Quote Originally Posted by p20
Woochifer- It looks like there are some good choices available between $450-$600. In a sealed sub, as you've suggested, would a down-firing speaker offer any advantage over a front-firing speaker or visa-versa in my space? The ML Dynamo has the flexibility to go either way. In what areas, if any, would you expect the $450 MRS-10 or the $599 Rocket UFW-10 to better the $599 ML Dynamo? Could the Dynamo be too small to deliver great performance for music and HT in my space? /P
In general, mounting a driver on the front will give the driver slightly more excursion because it does not have to work against gravity on the upstroke. But, at a more practical level, with a downfiring sub, you don't pay for the cost of the grille and you don't have to worry about anyone accidentally kicking in the woofer. Otherwise, there are no huge performance differences between the two designs, although some people have said that front-firing subs can be easier to place.

The ML Dynamo is a brand new model, but on paper I believe that both the Rocket and the Acoustic Visions subs have deeper bass extension. In your space, the concern should be whether a sub will overpower the room because the acoustical effects begin to reinforce and boost the lower frequencies further up in the frequency range than in larger rooms.