Do audiophiles hate large subwoofers?

OK, so seems like not a problem at a fundamental level, but perhaps more of a perception and aesthetic issue (kinda like the pro gear vs. audiophile gear). 15/18 inch sub woofers are big and you can't necessarily hide them in the corner like an 8 inch - so WAF comes in to play. (Many Audiophile's hopes and dreams have been crushed by the dreaded WAF.) Also, I think big sub-woofers are perceived as meant for home theater, so they won't get as much credit for being musical. I'm thinking audiophiles could be missing out by not auditioning a big one.

I am not against larger subwoofers but I am of the opinion that smaller ones that are capable of doing the job in general are preferable. Larger high quality subs may cost a lot more and offer no distinct advantage or be needed in many cases. Also larger subs are heavy and harder to handle and perhaps even place properly in some rooms where space is limited.

For my smaller 12X12 room, for use with a pair of KEF ls50s, I chose this model that is unusually extended for its size due to use of two passive 8" drivers to supplement the main 8" active driver. This is a really good combo!!!

https://www.klipsch.com/products/sw-308-subwoofer 

The KEFs are small with limited bass extension so a smaller sub fits in well there.

Granted that it will likely take a larger more extensive sub to merely fill in the lowest octave well if used with larger more full range mains.

@lalitk, 

I believe I know what you're onto with something like the REL's and I don't doubt your voracity at all. 

But I'm a different sort of customer in a sense in that if your main speakers go down low enough, then something like a REL would be a snap to recommend. But two things: first, my main speakers start rolling off at just above 200 Hz...which means I need to roll off the bass driver around 150-160 Hz (1rst order).

Normally, when the crossover frequency is low (like somewhere lower than 100 Hz), then what we're really talking about here is the "sub-bass" region - i.e., not the mid-bass. And as the design of crossover frequency rises, the more the output intrudes into the mid-bass range within the sub-bass box/driver. The most difficult range for a woofer in a box to reproduce believably is the through the mid-bass...this is where bass in a boxed woofer will sound the most "boxy". This is why most subwoofer amps (usually plate amps) are designed to not have upper crossovers much higher than about 120 Hz or so, like the REL's...no point in trying to crossover into the mid-bass range from one 'boxy'-sounding unit to another (the mains), since their differing box signatures between the sub-bass drivers and the mains will present more of a nightmare to try to integrate in the room. Just below the mid-bass is considered more ideal.

The only real-world problem with that is I, like some others, am dealing with mains that roll off at a higher frequency than plate amps generally allow for. So for me, the REL's would not be a good choice, even as much as they might be an ideal fit for someone with mains that can reach lower than mine. But (and this is my second thing from above) a 200-Hz lower mains limit is ok in my case because the mains are open baffle and if I use ob bass drivers, there is no 'box problem' for me to contend with since there are no boxes...so I'm free to crossover more successfully wherever I might otherwise need to and it all works out fine, as long as my active, digital crossovers give an infinite choice of frequency points and the needed selection of slopes (which mine do).

But, it's the active crossovers that allow me to treat the bass drivers as an extension of the main speaker design...IOW, these are truly 3-ways - not a pair of 2-ways and a sub. There is a difference in design consideration and there is a difference in performance. The ob effect this way is of increased coherence, transparency, tonal differentiation and lower distortion. There is not the same fun-factor (slam) with ob than REL's provide, but ob opens the way for a more musical or realistic experience (again with the exception of slam). But for that, I will be adding an 18" driver and 700w amp in an infinite baffle arrangement. It should be comparable to folded horn bass which can be about as good as anything out there. The last point of mine is that companies like REL can excel at coming up with very advanced drivers packed inside very advanced boxes...a fairly extreme level of both art and science. The only trade off is that it's expensive. The ob approach along with infinite baffle does not require extreme engineering which keeps cost low...the ib amp/driver combo will only cost $1200, yet the performance level is very high.

Regards

I have two Rythmik F25 subs and I don’t hate them. I use them both for home theater along with a pair of SVS SB13 Ultras and use one for two channel listening to supplement the 6 12" drivers in my Legacy Audio Focus 20/20 speakers. I know it’s not the most "refined" system you’ll ever hear but I get a lot of enjoyment from it.