I agree, most subs I've heard "sound" too loud or dominant. Sometimes I believe it is simply the way they are set up (owner bought a sub and by God, they want to hear some bass!). But I also believe many subs are designed to dominate the system they are used with. This could come from the home theater influence.
A wise person once said you should not know the subwoofer is in the system until it is turned off, only by its absence should you realize it was on. Perhaps using this wisdom can help you in finding a better quality subwoofer than what you have experienced so far.
I once heard a very good dealer demonstrate a subwoofer by playing a solo violin passage. His point was to show the improvement in clarity in the upper-bass, lower-midrange in the main speakers when the sub was set up correctly. That was impressive because it was more musical.
A wise person once said you should not know the subwoofer is in the system until it is turned off, only by its absence should you realize it was on. Perhaps using this wisdom can help you in finding a better quality subwoofer than what you have experienced so far.
I once heard a very good dealer demonstrate a subwoofer by playing a solo violin passage. His point was to show the improvement in clarity in the upper-bass, lower-midrange in the main speakers when the sub was set up correctly. That was impressive because it was more musical.