So how many people are using subwoofers

Hi Artemus_5; There already appears to be distinct disagreement about subs. I don't know how low the Sonata speakers are rated for-- and that is important here, but if rated to 30 HZ or so, a powerful solid state amp might be all you need, but it would be my inclination to go for good quality sub(s) if you really lust after deep, tight bass.

I recently got Vandersteen 5 speakers that have true built in subs that go to 22 HZ, are very tunable, and have built in 400 wpc amps to drive the subs. I have never heard such great bass, and I love them. But a friend uses REL subs with MG 3.6s very successfully. I think Karls (above) gives good advice.

Why don't you audition some systems with subs and see what you think? Good Luck. Craig

I have full range Aerial Acoustic model 10T speakers that product solid base down to about 24Hz. But I also have a Triad Platinum 18inch sub for the lowest octaves. It makes a difference, it's quite musical, and it's amazing just how much low level musical information is out there (whether classical, pop, folk, movie scores, etc.).

Highly recommend a good musical sub but it should definitely be larger than 10 or even 12 inches if you really want it to reach the lowest of the lows. Rarely a 12inch is useful unless it's a very high quality sub like Aerial's SW12.

More than any other audio component, make certain you know what you're buying because most subs have no musical definition or proper authority and only go boom-boom as the rock the foundation of your house like an earthquake.

REL is the way to go for a musical audiophile subwoofer. There are other good ones like Vandersteen and VMPS, but the REL is so easy to integrate with any system. And if you ever want to step up the a better REL the resale value and ease of resale is very good.

Hello Garfish and others. The Sonatas are rated at 20Hz-28kHz. It's interesting to note that the speakers will go low when fed low. Some recordings make me think that a sub might be too much. However the 2nd generation (Sonata II) were given a 2nd 10" woofer which makes me think that the manufacturer thought they needed a little extra bass. The newer CJ amps supposedly have a better bass response than the older amps and that's why I was wondering if it might be the answer. BTW my MF-2200 is rated @200wpc. The MF-2500 @240wpc so there is not a great difference in power.

Karls is dead-on and I also have to second Glen's opinion on the MITs. The REL blends seamlessly with the few speakers I've heard it with (I use Thiels) and it really is true that you have no idea what you're missing until you hear it. My Strata III (great for a 13' x 17' room) did crossover best almost on top of the Thiel's low boundary but that seems to be the rarest configuration.