newlash09 said:
Fully agree with you. Even ive read that the cross over does more than just split frequencies. Hoping that since the pmc's come with three sets of binding posts, same should behave okay without the inbuilt cross over too
These are often considered and usually shown in drawings to be a single fairly complex circuit, but they are in fact a number of individual 'filters' combined together. A speakers designed to be bi or tri wired, these filters are electrically and sometimes physically separated and connected between the appropriate input terminal and drive unit, thus the 'bass' terminals connect to the bass driver via the filter that rolls off the bass unit at higher frequencies, the 'tweeter' terminals are filtered to remove low frequencies etc, etc.
These filters, ie the crossover, is in circuit at all times whether you single, bi or tri wire, which is why it makes so little difference, you can use 3 amplifiers for bass, mid and treble if you wish, this is called passive tri-amping but since the crossover is still in place the improvements are unlikely to be worthwhile given the cost.
To truly activate your speakers, all the crossover circuits need to be removed and the drive units wired directly to the appropriate terminals, you then need to copy the exact functions of the passive crossover in an outboard electronic crossover, something best left to the experts. For example, Linn and Naim electronic crossovers are specific (sometimes by the use of dedicated boards or modules) to each speaker, a complex arrangement that explains why this kind of passive/active functionality is extremely rare.
Active speakers in the pro world are usually 'integrated' designs with the electronic crossover designed for that particular speaker only, it may equalise the drive units in a similar manner to passive crossovers but with all the advantages of line level operation, multiple amps and direct conection. There are a few pro monitors, usually in the higher price range where the drive units used are of such quality that they are essentially flat through their operating range, in these cases regular electronic crossovers can be used to the choice of the studio/owner.
Sorry for the length of this post, but hopefully it helps explain what you are getting into.