So how many people are using subwoofers

I used a single REL Q150e (150 watt 10") for years with no need for a digital room correction sound nanny (I think they can cloud things with more crap in the mix, plus my largish room has a tall sloping ceiling so it sounds good anyway) as I turn it up or down if needed (easy, and not so often). The mains run full range of course (a REL thing) and it all sounds amazing…got a second REL recently (Q108 MKII) from the same vintage and man…simply better…"charging the room" is part of what they do as that sense of low ambience is part of the natural sound of the world, and should simply be there. I turn the subs down to demo this for friends and they agree with me, and think I'm a wonderful person with great taste.

The Swarm system just seems cool and inexpensive…if I wasn't happy with my RELs I'd seriously consider those things. It's true that a lot of music doesn't get to sub territory, but I like the ambient aspect of the sub adding that airy reality to the mix a much as the direct bass reproduction...systems need that to seem more like natural sound.

My RELs only match in the sense that they are from the same manufacturing period, and since they're in different acoustic surroundings in  my listening space it seems not to matter that they're designed differently ("Q" series front firing 10" 150 watts vs. down firing 8" 100 watts). They sound very similar as far as comparing these subs can reveal, and maybe it's actually better they're dissimilar…in any case they work splendidly.