Just noticed you're from Bridgewater...great town, beautiful part of the country when you add Mahone Bay and Lunenburg into the mix. I used to work weekends at South Shore Regional Hospital in a previous life.
I haven't heard the Descents, but I suspect with Martin Logan you'd be paying more for the name (and the finish) if it's home theater impact you're after. Don't get me wrong--their electrostatic towers are out-of-this-world for hologram-like imaging and sound (at $$$$$ a pop, they'd better be).
If you're looking for home theater performance, the old standby companies for subs are your best bet. I bought an SVS PB12+/2 just before Axiom came out with the EP500/600 series (the 600 would have been my preference in horizontal, but c'est la vie)...the thing shakes the holy h*ll out of my walls, and I have a big basement. I'd wager any of them to move as much air as you could ever want.