Subwoofer opinion badly needed!

Try the Hsu Research VTF-2. Several reviewers preferred it for music over *many* other subs. I've had mine for about a year and have been very pleased. You can buy them direct from Mr. Hsu himself; he even gives you a thirty day money-back garauntee.

I think you ll find good bass costs more than 500. Especially for a room your size. You want to shop for a used velodyne. You want minimum 12 inches,downfiring and lots of watts for tight bass. An inexpensive alternative I used in a much smaller room was a Kef 30b. I had it matched with a pair of kef c25s. It was nice and tight for the money.Also PSB made one a few years ago that was much better than the kef. Check their site for model numbers. It should be right in your price range used. steve

It'd be cheaper to build your own with a couple Shiva drivers and you'd actually get real bass.

the hsu tn1220ho can be had for less than $500, but only without an amp. check audioreview.com

try to find a Yamaha YST-500. It really is a very good sub and is a lot more musical than you'd expect to find in this price range. I have seem the go for as little as $200 and as much as $350 used. The cost around $800 new.