I'd like to add more Caviats here, and that's that, as far as domestic home theater speakers offerings go, choices of speakers that I find you can use "lower crossover settings" for on your pre/pro or receivers, include those that have more efficiency and control in the bass reigion, but that don't have big enough woofers to handle the WHOLE LOWER BASS SPECTRUM on their own. Speakers like smaller "powered towers", like Def Tech's smaller BP2004/2006's and such are good candidates, in big enough rooms, to have the crossover setting at possibly 40-65hz, rather than 80hz! The reason for this is that the powered amp in the speakers that's responsible for handling the bass is capable of exerting better control than passive designs in the lower bass! Yet, the small woofers these speaker have can use some assistance from larger woofers down lower! Still, like the Linn speakers, these active choices offer some more flexibilty options.
Now, again, you can get better/more adequate results if you use lower crossover points in your HT processor with much much more efficient sensitive passive speakers, like Pro Audio market offers, but that doesn't equate to most peoples home audio chioces. Case in point, you can go over to Sam Ash and pick up some JBL or EV speaekrs that are over 100db sensitive at 1db/watt! These horn speakers will hit hard down lower playing full range, but even those still sound better for movies if you cross em over(effectively bi-amping your system) at 80hz and introduce dedicated active woofers into the system, like THX recommends. Still, getting more active woofers into the system greatly extends the dynamic range of the system. But trying to accomplish that by utilizing the bass into the mains has trade-off and negetive effects that aren't practical in the end for a full blown hT set up.
Yet, for the record, pro audio speakers aren't as refined if you need to listen to a lot of casual music. Home market offeres more refinement of sound, if sacrificing dynamic range. This is where sub/sat combo's become more viable for the home market as a solution.
Peace
Now, again, you can get better/more adequate results if you use lower crossover points in your HT processor with much much more efficient sensitive passive speakers, like Pro Audio market offers, but that doesn't equate to most peoples home audio chioces. Case in point, you can go over to Sam Ash and pick up some JBL or EV speaekrs that are over 100db sensitive at 1db/watt! These horn speakers will hit hard down lower playing full range, but even those still sound better for movies if you cross em over(effectively bi-amping your system) at 80hz and introduce dedicated active woofers into the system, like THX recommends. Still, getting more active woofers into the system greatly extends the dynamic range of the system. But trying to accomplish that by utilizing the bass into the mains has trade-off and negetive effects that aren't practical in the end for a full blown hT set up.
Yet, for the record, pro audio speakers aren't as refined if you need to listen to a lot of casual music. Home market offeres more refinement of sound, if sacrificing dynamic range. This is where sub/sat combo's become more viable for the home market as a solution.
Peace