Price Paid:  $870.00 from Stereoworld (New Zea

Summary:
This sub is very sweet sounding, probably one of the best subs for most music, but I have to agree that this sub isn't enough for HT use. This subwoofer has the ability to blend into almost any speakers without a hint of its own existence. It is very fast and very sweet sounding, it gives bass with a lot of gesture, not just boring boom boom bass. Try speaking with your hands over your mouth, and then speak again without them, that's the difference between this sub and a few other subs. However this sub isn't as great for HT use. It lacks that extra headroom when it comes down to the ultra low frequency (below 30hz). This sub can give really high and awesome sounding output between 40-120hz, but performance drops off once you go below 40hz. If you have a track (or more often movies) that peaks below 40hz, this sub will probably start acting a little "different". The driver can bottom out quite easily with bass peaks below 30hz, without yielding near as much output as it can above 40hz. This short side of it makes it less good of a product for HT use. I have recently upgraded to a B&W ASW CDM subwoofer. It has a 1000Wrms class D amp with a 12" driver. With a bigger cabinet, bigger driver and bigger amp, this sub performs quite a lot better than the ASW2500. It can yield a fairly linear output level all the way down to 20hz, and gives you those floor shaking, windows rattling low bass when the ASW2500 will just keep bottoming out and complain. The ASW 2500 was not able to keep up with my other speakers for HT uses (@ high output). Wharfedale Zaldek 2000 (consists of 2 8 inch bass drivers) as fronts, Zaldek 1000 (single 8 inch bass driver) as rears, running thru a Pioneer VSX-D2011 (Elite VSX-53TX), while the ASW CDM can give me as much as I demanded and more.

Strengths:
Music use, good sounding, good integration with the rest of the system. Placement sensitive (probably true for most subs anyway). Size (you won't find anything that will do the same job with this size). Auto on/off. B&W built quality.

Weaknesses:
HT use. Will complain without a hint when it reaches it limits. Doesn't produce enough SPL when it goes low.

Similar Products Used:
B&W ASW CDM B&W ASW 675 Wharfedale Powercube PC-12A Wharfedale Zaldek Sub Infinity PS-8

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Audio Emporium

Summary:
I want to keep this brief. I love this sub. It is the best sub I have ever heard. However, 1) Don't use this in a small room. 2)Placement is so important that it can make this sub range from soundless to perfect. 3) Make sure you use a good preamp. 4) If your not going to use a filter, then for God sakes, don't expect to play this sub at full output for any reason. The quality of this sub has been know to make my freinds laugh wildy and lapse into deep consideration of how much they would like to have this sub.

Strengths:
Music detail and one hellofa thump. Small footprint.

Weaknesses:
Placement can be a real pain. Good placement = satisfaction with asw. Bad placement = utter dissapointment. Remember that.

Similar Products Used:
Most other consumer subs.

Price Paid:  $800.00 from HiFi-Klubben

Summary:
This small subwoofer makes your room literally shake (down to 10Hz (!) with a tone-generator and the windows at my home at 180 m2 were shaking - everyone) and your neighbours will not have a good relationship with you anymore. A bargain for the price! Compared with subs that costs dubble the price like Velodyne and Sunfire you will have a higher level of bass, but actually it´s very good bass that comes out of this box - musically also. A perfect compromisse. For 98% of all listerners this is more than enought with it´s musicallity and power. For you that demands more (2%) - I hope you don´t have any trouble with neighbours living to close with you...

Strengths:
Fantastic deep bass for the size and money. Tight and musically bass.

Weaknesses:
Can´t handle extreme bass levels. Demands long time pre-playing (300 hours) for max performance.

Similar Products Used:
Klipsch KSW-200.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Very good sub,finally rounds out my system with 603S2, 601S2 and LCR. Completes the lower end especially with the 5.1 and DTS. Definitely needs break in and then wow. Crisp and tight with just enough power. Unfortunately always near the max settings. Remember laws of physics.

Strengths:
Small, crisp and tight with just enough power. Blends very easily with other speakers

Weaknesses:
Cheap grill cover snaps break very easily; does not have line feed; should now be discounted since replaced with the new ASW675 subs. Hopefully fixed the size & power relationship, aand other complaints.

Price Paid:  $625.00 from Sound Advice

Summary:
I just picked up this sub this past weekend to replace my Kenwood 103SW sub and finish my theater system with all B&W speakers. What can I say, this little speaker packs a hard punch! I am still experimenting with it''s levels and placement, but from what I''ve heard so far it is amazing. Listening to it musically with the low-pass filter on it fills in the low end that my B&W 602 S2''s lack. And listening to it with the low-pass off off of a DVD with 5.1 sound is awesome. I watched Saving Private Ryan this past weekend and was amazed. If there were any problems I could find with this sub (which aren''t many mind you) it is that it is not magnetically shielded. In most cases though, this is not a big problem. Also, and I''m not sure if this is exactly the reason why, but at times I felt that this sub needed a flowport like the rest of the B&W line of subs. However for power and size this sub works like a dream for mid-size to larger home theater systems. I know that, living in an apartment, I may be receiving a few knocks on the door complaining of speaker level...but hey, that''s okay with me.

Strengths:
Small size, very powerful

Weaknesses:
No magnetic shielding or flowport

Similar Products Used:
Kenwood 103SW