Dyna -
I think I'd like the sound of the 600 over the 500's but I'm worried about the port noise which I've been reading about even though other people say it's not a problem.
I'm sure you're referring to my earlier posts on port noise. (shame on me). If that is the case, please let me clarify...
I can definitively tell you that port noise on the EP600 is not a problem in 99.9% of listening situations. (literally)
Before you get too worried about port noise, please realize that I've only heard port noise on one scene of any of the movies I've watched, and I've
never heard it on music (even rap music with deep thumping bass).
The "Pulse" movie where I did hear it contains a commonly-known scene that just plain causes problems for subwoofers, so you really should not worry about that one. It's almost as if the sound mixing crew made a mistake as it's so much different than anything else you'll find on DVD.
Overall, I am incredibly happy with my 600 and I'm sure you will be too. The only reason I'm adding the 800 is because I have a severe case of upgraditis with no known cure but to continue to acquire new gear as it is released. Even after getting the 800 (some day), it's still fairly likely that I'll keep both as I like the 600 that much. The comment about port noise on The Pulse should almost be looked at as irrelevant, so please don't get hung up on it! (you'll give me a complex if you do)
Now, regarding 2 subs versus 1... that is a really tough call. Let me ask you this about your room. How many different listening positions will you have? For example, will everyone sit primarily on one couch facing the screen, or will you have multiple rows of seating?
If you only have one main listening area, even with just one sub you can use the combination of position and equalization to tune the sub (using something like the BFD equalizer) so that it is linear at your main position. If you will have multiple listening areas, then getting relatively flat response throughout the room is next to impossible with just one sub.
Even if you have multiple listening areas, you also have to consider whether you care how it sounds in your non-primary listening position (i.e. where your friends sit when they come over, not where you and your family sit when watching movies). And to be clear, realize that it is not going to sound terrible in your non-primary position. [reading Randy's response, it looks like the differences were more obvious in his huge room, but they are not this overt in mine] In my room, the difference from seat to seat is something that only I noticed, even when I pointed it out to several friends and asked them to compare seating areas.
In a room as big as yours, I do not believe the difference from one seating area to another will be massive. We have about the same size of room, so I'm basing that opinion on how things sound in my room (which admittedly is not a perfect assumption as every room is a little different). While adding a second sub costs as much as the first one, the audio impact is much more subtle , it will not be night & day like the first one is, and IMHO is definitely not 2x better.
So... after all that, given that you are trying to work to a budget and given the size of your room, I'd suggest you go with one sub, the best one you can get (either the 600 or the 800). If after getting the one sub you find that you cannot get linear bass response in your primary position through positioning the sub, you can look into adding a BFD equalizer for ~$100, which worked wonders for me in my room, and is a heck of a lot cheaper than doubling your sub budget.
Lastly, if you move to a bigger place in a few years and need a second sub, I'd tackle that problem in the future. You never know what your room, budget, and wife will dictate at that point, so that would be a decision I'd worry about when it becomes a real issue, not now.
Jason
