High pass quality to mains uisng Velodyne DD subs

Eldartford, I guess your points make sense. By the way, the Velodyne high pass is also 6dB/octave.

Rwwear, I know what you say, but I would use the SMS-1 with my current REL and maybe an ACI Force later.

I have asked the same question a couple of times without getting any answer, but I intend to purchase a SMS-1 and will certainly try the high pass. A better way to minimize the tradeoff between transparency and distortion may be to use a separate high-pass filter like ACI's for the satellites, or to solder a high quality capacitor in series with the main amp. There is a formula to derive the required value according to hinge point and amplifier impedance.

I have been a fan of subwoofers ever since they weren't mainstream because having clean 20Hz reproduction is much more than just getting deep bass; it also does wonders for soundstaging and imaging since most of the ambience of the original venue is hidden in the very low frequencies. Jerrym303 is also right in that there is no "full range" speaker at a reasonable price and, on top of all that, Velodyne's digital bass correction is the state of the art and too good to pass. I would try ACI's high pass filters(only $29), plus plugging the satellite's reflex ports (if any).