This would be something my ex girlfriend would try to buy if I wasn't around to stop her. She was all set to buy the tiny little Bose set up, and was shocked when I told her not to, and why. She has the same speakers I have, the SVS SBS-01's and the PB12-NSD sub. The sub is a thousand times better than my crappy Sony 12".
Sad thing is, I don't know if she can tell the difference, except when the sub is really working.