@gregfaunce --
"The SVS PB16 Ultra and Fathom F113 (both of which I owned) don’t deliver much slam at all. If you are wanting to feel some slam on bass heavy music you will have to most likely up your budget. Remember one mans insanity is another mans moderation. I have owned over 14 different subs in the last 4 years. The only ones that deliver the sort of thing that you are describing is when I had 2 JTR RS2 Captivators. Those literally damaged a ton of stuff in my house. If you need help with output questions I have a huge databass of all third party tested sub measurements. I can help you there. A pro audio sub may do what you want, they don’t go much below 30hz but they punch very hard in the music "realm" of bass. Those can hit 135db for probably in your price range. That would give you chest thump."
Good input. Forgot to mention JTR is my previous post - definitely a good option. It’s a shame the LFU version of the Orbit Shifter front loaded horn is no longer in their repertoire, it seems, and the pro version with its just below 40Hz tune misses the LF-beat with movies in particular.
Mr. Ricci’s line of DIY subs over at databass (if that’s what you’re referring to), all of them basically high order band pass iterations, are true monsters - just great subs delivering high output, clean and effortless bass. True "audiophile" bass if ever there was any. Some of them have variable tune, and even the lower tune options (i.e.: 15-20Hz) shouldn’t see port noise issues in home environments at all but war volume.
The problem with lower tuned, low efficiency subs - or just low eff. subs in general - very often is lack of midbass presence or "slam" in this region. It’s not simply an issue of frequency response, nor that infrasonics "divert" the energy or focus away from the midbass.
"The Funk Audio 18 is not really a high output subwoofer. It is a small enclosure 18" sealed sub. It’s performance numbers are online and it is really nothing special. It is a good looking sub, but top performer it is not (at least in output)."
Agreed. Looks and exclusivity, both of which the Funk’s ooze (though I’m sure they’re very good subs), are "audiophile" traits, remember. In my book Funk Audio subs are too expensive in relation to output, but many don’t value high output capability here as anything other than that, when in reality prodigious headroom through efficiency and very large displacement area are key factors in providing for an effortless, smooth and clean bass with slam as well.