Got this unit to replace my old M&K MX70 (dual 8", 125watts) who's amp died after 15 years. My system is M&K S80 mains, pinnacle surrounds, Sony ES AV receiver, monster speaker cables, generic optical interconnects.
Obviously this sub is in a totally different class in every dimension. I'll leave the reviews of the boxes and cabinetry to others so inclined. Here is my summary of the benefits / disadvantages relative to my experience.
Pros:
Cost ($750 delivered) - what else to say.
Freq Range (claimed 18 hz) - Haven't measured, but hasn't done anything odd despite silly experiments (cranking up the organ music, misc. nuclear bomb soundtracks, check out the explosions in Poseidon movie). With some audio sources, items in adjacent cabinets will be rattling, but there is no obvious sound, seems to be something going on down there.
Volume - See Freq Range comments. This sub will play louder than my 110 wpc amp will drive my mains, keeping in mind I am now effectively bi-amped with the receiver / mains only handling freq above 80 hz. Seriously, I don't have that big of a house. With that said, no-one (including me), can be in the house with this system cranked up (and it still sounds good).
Sound quality - Excellent for movies, very good for music. Not quite as as tight as my brother-in-law's $1200 velodyne (my benchmark in this area), but the outlaw definately plays deeper and louder.
Cons:
Box size - this is a sigificantly large enclosure. In a larger room / house this might not be much of an issue, but in my room / house this takes up quite a bit of real-estate.
Placement options - tied to size, I don't have a lot of options in my family room. I had the M&K MX70 in the cabinet directly below the center channel and HD monitor. Great setup and balance, but this would not work with this sub. The sub is sitting in a corner behind the left main. When I'm focusing on it, the bass sounds like it's coming from that corner (I know, it's not directional, but I know what I hear). Also the bass response is stronger when seated on the end of the couch closer to the sub. If these units weren't so large I might actually consider getting a second one, just to balance out the setup.
Configuration - Integrating this with my M&K mains was challenging. The M&K S80s only extend down to about 80 - 100 hz, and having the sub in a different position than my old sub, both contributed to the challenge. Getting the Sony receiver to correctly handle the cross-over between the mains and sub took literally weeks of experimenting (adjusting distance settings, phase, cross-over points, volume levels). I did get it right finally, though I am now seeing the value of the new systems with microphones and test CDs.
Overall: I'm really happy with this system. Everything is a compromise, and this one comes down pretty squarely on the positives in the final assessment.
I went by Meyer Emco today on the lunch hour, and spent some time listening to their Macintosh / B&W setup. I wasn't impressed (I wouldn't trade other than to sell the equipment and buy something else).
