BookShelf or Floor Standing Speakers

     Bass frequency soundwaves  are so much longer than midrange and treble frequencies ( a 20 Hz bass full cycle soundwave is 56' long and a 20K Hz full cycle wave is a fraction of an inch long) and behave so differently in a typical room that I believe it makes a lot of sense to use high quality stand mounted bookshelf speakers for optimum midrange, treble and stereo soundstage imaging and then position at least two small to medium sized high quality subs in the room for optimum bass response at the designated listening seat. 
     I'd suggest two SVS SB-1000(sealed sub) or PB-1000 (ported sub)subs that can be currently purchased for $950/pair for either model.  These are high quality subs that are a true bargain because they perform more like a $1,000 sub from other brands.  Here's a link to the SB-1000:

https://www.svsound.com/collections/1000-series/products/sb-1000

     You can optimally position each sub, in relation to the listening seat by utilizing the 'crawl' method.  Once the subs are positioned, position your choice of bookshelf speakers on stands for optimum midrange, treble and soundtage imaging performance in relation to your designating listening seat.
     The last step is to configure the volume, crossover frequency and phase control settings on each sub so the subs and your main speakers blend together seamlessly as a unified whole.  I'd recommend running your speakers full-range and setting the volume and crossover frequencies as low as possible with the combined sound still sounding very good to you. Remember, the goal is not to constantly notice the subs being active, but for them to become active only when the music recording calls for it.  I can describe a few easy ways to optimally set the phase controls on each sub if you decide to use bookshelf speakers with two subs setup.
     The main issue I have with floor standing speakers is that the bass sections are not independently positioned in the room for optimum bass performance.  These types of speakers are typically positioned for optium midrange, treble and soundstage imaging, in relation to the designated listening seat, and this determines the location of the bass drivers in the room since they are permanently attached, usually just below the other speaker drivers.  This positioning is unlikely to be their optimum positions in the room in terms of bass performance at the listening seat.

Tim

gochurchgo,

Two subs are very capable of giving very good bass response at a designated listening position with a pair of good bookshelf speakers on stands. The key is positioning each of the subs optimally in the room. This doesn’t mean just placing a sub next to each main speaker.
It requires precisely and sequentially locating each sub so that there’s optimum bass response at the listening seat. A good method is the ’crawl’ procedure. Once the positioning is completed, the best way to ensure very good integration or blending between the subs and main speakers is the proper setting on each sub of the Volume, Crossover frequency and Phase controls.

If you’re really concerned you won’t get very good integration between the two subs and your main speakers, however, I’m only aware of one bass solution that will virtually guarantee good integration and I use this myself in my system. It’s called a 4-sub distributed bass array system (DBA) and it provides near state of the art bass response and integration in virtually any room and with any pair of main speakers. I just bought a complete 4-sub DBA system called the Audio Kinesis Swarm bass system because it’s easier to setup, at $2,800 it costs less than creating your own DBA by using four self amplified subs of your choice and it works like a charm no matter what your room dimensions and what main speakers you have. Here’s an Absolute Sound review of the AK Swarm that gives a very accurate description of what to expect:

www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/audiokinesis-swarm-subwoofer-system/

If you have the space for these relatively small (1’ x1’ x 28") subs in your room, I’m certain this will work extremely well not only with your current speakers but with any main speakers you’ll may have in the future.

Tim

Hello gochurchgo,

     I'm not understanding some of what you wrote, like "until I drop my body" and "living in stacked housing" (living in an apartment building?)  Can you explain?
     I agree you may need to limit the bass output if you're going to be living in an apartment.
     I assure you there's no voodoo involved.  I'm willing to help you with your system and possible subs but you need to determine whether your housing situation rules them out or not. 
 I have a lot of personal experience with subs and can give you step by step setup and settings instructions if you'd like.  You can either let me know on this thread or send me a personal message when you need help.

Tim

Hello gochurchgo,

    I'm not understanding some of what you wrote, like "until I drop my body" and "living in stacked housing" (living in an apartment building?) Can you explain?
    I agree you may need to limit the bass output if you're going to be living in an apartment.
    I assure you there's no voodoo involved. I'm willing to help you with your system and possible subs but you need to determine whether your housing situation rules them out or not.
    I have a lot of personal experience with subs and can give you step by step setup and settings instructions if you'd like. You can either let me know on this thread or send me a personal message when you need help.

Tim