Price Paid:  $525.00 from Stereo Sound Studios

Summary:
I have used this sub for almost 3 years, and I'm amazed that I haven't had to upgrade it yet. I believe it is better suited for home theater than for just music, however.

Highs: Sound quality, build quality, and power.
Lows: Auto on/off doesn't always shut itself off. The passive crossover does compromise sound when there is no subwoofer pre-amp out available (duh).

I had this hooked up passively until recently. WOW! What a huge difference that made! It sounded like it doubled it's power! Before, I would have have to be careful with the volume, as it would start to distort at medium levels. After I hooked it up to a pre-amp level output, I have more sub than I can use. Cool. I have noticed a small amount of unclarity in complicated music, but watch a DVD with this sucker and you will quickly forget any short commings, as the floor will vibrate and your windows will rattle. Put this sub in a small room, and you'll have more reserve power than you could ever use. Perfect for a medium sized listening/viewing room. Blows away my buddy's Cerwin-Vega. Paradigm is great for music, but lacks the depth and power in home theater systems. The Paradigm is the same size and is rated the same (150W, 12"), but just can't keep up when the volume is turned up. It's not quite as deep, either. For music only, however, it's fantastic. Very clean.
In closing, this a great sub and a good value.

Strengths:
Tight and powerful bass response. Build quality.

Weaknesses:
The auto-on/off feature doesn't always shut itself off.

Similar Products Used:
Cerwin-Vega, Paradigm