Debating Full-Range


I've always been an advocate of speakers that can handle the entire frequency spectrum. I figure if I am to spend multiple $k's on a set of speakers, they damn well better be big, go deep, and play loud enough to fill my room.

Recently I've been looking at speakers such as the Bohlender-Graebener Radia 520's. I'm wondering if such a speaker with its limited ability to produce any more low frequencies than a mini-monitor could possibly impress me enough to go to the trouble of integrating a couple subwoofers and make a good HT system that is near seamless when it handles music as well.....

This is for a second system. 80% HT.

Any thoughts, or particular experience with these speakers>?
hmbrewd
Any respectable audiophile speaker should be flat to 70Hz or thereabouts, so a subwoofer can be cut in below that. Then, when the music has no signal for the subwoofer, and lots of music does not, just turn the SW amp off and save electricity. Also, if there really is no music signal down there, the high end speakers will sound better with the 70 Hz "rumble filter" taking out the rumble of air conditioning in the recording studio.
By the way, one cannot "always add bass". I have found that when Magneplanar speakers begin their LF rolloff, no amount of boost using an equalizer has any effect. With Maggies, if you want solid LF a SW is manditory.
Every speaker is a compromise of sorts...I recently gave up some bass extension for a more transparent, musical, and frankly rewarding sound...I prefer to have a speaker that really gets one close as possible to the actual recording/performance ...even at the sacrifice of some bass and top-end "sparkle"...also...one can always add bass...
If you like what the Radia's do and you also want very deep tight bass then I would look in the Vmps line. They are the best of both worlds at very good prices with lots of options to pick from in many price ranges. I have a pair of Apogee centaur minors with 30 inch ribbons, They only have one 6 inch bass driver (no deep bass) but are a joy to listen to on most music (they won't rock). You need a very fast sub if you go with these types of speakers or bass lines will smear what you gain in mids, my large sub is great for hometheater but to slow for my apogees which are in my second system, I tried it for a while at one time and liked it at first but after much listening thought it a downgrade to their liquid mids, (15 and 12 inch drivers)as it was two slow.