Sub Recommendation for first-time Sub buyer.

Hello guys,

I am a first-time poster, but long-time reader of these forums. I am looking for recommendations for a sub-woofer purchase.

Room dimensions:
13' long X 12' wide X 9' tall
3' X 7' doorway opening to the left of the television/front speakers.

Current setup:
Paradigm Mini-Monitors in the front

Some old PSB Century 300i in the back

B&W HTM62 Centre channel

Denon AVR-1507 receiver (will most likely be upgraded to a newer Denon or Pioneer in the next few months)

Pro-Ject Debut III Turntable

Usage:
40% music, 40% gaming, 20% movies

Price Range:
I'd like to stay around $400-450 U.S. total.

Other Considerations:
I live on the east coast of Canada, so that may limit my options; I was interested in the HSU Research line, but they apparently do not ship to Canada, not to mention the cost of shipping and customs/duties would probably be prohibitive.

As noted above, I am mostly concerned with music performance; I listen to a lot of vinyl. But, I am also a gaming addict, shooter games specifically, so the gunshots and explosions need to sound tight! I do watch the odd Blu-Ray movie now and again, but until I upgrade my receiver to something with DTS-HD and Dolby True-HD, movie sound is somewhat less of a priority.

Finally, my room is quite small and space is severely limited since it is our main living space. So, 16" W X 20" D is probably the largest that would fit. Height is not an issue.

Closing comments:

Thank you so much if you took the time to read my post, and extra thanks if you decide to respond!

Thanks for the link. Their least expensive model appears to be at the top of my budget, and then some with added shipping I'm sure.

I'm also wondering, is it better to go the sealed route or ported?

It turns out that HSU Research will ship to Canada, so I am considering the STF-2, or the Emotiva Ultra Sub 12 if it goes on sale again like it has in the past for under $400 (word is that they are having another sale in November). Which of these two subs would better suit my situation as described above?

My only local option is Paradigm, but I have heard mostly negative things about their lower-end subs. Thoughts?

Thanks, those are all good recommendations, and I have looked at many of them. They all tend to be slightly out of my preferred price range, though. The SVS for example, is $579 plus shipping from the Canadian distributor.

Which is why I have been looking at the HSU and Emotiva, at $350-$380 U.S., I might be able to afford them after shipping/customs etc.

Thanks, I appreciate your comments.

This is my first sub purchase, so that is also factoring into my purchase decision. My room is relatively small, and I live in a 4-unit house, so I am looking for something that is going to improve sound quality rather than something that will shake the room and floor.

I won't be moving into a house anytime soon either, so I am intent on buying something that will suit my purposes rather than having way too much sub for my needs. That being said, however, I am aware that it is always best to buy something that goes a bit beyond your current needs...

You guys have given me great recommendations for the $500-$600 range, but I am still wondering about the HSU and Emotiva lines...