Most of these systems with 'subwoofers' don't have any form of subwoofer at all.
A subwoofer requires another kind of woofer to act above it (hence the 'subwoofer' name). Most of these 2.1 systems don't have any normal woofers, just 'subwoofers' and a pair of midrange/treble drivers (often a single cone).
The result is that you end up with a standard 'woofer', rather than a subwoofer. The end result is that you can hear exactly where the 'subwoofer' is, and ultimately the 'subwoofer' doesn't go as low as a subwoofer should. The other bi-product of these sorts of designs is that you end up with a huuuuge frequency gap in-between the woofer and satellites. This may not sound like much, but to give you an idea. If you played a tone starting very low, and ending up very high (a frequency sweep), there would be a point where you would hear NO sound at all. Not just 'slightly bad sound', but a huge amount of sound missing alltogether, and sound which is very very important.
The only reason 2.1 systems exist is because people don't listen closely enough. A good pair of 2.0 speakers are massively superior to any 2.1 system you'll find.
For the OP's budget, I'd recommend a pair of Samson Resolv 40As. linky
MASSIVELY superior to pretty much every 2.1 system on the market.
Really, take my advise.
Dude, do you have any idea how wrong you are? There are plenty of 2.1 systems, as you say any - I'm talking twin JBL studio monitors paired with their $900 subwoofer - that will blow away, mop the floor, cover in feces plenty of high-end 2.0 systems.
Also, if you're referring to the Bose 2.1 systems, aimed at multimedia and computers, then there is in fact no sound gap, at least in their Companion 3's, which I have owned. I have verified this by going to http://www.realmofexcursion.com and taking and browsing through, finding, and playing sine sweeps that cover any gaps that would lie in a poor 2.1 system.
Now using KRK studio monitors which are quite a step up.
Think before you speak man. I'm quite surprised as your previous posts about Bang & Ofulsen and you owning Bowers and Wilkins speakers lead me to believe you knew plenty to know that there are plenty of exceedingly high quality 2.1 systems out there that are comparable to many high-end floor-standing systems.
Peace
