PROFICIENT AUDIO SYSTEMS FS8 Protege 8" Dual-Drive Subwoofer

Best Subwoofer I have ever owned under $500

I have been an audiophile since the age of 10, so roughly 45 years now. In that time I've owned a lot of gear, including subwoofers. Some have been many multiples of the cost of this little guy and were fine pieces, however this one might be the best value subwoofer I've ever owned. I live in an apartment now and needed something small, but musical. 99% of my listening is to music, with very little time spent watching movies and other stuff. This is an awesome little sub for music listening in a small to medium sized room. I am getting the specified 32 Hz extension in my room with the test CDs I've used. It is quick and tight and well defined. When paired with my Elac Uni-Fi UB-52 standmount speakers or my Klipsch RP-5000F floorstanders, I am able to dial in the settings and it creates a seamless match. My one piece of advice to anyone considering buying a powered subwoofer is make sure it has a "continuously variable" phase control. A single 0/180 degree toggle is not sufficient and will only lead to frustration. This sub is also very powerful and does not break up or distort, even at highish levels. True, I only listen at the 85 to 90 dB peak levels for most of my listening, but that is still pretty loud, and this subwoofer handles it with ease and sounds very musical and detailed in the process. Highly recommended.