULDN'T IT MAKE SENSE FOR YOU TO DO THE SAME IN YOUR LISTENING ROOM/STUDIO? AS FAR AS UNITS THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND, FOR A DECENT PRICE THE BRYSTON 10B, IF YOU WANT TO AND CAN AFFORD IT, THE FM ACOUSTICS 236. SOME OF YOU MIGHT SAY THAT THE X-OVER (EVEN THE BEST UNITS SUCH AS THESE) COLORS THE SOUND, BUT REALLY, THE ADVANTAGES OUTWEIGH THE DISADVANTAGES. EACH DRIVER IS DRIVEN BY IT'S OWN AMP-DIRECT SIGNAL, YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN OVERLOOKED ISSUE THAT IS HORRENDOUSLY IGNORED BY THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC ALIKE. YOU'RE A LOT BETTER OFF PAYING FOR ANOTHER STEREO AMP AND AN ACTIVE X-OVER THAN TRICK CABLES, SHUN MOOK CRAP, ROOM TUNES, CONES, DOMES, MARKERS, POWER LINE CONDITIONERS, AND ALL THAT OTHER very expensive GARBAGE THAT IS A BIG WASTE OF YOUR MONEY AND IS NOT EFFECTIVE. IF YOU DON'T BELEIVE ME ASK TOP DESIGNERS LIKE CHRIS RUSSELL OF BRYSTON, AT HEAR WHAT THEY TELL YOU.