Best multi-purpose subwoofer

Duke/Audio Kinesis,

     Thank you for your unexpected but very informative and interesting contributions to this thread.
     I think many have the somewhat mistaken belief that attaining good in-room bass response is simply a matter of using 1 or 2 subs of a particular, or 'right', brand and model in their systems.  
     My experience is that 1 or 2 good subs can achieve good bass response at one specific sweet spot in most rooms but this results in inconsistent bass response throughout the remainder of the room, heard at various specific spots in the room as bass peaks, nulls and even bass absence.  For those unconcerned with good bass response being restricted to a specific sweet spot, I think 1 or 2 subs properly located can be a satisfying solution.
     The distributed bass array concept of 4 subs properly positioned definitely has the advantage of producing very good bass response throughout the entire room for those that require it. 
     However, I've noticed other benefits to the bass quality that were unexpected that I'm theorizing are only possible due to there being 4 subs dispersed throughout the room and their cumulative affect. 
     My best description is the bass in my room became more agile or flexible in the sense it can faithfully reproduce whatever bass is dictated by the source material, whether it's music or HT.  It can be finely detailed on music that allows for the easy identifying of the different bass instruments being played, following the separate bass lines and also the small changes in pitch, tone and volume of each instrument.  The bass can also be powerful and delivered with sudden impact which helps convey the large dynamics of live music and the low frequency effects on HT.  
     My main point is that a distributed bass array system, whether the Swarm or a custom setup, has more benefits than just good bass response throughout the entire room, it also elevates the quality of that bass to state of the art.  I've never been able to achieve this level of bass quality in my system with 1 or 2 subs.

Tim

Thank you Tim and Duke, and everyone else who has go graciously taken the time out to write and educate. There is a lot to this subject just like any other piece of equipment in the audio chain, and to me that is where the most fun is being an audiophile. 

In regards to subwoofers there is no debate that multiple subs are better, but to choose one that matches with your room acoustics, and your R/L speakers is equally important. I believe for HT it makes the task a little easy, but for dedicated 2 channel critical listening it gets tough. How well does the subwoofer pair with your R/L speakers cross overs will depend on how well and smoothly it rolls off, bringing the mids and low to life. For my Von Schweikerts VR4 that hit 20Hz comfortably and smoothly, it’s really difficult to pair a good subwoofer. The only way is to audition - but it’s really a hassle to ship the product back every time. Again this is a journey and definitely I am  just now in the beginning stages (currently own a NHT SW1 8 inch sub powered by a SA1 mono amplifier). I have owned the sub since 1998 and it’s time to upgrade - mostly for 2 channel listening. 

The new SVS SB3000 has some great refinements and flexibility. Buy a set, critical imo for 2 channel. They are very compact, fast and outperform their price point. 

Duke Lejeun:

" Thank you very much Tim. I find your posts quite educational, as I think you have more real-world experience than I do, and you have paid very close attention to your experiences. And you write very well! "

Hi Duke,

     Thanks for the kind words.  I've done quite a bit of research on low bass room acoustics, in-room behavior of the longer bass sound waves and sub woofers in general.  But I don't consider myself an expert, just an enthusiast who has learned enough to be dangerous.
     My main motivation was trying to supplement the less than stellar bass produced from my main speakers, a pair of Magnepan 2.7QR 6 x 2 ft. panels that bottom out at 37Hz.  These speakers have excellent mid-range and treble response but I knew my system needed better low bass response.  I also knew that integrating subs with electrostatic and planar speakers seamlessly was considered difficult by many.
     I began my journey searching for good bass response by using a single large M&K passive sub with a  12"  driver powered by a separate class AB 150 watt amp.and later added a 2nd 10" self-powered sub.  I'd describe the bass quality of both of these initial tests as better suited for HT than music.  It was relatively easy to position the sub and subs so that the bass sounded best at my listening position.  After adding the 2nd sub, I perceived the bass as more detailed and smoother but it continued to seem disconnected and not well integrated with my main speakers on music.
      Since buying and properly installing the AK Debra bass system, I now consider my journey searching for good bass response completed.  I'm not going to describe again how well the distributed bass array concept, whether the AK Swarm, AK Debra or a custom setup, actually works but instead just state I now consider  my system's bass response for both music and HT as state of the art.
     I believe this concept will work equally well in any room, with any speakers and that any skeptic would be convinced once they auditioned a properly setup system.
     My sole intention is just to share the word about an exceptional solution.

Tim