A vote for the Vandersteen 2Wq. I have a pair of these, and the bass goes lower than I can hear (or than my room can carry - verified with a SPL meter). If your mains go down reliably to about 40Hz, they integrate extremely well, are designed for corner placement (and actually work well in the corners of my room), and, best of all, do not make their presence known unless there is deep bass in the source material. They are quite tuneful and quick, as well. The adjustable Q allows you to dial in the kind of bass you want, from very tight and fast, to a bit slower and bloomier. I bought two of them used here on Audiogon, and paid less than $800 each. You will have to buy the in-line crossovers from a Vandy dealer (~$125/pr). The temporary x-over that comes with the 2Wq is not tranparent enough (nor is it meant to be) to use on a permanent basis.
I have no experience with REL, but there are similarities in the x-over approach of REL and Vandersteen. However, with REL, you lose the benefits of the Vandersteen's LF roll-off that benefits both your main speakers and amplifier.
I know I will upgrade my speakers, but the 2Wq subs are in my rig to stay!
I have no experience with REL, but there are similarities in the x-over approach of REL and Vandersteen. However, with REL, you lose the benefits of the Vandersteen's LF roll-off that benefits both your main speakers and amplifier.
I know I will upgrade my speakers, but the 2Wq subs are in my rig to stay!