I'm liking my Arcam / Totem Arro combo for Acoustic / Jazz music, but feel it lacks a little "oomph" for Springsteen, etc.My listening area is not very big. I sit about 9-10 feet away from the speakers and they are two feet from the back wall.
Will adding a sub give me the result I'm looking for, or do I need to be listening at a higher volume / bigger area to achieve any benefits?
put Arro's closer to the wall/corner, you will gain bass, can play with the sand to load them but they will loose bit of the sharpness. What Arcam are you using? They are power hungry. I was running them with AVR350 by amped
What you're getting with the Arros is pretty typical IMO. They play great at low to moderate levels, but hit the wall pretty quick as far as SPL and bass slam goes.
Make sure you've got everything placed right. Audio Physic's website has a very good article on proper speaker placement. I'd also try moving your seat a little closer before buying anything.
The Arros aren't very easy to pair up with a sub. You'll need something quick and designed for music instead of home theater, which most subs are really designed for.
Totem's subs work very well. ERA and REL are two alternatives I'd look into as well. Some people swear by the JL Audio subs. I haven't heard them, and they're pretty pricey, so no comment from me.