I think he should go for at least 10" on the sub. He could get dual Yamaha SW100's for not much more from A4L. Some good advice and recommendations have been offered, yet this thread is 300 posts and counting.
https://www.accessories4less.com/mak...specifications

The OP is indeed all over the place and has now decided that, without hearing a sub despite being able to try, (and return one), with no financial risk at Best Buy that he wants sealed.

Kanto is indeed the cheapest sealed sub out there I'm aware of but will take a leap of faith as even Crutchfield charges $75 to return a sub.

That's what blows my top sometimes. You come in here asking for advice and recommendations then ignore most of the advice and recommendations going back all the way to page 1.

We're here to help after all!

Some OPs require a bit more patience.

No big deal as AVS pays us by the hour!

Yes...….Patience!

The OP can come back now. I promise I'll be good!

Sorry about that. I was trying to collect as many opinions as possible so I don't buy something and regret. I've been underwhelmed with the Polk Signature series in general even after reading many good reviews of them. Setting up the 5.1 turned into a long project even though after reading the Polk Sig reviews, I thought it would be a simple "buy and enjoy." The Polk Sig experience has made me leery and questioning.

That's not how I read your comments.

"Just to test, I played my wife's top-40 FM station on the speakers and WOW. They sound like $1000 speakers."

You were disappointed in the tower but not the bookshelf and neither cost you a lot of money and it seems you were able to return the towers at no cost, (but I may be wrong on that last point).

All the way back on page 1, all the signs were pointing to you not liking them and you were advised to return them and try something else. If you're still within your return window, that could still be an option. There are many excellent bookshelf speakers under $300 on the market.

As someone who is 100% guilty, I'm sorry

Thanks, that explains the confusion. I've been disappointed in the bookshelf that it took so much time fiddling and asking questions. It sounds good on top-40 but not so good on Blues out of the box. So now I have to add a sub. The towers cost $10 each to return. The s15 do sound good for HT even with no sub.

The s15 are likely within the return window (I'll have to check when I got from Crutchfield) but not the s30 or s10. Several folks on this thread advised me to keep the s15 and tweak settings.

I'll go to BestBuy on Sat to get the Yamaha sub to try. What bookshelves for $300 would you recommend I pick up from BestBuy then? The reviews 3 months ago pointed me away from Klipsch, Pio, and Sony towards Polk Sig. The Martin Logans and B&W are more than $300. I guess that leaves Fluance and Q Acoustics.

Reviews are subjective. Some people love Klipsch, some people hate them. Try to listen to as many as possible while you're there, then pick what you liked best to take home. You could also try Crutchfield's speaker compare app. They also have a wide selection.
https://www.crutchfield.com/speakercompare/

I think in general you probably need to add a sub regardless, no matter what speaker it happens to be. I'm facing the same decision (which I am also all over the place on) in establishing a 2ch set up of my own. The one sub that has been recommended by a bunch of people falls outside of an amount I would be comfortable with right now even though from a value or money POV it's a no-brainer. My self-imposed WAF certainly doesn't help, either.

Agree. I was thrown off 3 months because I read this great article by Steve Guttenberg on why you should not use a sub for 2.0 and hence I focused my efforts at that time on having no sub.

That discount on the sub may not be there unless you order now on line to pick up in store later.

Elac B6.2 are $300/pair at Best Buy...B5.2s, which some prefer, are $200 at Crutchfield.

For purely musical use, you don't need a sub that can play below 20hz. You need a sub that is accurate and isn't boomy. Of the course the obvious choice would be a Rhythmik L12 which are hard to beat for $500. Alternative options would be an RSL Speedwoofer or Elac sub 3010 which has the remote app for more fine tuning.
https://www.amazon.com/Debut-SUB3010...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Yeah, hence why I am generally looking at sealed subs over ported ones as it is my understanding that those, on average, play faster/more accurate than ported. I do know that some ported can be as fast/accurate, but then you're getting into ones that are potentially 15" with properly-tuned ports (physically too big for my space). I also know that it doesn't have to be able to dig *that* deep - at most, my brain thinks mid to high 20Hz range is fine or maybe low 30Hz range will suit my needs. It's why I'm half-leaning towards the SVS SB-1000 or the B&W ASW610, and haven't crossed off the Monitor Audio Bronze W10.

The L12 is more than likely the smartest choice, I agree. I received a quote, and it would convert to just over $1000 CAD if I were to get the L12, but I would have to compromise on the amp. Since I am also trying to figure the amp out (whether to go with a cheap AVR or a higher-end integrated), it's a matter of where I make the compromise in that case.

I've poo-poo'd the RSL a few times already - that cheap, black, glossy plastic is a major no-go for me. The Elac 3010 is virtually the same sub as the S10EQ, which has been performing quite well to my ears, so I could consider that one.

My only concern (and it's actually a concern I have with the S10EQ) is whether the app that's used to operate the sub will be functional once iOS 13 onwards becomes available. As it stands right now, it doesn't - at least not the one that the S10EQ uses (I believe the others use an updated app). I don't have iOS 13 yet, but I have seen with my own eyes that the app doesn't work with that software update. Elac's support has been abysmal on that front, too. Plus, I'm *trying* to avoid getting any more black vinyl speakers (it's vain, I know, but I'm tired of it). If push comes to shove, I might compromise on my inner-WAF, and get something black.

(and as a note, a lot of this is me thinking out loud, and not necessarily shooting down any of your suggestions - apart from the RSL... believe it or not, I do actually carefully consider every suggestion even if I don't end up going with that option)

I forgot you were up here in Canada. An SVS SB-1000 would be your best value/performance option.

Yeah, it really bites sometimes. The L12 is an absolute no-brainer if I was living in the US. I wouldn't have even thought twice about it.

You should try the Elac sub with the Q150's. It may be enough for your needs in that application and it comes up for sale regularly.

It'd be a risk with the app, but I am tempted. Same seller via BB or Amazon, but the BB price is $200 cheaper for some reason.

The other thing is with the S10EQ I got, the seller was not forthright in saying that it was a display/floor model, so when it arrived, it was dirty/dusty, and had scuff marks everywhere that can't be taken out. So if I get the literal equivalent, I wouldn't feel so guilty pushing it to the music set up, and keeping the nicer one for my HT.

That and found the Marantz amp I am considering available at ~50% off "used" (description says there "might be cosmetic damage on face, top or sides", but that could end up being perfect - or an utter disaster).

If that ELAC 3010 stays at $359, I might get it once I try and return the Yamaha. Looks good and has good reviews. BTW I moved the front L/R s15 speakers back so they are 3" from the front wall. I moved my own butt 3' from the back wall. Midrange got clearer and bass improved too. Can't explain why but looks like this is the better position for the s15 and not 2' away from front wall. Something to do with the PowerPort? Ryan, I see from other threads that you also have your RTI A3s or A1s close to the wall.

Does the app for the ELAC sub work only with iPhones/iOS?

No, it works with Android devices, too.

Well, gajCA has experience with that Yamaha subwoofer, so I would trust his judgment on it. Hearing more bass with the speaker 3" away is because there's more bass being reflected off of the wall instead is dispersing.

If I were to follow proper speaker placement, My speakers would be 2 feet in front of me because my room is only 8 feet wide. The backs of the A3's are somewhere between 4-6 inches from the wall.

Why not get the Q350 for the 6" woofer?

huh?

Try it with the one you already own first. Yeah it may be a PITA to move and setup, but you'll know if it satisfies your musical needs pretty quickly. NOTE: The Q150's may require some break-in so give them a few days before making any assessments.

I'd look at Gibby's for the AVR. Lots of "B" stock AVR's reasonably priced and comes with a warranty. Their customer service is pretty good too.
https://gibbyselectronicsupermarket....stock_filter=1

The Yamaha sub is a good option on a shoestring budget and will work well and sound pretty decent for a desktop setup or in smaller rooms. Among other things the amp isn't very powerful so output levels won't be that high so it does have limitations and can't compare to larger more expensive subs.

The more space you can give them from back and side walls, the less bloated they'll sound.

I listen to a bit of music already just through the Stingray music channels that come with my Shaw Cable package, so I already have a good idea of how it would be for music. Sounds pretty fast, and accurate to my ears if I am to understand those terms correctly (i.e. the thump of a bass drum is clear, precise, and doesn't have any lingering resonance, and it seems to handle the droning "Thmmm" of modern hip hop very well).

Knowing that the 3010 is virtually identical (only differences I can visibly see are an L/R RCA input instead of the single sub input, and the obvious difference in the design), I am fairly confident that it would perform in the same manner as the S10EQ, musically since I've essentially had over a month of audition time already.

It's really the app that I'm concerned about. It would be a kick in the teeth if I had two subwoofers that were no longer controllable because Elac won't update the app to run properly on iOS 13 and beyond.