SD,
You did a nice job compiling all those scores. I think the special sub issue of Widescreen Review is a good place to start when one is thinking about buying a subwoofer—it contains a lot of information. However, people should keep in mind that the reviewer, Richard Hardesty, like any reviewer, has very specific preferences. He admits that he has such preferences, and warns readers that they may have different preferences. In other words, the reviews are just one person's opinion.
For instance, he generally prefers sealed enclosures over ported ones, especially for music. He also strongly recommends two smaller subs in stereo over one large sub using a mono signal. Those are valid preferences--but not everyone shares them. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a small sub simply because it is easy and cost effective to add a second one and have a stereo set-up. You could very well end up with two subs that have limited output and are easy to bottom out. I also prefer my ported sub over my audiophile sealed sub hands down, for both music and movies. Those are my preferences but who cares? The point is you should always listen and decide for yourself what design works best for you.
Anyway, the sub issue does encourage buyers to listen more critically to subwoofers, and it provides criteria by which to judge them. That’s a good thing. I just think you have to keep the ratings in perspective.
You did a nice job compiling all those scores. I think the special sub issue of Widescreen Review is a good place to start when one is thinking about buying a subwoofer—it contains a lot of information. However, people should keep in mind that the reviewer, Richard Hardesty, like any reviewer, has very specific preferences. He admits that he has such preferences, and warns readers that they may have different preferences. In other words, the reviews are just one person's opinion.
For instance, he generally prefers sealed enclosures over ported ones, especially for music. He also strongly recommends two smaller subs in stereo over one large sub using a mono signal. Those are valid preferences--but not everyone shares them. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend a small sub simply because it is easy and cost effective to add a second one and have a stereo set-up. You could very well end up with two subs that have limited output and are easy to bottom out. I also prefer my ported sub over my audiophile sealed sub hands down, for both music and movies. Those are my preferences but who cares? The point is you should always listen and decide for yourself what design works best for you.
Anyway, the sub issue does encourage buyers to listen more critically to subwoofers, and it provides criteria by which to judge them. That’s a good thing. I just think you have to keep the ratings in perspective.