Hi Simon,
Simon Bell wrote:I need to find a good subwoofer for use in my study. I'll be purchasing a Hi-fi amplifier and floorstanding speakers. To complement this, I've been recommended a Ruark Vita 50 to help with low pedal frequencies, but I don't think that they are made anymore. I'd be grateful of the advice of others about other Subwoofers and their effectiveness and value for money. My budget is not enormous...
I bought an MJ Acoustic Reference 100 (MK1) which is speced to go down to 13hz (although this might be pushing the boundaries of reality given the size of the drivers). Unfortunately I can't comment on this sub since I haven't got my system up and running, however I can recommend that you keep your eye on the speaker classified forum at the
http://www.avforums.com since there is a good turn over of subs advertised there (audiophiles tend to upgrade to the latest and greatest fairly frequently). I think many of the Ruark speakers (including the Vita 50) were made by BJ Electronics (as I think are many of the MJ Acoustic models) and I think that the BJ's are considered excellent value for money.
Out of interest, what are you planning to use as your main speakers?
James