Sub help; anyone familiar with these?

[jasmit]

In my quest to put together a modest audio system/home theater, I've either purchased or decided on the following:

Receiver - Denon AVR-2803
Mains - Paradigm Studio 20 v.3
Center - Paradigm CC-470
Surrounds - Paradigm SA-10R

Now, I'm looking for a subwoofer. I'm not particularly enamoured with bass, but due to the size of my room (18' x 18' x 12') and the small size of my mains, I know I'll need one. My primary interest in a sub is one that is "musical" and accurate with minimal distortion. It doesn't have to go real low or real loud. My understanding is that a sealed sub is best for this. Agreed? Also, because of my three grandchildren, I want a downfiring sub. And finally, I would like a sub that is small to medium in size. Price limit - $750.

I recently entered into Google the words, "sealed downfiring" and pretty much all I came up with (aside from car subs) were the following speaker manufacturers:

1) ALAS12 and ALAS15 by Acoustech Labs
2) CLARUSX10200 and CLARUSX10150 by Creative Sound Solutions

So, has anyone ever heard of these companies and/or their subs? Any opinions?

Based on my needs/wants (small to mediumin size, accurate, dowfiring and <$750) can anyone suggest a sub for me?

Thanks for your help.

[Bryan]

I'd recommend either the HSU VTF-3 MKII, SVS PB1-ISD, Rocket UFW-10 (though it is front firing), Adire Audio Dharman, or ACI Force.

[jasmit]

Bryan - thanks for your suggestions. The Rocket and the Adire are both front firing and the SVS is a little too big. However, the Hsu and the ACI are both possibilities. The Hsu appears to be a more popular sub, perhaps because of its "bang for the buck." The ACI seems to have a smaller following, but has garnered some excellent reviews.

I would really like to hear any comments from folks who have or have extensively heard the ACI Force.

[Soundbro]

I recently got a Paradigm Reference Seismic 10 for the same reasons you described with a very similar setup and found it to be a great pick. It's about $250 more than your quoted price, but is also one of the more indestructible subs I've seen, not to mention great at providing breath-taking bass. If you find you can't budge on your price, the VTF series subs from HSU Research are also good subs beyond their cost/benefit. I got the Paradigm because it was just a whole other class of sound and admittedly liked the pretty blue glowing "P" on the front, as will your grandchildren. Those are the only subs as you described I am familiar with. Usually a 10" design is much better suited for music except for a few servo driven subs out there. 10" subs also usually have reasonably sized cabinets, something that was also important to me in finding a sub. Sealed as opposed to ported subs have their pros and cons. The only major downfall I could see of a ported sub is that small objects and children's hands fit in many ports. Many have covers, however. Hope this is useful to you.

[Mikey]

Usually a 10" design is much better suited for music except for a few servo driven subs out there.

This is completely false and a commin newbie misconception.

[jasmit]

To those who have taken the time to reply, thanks and sorry I haven't checked in on this thread in a while. Since my last post, I've been doing research and listening to a few subs.

Soundbro, I did audition the Paradigm Seismic 10 and was impressed. However, it is a little too far over my budget.

As is stands, I narrowed the field to the following:

1) ACI Force
2) Hsu VTF-2 Mk2
3) Paradigm PS-1000

The ACI Force has gotten a couple of very good professional reviews. Good size, decent specs, alot of WAF. Haven't heard one.

The VTF-2 has garnered so many good reviews and so much praise from owners that it has to occupy an inside track. It's a little on the big side, not as pretty as the Force, but it probably gives the most bang for the buck. I was able to hear one at CompUSA -- not the greatest place to audition anything. It sounded pretty good, even under the circumstances.

The PS-1000 is another that I auditioned, but it was quite a while ago. I'll be hearing it again in a week or so. Haven't seen any reviews on version 3; saw only one on version 2. It is highly recommended by my Paradigm salesman (naturally).

I'd really appreciate any additional comments anyone would like to make regarding these three subs.