"-In the case of your Alphas, for example, with an accessible crossover it would have been very easy for you to try---"
If I wouldn't have REALLY glued down my x-over I coulda just went in through the bottom woofer.
You could figure out a way to make the x-over easy to get out yet locked in when you want it to be.
Plus there was no extra x-over options when I built mine so I never expected to ever remove 'em.
jon,
I'll play 'evil Golum' for ya'...
"-that by putting the crossovers inside the speaker box you'll have less terminals and connectors to reek havoc on sonic perfection-"
There's that, but then there's the idea that outside the cabinet the parts won't be getting hit by the internal vibrations.
Pros and cons to both I think.
I would have made mine external for that 'vibration' reason but I just wanted 'em to look nice and they already took up enough space.
I'm plenty happy as is so no prob.