Heh - the old "sealed sub vs. ported sub sound" raises its head again, eh?
It's a misconception, I have to say. There ARE some very broad, general characteristics of "sealed vs. ported". But it really can't be simplified with accuracy to that extent. There are sealed subs that play lower and louder than some ported subs. There are ported subs that play "tighter" and "more musically" than some sealed subs. If you take the exact same driver, the exact same amp, don't apply any filters to them and put them in two different boxes - one sealed and one ported - then yeah, you can draw some general conclusions about how they'll sound different. But as soon as you change any of the variables other than just the box and whether or not it has a hole in it, those general conclusions go out the window and you're really just back to whether the sub is "good" or not. And by "good" I mean that it has deep extension, sufficient output at ALL frequencies for your environment, tight transient response, linear power response (so that the relative frequency response doesn't change when you increase the volume), and just straight up accuracy and precision. Whether you get there by being sealed or ported really doesn't matter.
The one absolute fact that does remain though is that a sealed sub has to create all of its output using the driver alone, whereas a ported (or passive radiator) sub gets to reinforce the output of the driver with the output of the port or passive radiator(s). Again, you can totally equal the same low bass output with a sealed design - subs like the JL Audio Fathom or the Velodyne DD-Plus subs prove that much. But you do tend to need a bigger driver - or one with absolutely massive excursion - and exponentially more amplifier power. And typically, that's going to get you a higher cost - again, the JL Audio Fathom subs and the Velodyne DD-Plus subs demonstrate that part too!
So when it comes to sheer output, when it comes to extension, and when it comes to linear power response where the relative frequency response doesn't change as the volume gets turned up, ported subs are more efficient is all. So now, the real question becomes whether they can have that port and retain the tight transient response and minimal decay and resonance that are hallmarks of the "sealed sub sound". When you say that you prefer the sound of sealed subs, that's really what you're saying. That you prefer tight transient response and minimal decay. You basically like delineation in your bass notes and for the sound to "start and stop on a dime" as it were
A ported sub can do that just as well as a sealed sub. It's only around its port tuning frequency that you simply cannot avoid some resonance and increased decay times - that's how the port functions, after all! But when the port tuning is way down at 20Hz, that increase in group delay and the decay of the note really isn't a big deal what-so-ever. A sealed sub is going to be working like crazy to produce loud output way down there, which very likely means high distortion anyway. So pick your poison - a bit of increased decay time, or high distortion?
But above the port tuning, it all boils down to having rock steady control over that driver. A sealed sub has the mechanical advantage of a trapped volume of air that basically acts as a dampener for the driver's movement. The driver can't "ring" because when it's being pushed out by the amp, the trapped volume of air is "sucking" it back in. And when the driver's being pulled in by the amp, the air is "pushing" it back out. That's what helps create the tight transient response that sealed subs are known for. But if you have excellent control over the driver's movement in a ported box, you still get the tight transient respones and minimal "ringing" of the driver. It's just that it's all up to the amplifier to exert that control over the driver now - and for the driver to be good enough that it will respond to that control.
Bottom line is that when you say you like the "sealed sub sound", what you really mean is that you just don't like overhang or any sort of "flabby" sound to your bass. That's great! That's the sort of sound that I prefer too! And I'll give up extension and sheer output to get it if I have to. But happily, these days, I don't have to. And neither do you!
I'd highly recommend that you give SVSound a call and talk with them on the phone. I suspect that they'll recommend a ported "Plus" sub to you as well, based on your room size. They put up quite a lot of hype on their website, but they're actually very conservative about their subs when you talk with them on the phone. They take rather meticulous measurements of their subs and they don't overstate what sort of output they honestly have. So I'd highly recommend talking with them because they really do offer very honest advice about which of their subs is best suited to your room and setup
As for the speakers, I'm a "large bookshelf" fan myself. I don't like that most towers are designed mostly to get deeper bass extension, rather than aiming for maximum output without worrying about trying to produce deeper bass. It bugged me a lot that Gene tried to get EMP/RBH to extend the bass depth of the E55Ti EMP towers when EMP/RBH did what I consider to be the RIGHT thing and originally rolled them off higher than one might think, but allowed the speaker to play louder for it!
Anywho, my recommendation for the Verus Grand towers over the VG bookshelf speakers is because those bookshelf speakers honestly just can't play as loud as you might need in your room size. They compress when you turn them up. They might very well be perfectly adequate for your volume tastes. I do listen at reference volumes, so I listen LOUD. But all the same, I'd much rather be "safe" than "sorry". Of course, you could easily just order one pair of VG bookshelf speakers and the center and try them out. If they're up to the task, order another pair of bookshelves for the surrounds. If they're not, you can order the towers and move the bookshelves to surround duty. Simple! And you're not out a penny or even much of a hassle
