Why are we so passive?

does a manufacture who is a speaker designer necessarily have a good ear ? he may select an amp which creates an unbalanced frequency response. when it comes to audio or life, one size (sound) does not fit all.

if i like set amps, and like a speaker, i might not purchase the speaker if it is designed with a solid state amp. it's an inflexible approach, regardless of the technical justification.

it's an inflexible approach, regardless of the technical justification.

True. It is certainly not popular with anyone looking to tailor the sound in a specific manner. Definitely a good reason why it may never get traction with audiophiles despite all the technical advantages.

It would be hilarious to speak with engineers some 20-40 years ago and ask them where they think we'd be in 2007. Fastforward...and the same people want tubes, vinyl, horn's...which really begs to ask a question...where will we be in 20 years and how much progress has the 'hifi' world made?

nailed it lush! mankind is always reinventing the wheel and calling it advancement and evolution! and kudos for using the term 'begs the question' correctly. tastes come and go but they are always relative and subjective. fwiw, the concept of evolution in general is very recent in the human experience. altho i do loves my xrcd's and dsd discs.

This article asks the same question:

http://www.modernhometheater.com/howto/powered_speakers/index.html