Do you think you need a subwoofer?

The reason for the wider soundstage is that the subwoofer has its own amp and therefore the burden of those power gobbling lows are taken from the regular amp which can perform better. Subs are particularly important in video presentations, because there is lots of very low stuff on DVD hat have nothing to do with music, but which taxes regular amps and woofers

I just moved to new digs in Scottsdale, Az. My stereo rig sounds so different here because of the room. The floors are French limestone blocks, 12 foot ceilings, the room is 14x30 with a totally glass wall on one side, and an open floor plan on the other. The bass is nearly non-existant and the echo is severe. ..sounds like 2 sub-woofers are in order to bolster the Vandersteen 5A's.

Thanks Raul. Actually, I had a sound engineer come up. He did a frequency response check of the room which included reflections, and phasing. He suggested putting a soft island suspended from the ceiling the whole room through. Although the room is box-like, he suggested a very large oval shape. He also suggested accoutic floating soffets with indirect lighting, and some kind of treatment for those very large windows (not draperies or anything - they look great as is, but perhaps an accouticaly impenetrable window with 5 thicknesses of glass and a near vaccuum between them. This and other ideas sound good to me - the price is about 30,000 dollars. I suspect that I'll do it in stages.

Everyone would benefit with a powered sub....amps run cleaner just having to power the mids and highs, and the sub can be tailored for the room

Everyone needs a powered subwoofer...if you have one, you need another...if you have 2 you still need another. Richard Vandersteen and I were discussing this very point. Woofers are the prime user of power from the amp. If done correctly, powered subs take the burden off of the main amp, and therefore the amp is loafing and working with an ease, that is clear to hear. Also, the sub can be placed more comfortably in the room to provide a smoother low end ...no hot and weak spots. Vandersteen says that he uses 4 subs and it really makes a difference

Subs make the full range speakers sound better, ...also even out audible bumps in the room.

Raul....I agree as to multiple subs

I use Vandersteen 5A speakers.  They have built-in subs that are driven from their own amps...my main stereo amp drives the mids/highs.  This frees up the amp from the power hungry subs and permits it to just loaf with smile.  Two subs are better than one - they better fill in the lower reflections of the room