kioko
I think Sonnie nailed it in his last post.
You are accustomed to high distortion bass.
That's the price of small boxes and small drivers or group PA gear.
It is a large adjustment to listen to high quality bass with real extension.
You are so used to listening to false harmonics instead of the true fundamentals that you miss them.
The better the subwoofer the more like reality it becomes.
Reality involves moving massive amounts of air very gently.
This can be achieved with one or more very long throw drivers (Fathom and Ultra 13) or lots of large drivers moving only a little way. (like an IB)
If you want more you can always stack up a lot of lot of Ultras, Fathoms or Plus2s.
You don't like huge boxes? Perhaps you ought to look at a very large ported 15" or 18" Sonosub? Just like the PC Ultra13 but carried to such extremes that SVS could never get away with it commercially.
If you don't like the height of a big tube you can lay it down behind the furniture. Standing up they have the majesty of a Greek pillar. Lying down they look like a fallen pillar at a Greek ruin.
Done right $2k should buy you some serious raw bass power to satisfy your wildest dB cravings.
