I have a bass management question I could some input on. I’ve ordered the following speakers for a 5.1 HT system:
M22ti’s (freq. response of 60-22K Hz, +/-3dB),
VP100 (freq. response of 95-22K Hz, +/-3dB),
QS4’s (freq. response of 100-22K Hz. +/-3dB), and a
SVS PB10-ISD subwoofer

I don’t own a HT receiver like the HK’s whereby a different crossover point can be assigned to each speaker separately. So I have to use the same crossover point for all 5 speakers. I was wondering what crossover setting you would suggest in such a situation?

The two solutions that seem obvious to me, who’s never owned a subwoofer before and has a very limited knowledge of bass management strategies, are:
1. Set the mains to large and the centre and surrounds to small with a crossover of 80 or 100 Hz. It seems to me the downside of this option is while playing movies I’ll only hear LFE’s that are directed to the centre and surround speakers. Do movie sound tracks often have LFE’s unique to the mains, I don’t know? While playing music in 2 channel mode I won’t hear anything below the selected 80 or 100 Hz unless I change the setting for the mains to small each time I play music and back to large when watching movies.

2. Set all the speakers to small with a crossover of 80 or 100 Hz. If I recall correctly from what I’ve read doesn’t sound over about 75 Hz start to become fairly directional to the human ear? If that’s the case then with a crossover of 100 Hz wouldn’t imaging suffer during 2 channel music playback? If I go with a lower crossover (80 or 60 Hz), imaging would improve but then I’ll get a hole in the sound coming from the centre and surround speakers during movies.

Geez, it’s starting to sound to me like I’ll just have to change the crossover and/or large/small settings each time I switch between playing movies and music.

Of course two other options are to spend a bunch more money and replace my newly acquired receiver with an HK or upgrade the M22’s I’ve ordered to something like M60’s that have a lower frequency response. I’m already at my budget limit so I don’t really want to go there.

Again, any suggestions you could provide would be much appreciated.

Paul