Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget
Horizontal vs. vertical bi-amping is a secondary issue.

With most speakers you can get a better sound from the speakers with an active crossover and multi-amping. However it isn't a simple matter to do it right. You need to carefully set the crossover frequency, slope and balance the amps. Many people do not have the requisite knowledge or patience to do this properly. Some test equipment is really helpful. At least a basic test CD with and a simple SPL meter. An RTA or computer based MLS, sinusoidal or FFT measurement system with a calibrated mic are even better.

On top of that many speakers including the Altec Model 19 there is frequency response tailoring going on in the built in passive network. If you bypass this network, which is necessary to get the full benefit of going multi-amped, you will need to be able to tweak the response curve yourself to get the correct amplitude response.


Widget
Bigger and louder is not necessarily better.

Perhaps you should re phrase that to read with most loudspeakers you cannot get better sound................based on all those little issues you mention which are quite correct (JBL specificied crossover cards ofr JBL systems being the exception)