Very musical bass

Not much low end for home theater

A very solid little sub, especially for the price (I've seen them go for less than $100 at uBid.com). It has an 8" downward firing driver, high and low level inputs, adjustable crossover (40-200 hz, I think), and a phase switch. It is very musical, and has plenty of power for small to mid-sized rooms. My only "complaint" is that it doesn't really fire reliably below about 40hz. However, unless you listen to organ music or demand theater bass for a larger room, this sub should do nicely.

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Nice, tight bass

Not low enough

I have been using this product for about 3 months. I purchased it from onsale.com for $135. It added so much to home theater. I can't imagine listening to a movie without a sub after this. The falling water tower at the beginning of Wild Wild West gives you a serious thump in the rump, if you know what I mean. The controls are very good looking and very easy to use. They are also very sturdy. I usually keep the crossover at around 80 hz, and rarely move it up as the bass gets a bit boomy. And the gain I keep at 3/4. I like bass! It has rca inputs and can also use LFE inputs. Since acoustic research got rid of the HO line of products, it is no longer in production. You might be able to find it on an auction site or what not. My only gripe with this product is that it only goes down to 40hz and it isn't as loud as I would like my bass. Granted, it is plenty loud. My resident adviser in the dorm has frequently asked me to turn it down. But, I wasn't expecting to get bounced out of my chair for $135, so I shouldn't be picky. I give it 5 for value, and 4 for performance. Happy shopping!

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Car subs. Not really that similar. lol

Here is a more complete report on my earlier post (same rating).
My wife and I were determined to conceal an audiophile-quality sound system in a bookshelf system (with some cabinets), and to do so at a price that defies belief. We succeeded. After considerable research, we purchased an AR S8HO subwoofer and a pair of NHT SuperZeroes. Total cost: about $450. Sound quality: amazing. We use them in a broad range of video and sound applications, but the thing that really gets me is the performance of the system on piano. Here's a natural instrument with incredible spectral range, from the deep components that give authority to the image, to the tinkle of the high keys; and every aspect is reproduced with startling realism. The piano is rock solid, and at the same time, its coherence in the high notes gives an effect that can only be described as sparkling. Recently I visited a home with a grand piano, and when I returned was struck by the virtual identity of the reproduced sound. For all intents and purposes I had a grand piano in my ownroom.

The NHT's are legendary, having achieved status comparable to the AR-1, AR-3, and KLH Six, though decades after the acoustic suspension revolution, with bass duties passed off to a subwoofer, and primary design consideration given to the higher end, they are in distinctly different class. In a word: refined.

The choice of the AR S8HO is more interesting. I had read Home Theater's review of compact subs, and initially it had weighed against this choice. I have found their characterization of speakers reflective of my own, and even disagreements among their reviewers to mirror conflicts in my own judgements. They had placed the AR S8HO's in the middle of the pack. But, with my background as a physicist, I started to think like so: The S8HO is downward firing, and this design is known to give somewhat muddy results in a carpeted room. AR's design has attempted to compensate with a wooden floor plate, which may help, but that plate looks mighty small when compared with a 10-30 foot wavelength. But we don't have a carpeted room; we've got wood and stone floors with occasional area rugs. And in this environment, I guessed, the S8HO could be a stellar performer. So I ordered it with full return privileges, and when the experiment exceeded my wildest expectations, any thought of return vanished.

As for the concealment part, it took a bit of carpentry for the electronics, but the speakers were a pleasure. NHT recommends point-source stands, but the SuperZeroes work great and look great hidden in a row of books. Their size is perfect. Any taller and their presence would be obtrusive. Any shorter and their absence would be obtrusive. As for the sub, it sits in an inconspicuous location across the room from the satellites, so far away I needed a 25 foot coax to connect it. You'd think having the bass behind you and the treble in front would strain the integration of sound just a little bit. You'd be dead wrong. I remember after first hooking the system up I was playing some Christmas organ music with room shaking bass, and my wife actually asked me, "Are you sure that subwoofer is working?"