Passive isn't necessarily a dirty word
Clark, in the world where most of us operate, where a second power circuit much less a third may prove problematic there are points of diminishing returns. No one would argue there is any practical alternative to some type of multi-amp arrangement to run professional DJ setup with sub-woofers. Beyond that, it becomes less clear. Few here would be hesitant to accept a Dynacord Cobra for use on a daily basis. They happen to be passive boxes.
There really is very little argument against active crossovers and multi-amping except for expense and logistical practicality. At the power levels most of us on these pages see, passive crossovers on the top octaves are a practical solution. Designers from JBL and EAW among others commonly provide this option in their product line. These are not cut-rate solutions. A pair three-way tops for bi-amping may cost on the order of two to four K $ (or more) and still sound damn fine despite the passive crossover contained therein. The only purpose of my post was to indicate for most of us, it is not an all or nothing situation and the physics regarding a passive solution is more viable as the frequency increases and power requirements decrease.
