JimJ

Yep, none of the Fords my family has were even built in this country

No, we don't. Unless there was an option to sell them without any passive crossovers, like what Rainbow does for the Reference line...

Have you listened to the Focals? The tweeters really aren't for everyone...but out of those I would suggest the Access set run actively.

http://www.adireaudio.com/Files/WooferSpeed.pdf

What's really "American", anyway...

Move.

Too many ur's...

This is where I get confused, and where Sean is a little more blunt than me "Well-tuned THX theaters" don't sound like what you're describing. Just "keeping up" with the subbass is really not that demanding of a task, just get some horn loaded compression drivers and have at it. The problem is you have a definition of what "good" sound is based on what you're heard, and I've heard things that define what "good" sound is to me

Well, this week has sucked so far...first time I miss my 8am, of course we have a 50 point assignment that happened today. Get a 50/75 on a quiz for another, I'm really not sure why I got the grade I did, and the prof decides to take the rest of the week off and go golfing.

The cost of the inductors alone would not make it worth it.

While I love tubes in audio, the one place they really don't have a use anymore is in test equipment, whether that's o-scopes, VTVM's, grid-dip meters, whatever. Pain in the ass to keep calibrated as the tubes age, and probably uses some odd sweep tubes that'll be very hard to replace. Just get a solid-state Tektronix and be done with it.

Not too stressful if you plan for it in mind... And yes, there are some things that are definitely missing without it in some songs

Better transient response, lower group delay, lower frequency extension...all pretty much things you're looking for for a musical bottom octave Better have an attic or spare room to load the subs into, though...I wish I did

Nope, you need a true RMS clamp meter as well, to be able to measure current...

Mmm...

Look around for a NAD 3020 if you can...it's an integrated amp, but you can bypass the power amp section and just run it as a preamp if you want. Has a pretty decent MM phono stage for a built-in one, it was built when manufacturers actually gave two shits about the design of that. Should find one for under $200 in excellent shape.

Picking a preamp was a pain in the ass for me too...just kind of stumbled on the one I ended up with, because the guy lived 10min from my folks' place

It shouldn't, besides, you could use a solvent of some sort and get the paint off anyway. Once the paint's off, shoot some Deoxit on the connectors and you're good to go.

Because there's music out there that has content down there...

Make sure you set up your amp with the help of an oscilloscope so you can verify that you're not sending the amp into clipping...

At what impedance? Budget?

So I tucked my hair up under my hat, and went in to ask him why...

In a word, no... Going from an amp that has a low-impedance output stage to a high-impedance one is going to make a far bigger difference in DF...and even then, it might not be noticeable.

Great...