Are the JL Fathom subs really that good....

Irv, you may have hit on something. I am less than 12' from my speakers due to my smaller room so there is less chance for the sound to blend before I hear it. I wouldn't call my setup nearfield but it isn't "farfield" either. I thought that when I went to full range floorstanders the subs might be too much in the room but that is not the case with the proper (to my ears) adjustments.

Bass may be omnidirectional but that doesn't mean you can't localize the source. I think that would be called "omnipresent". Like when my wife spots an audio purchase on our credit card online statement within minutes or hours of a new transaction.

Irv,
Omnidirectional means that it radiates equally in every direction from the source. I think we agree on that. My thing is, the farther away from the source you are the lower the amplitude will be. (All nodes aside-different subject) If you had a big room with one sub positioned to one side it probably wouldn't be as loud on the other side of the large room even below 100Hz. If it was, it would be omnipresent as well as omnidirectional. A really loud car stereo radiates its insane bass omnidirectionally but you're glad it is parked far away. Electronic music artists-I'm a fan-take many liberties of production and can stick a 50Hz tone in the left or right as they please and I enjoy hearing it. At least I BELIEVE I can hear it! At least after 40+ years of hifi with no sub/one sub/two subs I know what I like and I'll bet you like your setup too. Always fun discussing and if you're in the neighborhood stop by for a beer and a demonstration.

Chris

Irv, I have a large aquarium in between my speakers so I have never been able to locate the sub near the middle. Who knows, if I had I might never have been driven to try stereo subs. I guess the plot thickens as our system details come out. In my setup with the tank in the middle two subs to my ears are conclusively better. I suppose the bass blend across the soundstage could be inhibited by the half-ton body of water in the middle!