1 sub? 2 subs?

Bmpnyc:

Obviously, you have not heard a Sunfire signature sub set up properly. To characterize the sound as "Boom, Boom. Boom" is entirely misleading. Typically, most users mis-position the sunfire (in corners and near to room boundaries.) In addition, the volume, in most cases, is turned up too high. When properly set up, the Sunfire Signature will produce clean and powerful bass down to 16Hz, while blending seamlessly with your main speakers (dynamic as well as ribbon, screen or electrostatics.)

I use a REL Strata II with my Sf Guarneri's, and I am very happy with the results in my smallish room. Integration is seamless and, again for my room, the Strata is more than enough. Before going up in size to the next bigger REL, I'd go for another Strata myself. The Strata sells for ~ $ 1300 new. Haven't seen many used ones for sale, and they usually don't last v. long.

while i still tink the best results will be obtained w/two subs (even in a smaller room - 2 subs will ameliorate standing-waves ewe can get w/only one), if ya have to get by w/only one, then it should absolutely be centered between the speakers. if ewe can get it into the near-field (ie: as your coffee-table/footrest/etc), even better - ewe can reduce the wolume & still get the same effect. also, keep the x-over as low as possible - critical for *all* sub usage; especially important w/only one.

ymmv, doug

Gmorris, maybe you have heard the Sunfire in carefully set up surroundings, but I have heard it many times in 3 different well designed listening rooms in NYC, and every time it was more thud than tone. Now granted, they may not have taken the time to impeccably optimize set up, but the first time I heard a REL sub it was brand new, and just plugged in at a dealers. Without any kind of set up, no break in, no careful setting of crossover frequencies I immediately sat up and asked what was that! It was a stunning sound, unlike any sub I had heard. So under the most undesirable circumstances the REL was a knockout, and under very decent circumstances the Sunfire was consistantly typical of everything that made me dislike subs in the first place. If there was a sub that sounded like a REL that was the same size as the Sunfire I would stand in line to be the first customer. The only other sub I have heard that impressed me was the big Aeriel, which costs a heck of a lot more money than the Rel, and is probably not as versatile, being better matched to Aeriel speakers , wheras the REL can compliment a wide variety of systems. Sorry, you can keep your Sunfire, I'll keep my REL, thank you very much.

Forgot to mention Audio Physics' top of the line, damn good sound as well.