It's a shame this is so hard. The biggest issues in my mind with subs are getting the EQ right. Below 100 Hz are where the monsters of audio are. Smaller subs avoid this just because they are smaller subs.
Lots of subs built-in auto-EQ / room correction kind of suck.
The biggest audible differences in subs is the room EQ. When you eval a sub, make sure you eval the auto-eq features, OR you work with an installer who can set it up properly.
JL Audio makes the best sounding auto-EQ I know of in a sub, but it's expensive as all get out, and I've read plenty of reliability issues.
For ~ $1,000 you can have most of the performance with a Hsu sub and mini DSP but the integration is where things are different.
Also, room acoustics matter. Contact GIK first. Get an assessment and recommendation for your room, especially around bass traps.
To be clear, first get good room treatment. Then settle on a pair of good output, high quality subs. Third, get the EQ for the sub done right.
Best,
E