Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

And no @kota1 those Paradigm are not mid-fi, though some would consider that vaunted tube amp mentioned in the article very much mid-fi. 

Oddioboy
You seem very interesting, that was a more insightful post than you may realize.

LA is about keeping your job and making your clients happy, eclectic mastering labs are great if you can hold up your end and put out great work. But mastering labs are not where you make the sound of the record, that’s done in recording and mixing mastering needs to be done so the original vision of the musician, producer, and the record company are all happy while not forgetting to be very exact on all the specs you have to keep up with. I had a nice career and got a great rate for my equipment because I did a good job and stood behind the people who hired me, but it always brought a smile to the producers face when my equipment did things others couldn’t, that is key in LA. I have worked for people who were very successful and couldn’t mix there way out of a paper bag but had a good personality. Being successful doesn’t alway mean you really know what your doing in LA.

Well, if you like tube amps, active speakers will not work. Some are already saying active speakers will outperform anything and if you do not agree you are 10 years behind the times.. 

@oddioboy , welcome to the forum. I think you articulated what I was thinking much better than I could:

"So the question is, can making an active speaker give control over system variables such that you can improve one of those 3 things in ways no separates ever could? The answer is yes. A rather resounding yes."

This is not to say passives are a resounding no, just a different approach with a different set of tradeoffs. My system started with a pair of Active 40’s which are internally biamped. Then it went to 5.1, 7.1 and then when I added wide channels for 9.1. Then when Atmos came along I figured out how to get 4 more active speakers mounted on tall stands. I never had to buy more amps, buy more racks, buy more speaker wire. I did have to buy additional power conditioners for all the outlets needed but active speakers let me grow my system just easy as buying a new speaker and it was very space and cost effective.

Now you take the benefits of active and put them in a stereo system and you are grooving. When you take 7.2.4 (or more) and put them in an atmos system it is radical. The entire room comes alive watching a movie like Dune or a ZZ Top concert. @brianlucey made a very astute observation when he said good atmos needs cohesion. A good active speaker has cohesion designed into it with the amps, drivers, crossovers and cabinet designed as one cohesive system, Multiply that same cohesion across 11+ active speakers in a carefully treated and calibrated room and it sounds incredible to my ears.

If you have time would you post your virtual system and maybe a few pics?

In the context of what I wrote passive speakers are a no. It is not a different approach, it is a handicapped approach.

Thank you for the welcome but I don't intend to engage enough here to where I would feel the need to detail out my system and post pictures.