To Sub or not to Sub...?

Mvwine, PS: I forgot to say that I was assuming the salesperson even understands how to integrate a sub. A lot are completely clueless or even worse (ie, they think they can sell you with a big boomy sound that shakes the room).

I definitely don't think that the sub was set up correctly. If subs are suuposed to sound like that, they wouldn't be very popular. I'd like to hear a Vandersteen sub set up correctly, from all of the rave reviews I've heard.

Mvwine: If you walked into a room with a music sub playing that is set up correctly, the sub would be invisible to the ear. You might think, WOW I never knew the bass on those (main) speakers was so good. In other words; the bass should integrate with the sound from the main speakers, so you cannot tell where the mains stop and the sub takes over.

How about speakers that already have powered subs within? I heard AR-1 is great speaker, also Vandersteen 5...any other in mind?

Sugarbrie is correct. Subs when correctly matched to main speakers and properly set up can provide absolutely seamless integration. While the effects of my SW800's are dramatic (even startling), they are quite "invisible". They don't sound like separate speakers. As much as I loved my els's before, there were very real limitations. Amazing for acoustic music, vocals and jazz. But there was other music that really fell very short of the mark. Now I realize that I was missing things even on music that was well suited to the speakers before adding the subs. If anyone hears boominess or rumblings from subs they are either: (1) the wrong subs for the mains; (2) not properly set up (not just physical placement, but also the crossover, high/low pass slopes, and crossover points); or (3) just plain garbage. Admittedly, speaker systems with subs designed into them are much easier to deal with, but most other applications just take some work and a little understanding of what's going on.