Hey!
I took your advice and went to Best Buy right after I read your post. Unfortunately there are no local tweeters that have a decent selection of subs otherwise I would be all over it. Unfortunately, there was a problem with their system so I didn't get the full effect... it was very, very frustrating. So, I kind of got to listen to 2 of the subs:
The Mirage S8- sounded nice... really nice. Clean and deep but maybe not capable after a certain limit. I'm not sure about it being an 8"... I wish it I would have snagged the S10 when it was around for $250.
The Athena sounded good too... it definitely sounded capable and deep, but frankly I can't stand the way it looks... and it's definitely not hard wood floor friendly... it also seemed very light for the sound it was producing.
They also had a Yamaha YST-SW215, that's the 8". It had a nice weight to it, BUT IT DIDN't WORK at all. I liked the aesthetics too... but no LFE? Does the YST-SW315 have an lfe jack on it?
So, this is where I am at... I still don't know. Too many options and no demos. I wish someone would just tell me my best option... I could go up to $250 depending on how sweet the deal is. I want a quality sub.
By the way, I listen to Classic Rock and Rap... maybe some Techno...
I like the commercial blockbuster flicks and good Independent movies.
Thanks!