To Sub or not to Sub...?

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.

I like the advantage to be able to add a level of bass response as the music moves me ( I got the music in me ).
While I enjoy my small monitors and I will never part with them. Sometimes when I am playing some Beck ( Jeff, I can't take the other )or Etta James I just want to get a little more romp out of it. But when I listen to Antonio Forcione or/with Sabina Sciubba, it is much more satifying to hear the bass that my Dynaudio 1.3 Se's do have instead of taking 20 minutes trying to match the levels only to give up and just listen.

I would like to nominate this for " best" 'most informative threads I've ever read.It really fleshes out the "sub/or not" theorys. For what it's worth;I enjoyed reading everybody! Different opinions"are" necessary. Congrats/y'all- and thanks.

Well,I took the plunge! My third sub / not the sandwich/ I previously had a Velodyne and an Infinity. I got the REl storm 3. I got mine from a dealer. Got all the advice I needed from them. The first one that works,and you can't tell it's there / where it is.This may or may not help. I got new speakers. Went from Aerial10ts to Montana ESPs. The Montana, is better, by a large margin in the treble/mid. But the bass is not near as clean or low. This is what promped me to look for either bi amping; or a sub. The sub is the way to go. Thanks again everybody.