OK to make a long story long:
I have a server upstairs in a wiring closet that runs Napster radio feeds, Sirius radio, DVD Audio, and SACD... basically a custom media box with an operating system. In the server I have a Sound Blaster Audigy ZS 2 sending a preamp signal to my Rotel 1090 amplifier (conservative 700 watts per channel RMS @ 4 ohms x 2 channels), which sits above the server. From the amp I have cabling leading to a Niles distribution block which sits in a Leviton home media center box in the wall. From the distribution block I have 8 pairs of speaker cables (14 guage 4-conductor) which lead to various locations around the house and end up leading to Niles high power impedence matching volume controls. From the volume controls the cable splits off into a left channel and a right channel that end up leading to a wall plate where I can connect each speaker exactly where they belong.
The end result is that I hve 8 locations where there are a pair of speakers. Each pair has a volume control next to it that can deliver anywhere from absolute mute to 100 or more watts RMS per channel. And best of all, all 8 pairs, regardless of the individual resistance of the speaker can all play the same source simultanously at as high of a volume as necessary without the amplifier seeing any lower resistance than it should be seeing (for the Rotel that happens to be 4 ohms, although I'm sure it could extent lower... there's no reason for it to).
So now you see that all the electronics are upstairs, all of the cables are already ran (and it was already enough of a task to run before the drywall went up... I'm not going to even try after), so I only have a powered signal to work with.
Anyhow... sounds to me from what I'm reading that I might just want to go with an SVS 25-31 instead. May not be quite as tight and musical, but it will save me a little money plus it will probably be better adapted for the limitations I have. Right?