Excellent idea for a thread! It gives me the oppty to inject a closely related, often problematic topic: how to cross the speakers/monitors over the sub(s)? If you don’t have a digital crossover box, built in high-pass crossover on sub(s), or a home theater-type receiver w/low-pass sub output–you’ll find yourself needing a crossover solution…
My desktop system changed a lot over the years. For quite awhile I had an all-NHT system w/small powered monitors & 8" powered sub. That sub had something I didn’t know at the time was the holy grail: a filtered high-pass output (RCA L/R pair) that actually sounded very good & transparent.
When I moved away from that system (gifted it to my brother), reality crashed down. My subsequent powered monitor + sub suffered from a lousy-sounding high-pass output on the otherwise very nice, inexpensive sealed sub, the SVS-SB1000.
A couple years ago I landed gently used pair of speakers that transformed my desktop system: passive ATC SCM12 Pro studio monitors. These are quite revealing (by design) and it soon became clear the sub’s high-pass output was holding them back. So I picked up a cherry used electronic crossover, the Marchand XM-44. Problem solved! It’s quiet, handsome, sounds like nothing at all, and lets me dial in the specific low-pass frequency (currently set @70Hz). The slopes are 24 dB/octave in both directions, optimal for signal clarity.
Since then I swapped out the SB1000 for a smaller but better sub, the JL Audio e110. It’s an extremely capable, good-sounding sub, perfect for this small home office setting. Interestingly enough, it has an 80Hz, 24 dB/octave high-pass output (RCA L/R pair). I’ve never tried this, but knowing JL Audio, this output should be transparent & well implements. I consider it my backup plan in event of failure of the Marchand.
You can just see the Marchand on top of PC & under Woo WA3 in picture below, with red crossover setting peaking out.
