TBI Magellan

How are they to place? Someone whose opinion I trust is urging Paradigm because of the computerized placement tool. I don't have the time or the acumen to play games with adjustments and placement.

They are one of the few non-multi driver speakers that deliver on music (read 6moons review).If youuse one power module and two passive subs (instead of powered units) they are opperate in parallel and go up 50% in power (genius ideaI don't know why more subs don't do this).Plus though you can't localize bass below 150Hrz many folks have written threads about advantages of two equal subs.Normally big single driver subs are best for HT and multi's like REL,Vanderteen,and Martin Logan deliver better goods for music (I sold Velodyne) but above 8" you get depth and SPL but it's at a cost of pitch definition.It is hard for a large sub to move fast enough (as Lokie was was saying in efect) so Magellans don't have that HT "Boom In The Room" an 18" sub of equal price would.For music the Magellan VIII's are great I even saw one guy with Avantgarde Uno's take out his 225 Avantgarde's and use them.But you get what you pay for.Consider them but also REL and MJ Acoustics,Totem,Aperion,and ML (I think Depth is great sub.All use a multi drivers to get depth and speed at same time at different price points and results.Add a Velodyne SVS-1 to equalize the Magellan's or other sub and you'll get a world class music sub.If you might go for HT than go with ML Depth used for a $1K and $2K for new.I am having hard time deciding my own route even though I know that music accuracy is more important than depth (remember a 20Hrz wave is 56'(?) wide so unless your in a big room you won't here it.Yet you do get dynamics and "room load" fro large subs even in rooms you can't here the actual depth you could in very large room (yours is medium large).But Magellans others could give you right combo of bass and finesse or again the some of others could be more of what you want -it's matter of taste.But heard Magellans and they are fine innovative product.BTW if the seller here on 'Gon had a pir of two passives and amp I might have dived on it myself but the ad is for two amps and two passives at $750 each.$1K to $1250 would be right price for two boxes and one amp if bought used from previous ad's I have seen here.
Chazz

I have owned a pair for about 5 or 6 years now and have integrated them with various speakers. These subs do what they do very well. They are more subtle than most subs you are probably used to. They do not move allot of air around and "load" a room like more robust subs do. All I know is, when they are in the system I hear the lowest frequencies that I don't otherwise hear, and it sounds like the corresponding instrument. A double bass in a jazz quartet has resonance, vibration and decay and when the subs are disengaged, the double bass isn't there anymore.

You probably know this, but there is a pair of the Magellan VIII's on auction here on the GON. A day and a half left and nobody has bid yet. I own a pair of the Magellan VI's that I run in stereo( highly recommended) with my Sonist Concerto 2's with a sensitivity of 95. They blend very well and do not call attention to themselves at all. They are VERY musical and fast enough to keep up with any speaker, even panel speakers.You will not be disappointed if used in a two channel system for music only. Good Luck!