Help finalizing subwoofer decision for roughly $1,000 - $2,000 total

Hi everyone,

This is my first theater / stereo system and have only used TV speakers before. I spent the last several weeks overanalyzing the hell out of subwoofers and need some help to get past my analysis paralysis stage.

I want the best value for my money. I am typically a frugal person, so while my max is $2,000, if there is a setup that gets me what I need for less, I am open to that suggestion. That said, I also like quality and want a good enough setup that I don't feel the need to upgrade in a year, thus wasting a bunch of money. I prefer to buy a setup that will last the next 10 years.

I settled on Rythmik subs, but need some feedback on which models to choose and some help with my newbie questions. I am open to other brands / suggestions. Hsu and Rythmik are generally the two brands I have looked the most at though.

- I have a small basement room (unfinished ceiling, finished walls, carpet), 8' high, 9.5' wide, and 15' long.
- L/R, C, and Surround speakers: Polk Reserve 200's ($525), Reserve 300 ($315), and ES 15's ($200). Got all the polk speakers 30% or more off recently, which seemed like solid deals.
- AVR is a Denon S770H ($430).
- I do not have ceiling speakers picked out yet but am planning on getting 2 for a dolby atmos setup.
- Overall, targeting either a 5.1.2 or 5.2.2 setup.
- Typical listening distance from all speakers is roughly 8-9 ft
- Will probably end up with a 65" TV and a Panasonic 820 blue ray player after black Friday.

Usage is roughly 70% music (rock, hip hop, classical) / 30% theater, mostly at relatively "low volume" to avoid waking the entire house. However, I want the capability to get that chest thumping bass during movie night. I want to feel the monsters stomping and the explosions. I want to impress the wife a little, yah know? As such, would like to get down to ~16 - 18 Hz ranges.

I am trying to create a system flexible enough to sound great / clean at both lower and moderate volumes. I admit that I have high expectations for the system and my subs, so I definitely want to find the right sub(s) that will meet or exceed my expectations rather than be disappointed or underwhelmed.

I am leaning towards sealed subs, mostly due to the smaller footprint and weight since I have to drag this thing downstairs and my room is small and filled with other things, but am open to suggestions.

1.) What sub(s) would you recommend? Would two L12's get the job done, or would they leave me potentially missing something? Again my focus has ended up on Rythmik, but if Hsu or someone else has better options for my situation I am all ears.

2.) Do I need two subs at all, or would one (sized right) in that small space be plenty?

3.) Should I get dual subs right off the bat? Or could I just get one 15" and call it a day? Everything I have read implies dual subs is superior when setup correctly, and I can potentially get a multi-sub discount, so I am looking at two at the same time.

4.) Thoughts on a higher end "Main sub" such as the F12, F12-400, or an E15 supplemented with a lower end L12? Or even using a 10" RSL as the supplemental sub...and is that type of setup even a thing?

5.) Bonus question -- The other side of my "theater" wall is unfinished basement space. Since there is only sheetrock separating the two rooms, could I put one of my subs on the other side of the wall without negatively impacting the sound quality?

I asked Rythmik for their recommendations and they said two FVX12's would be their choice. They are out of stock until February 2025 though, so admittedly I am a little hesitant due to my impatience and the nagging feeling that I may not need to spend quite that much for my needs. But, I could be wrong about that (and probably am).

Really appreciate any help with this. I made this reddit account specifically to ask these questions lol.

Edit - in hindsight this post may be more appropriate in audiophiles…