What does a Kraken feel like next to other subs?
More intense and more visceral. On the deepest notes it feels like swimming in bass. Higher up, the impact from one Kraken is eyeball-rattling.
How does its midbass compare to an 8x10 bass guitar cab?
An 8x10 cab has no crossover, so it plays like an unprocessed full-range box with no tweeter. It's peaky, with a lot of output above 100 Hz and much less below it. The Kraken is a subwoofer. Its output is brutal, but played alone, without mids and highs, it can seem to have less punch than an 8x10, because the higher frequencies carry most of the sense of impact and speed. Add a top and the comparison isn't close.
Can I use a Kraken in a small cinema (50 to 100 seats)?
Definitely. We've played movies through it and scared the living daylights out of people. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is especially fun. So are Master and Commander, Battleship and Iron Man.
Can I use a Kraken in a room at home?
Yes. We run one in an office here. It doesn't need to be turned up much. Fair warning: turned all the way up in a small room, it will shake things that were never meant to shake. ;)
Does it sound good at low volume, or does it need to be loud?
It sounds good at any level. The processing keeps the frequency response flat up to remarkably high output. Like every sub, the very lowest notes reach their limit first (excursion, port airflow, coil temperature). The difference is how loud and how deep the Kraken goes before it gets there. Kept to levels that are safe for your hearing, your building and your neighbors, it's as smooth as real chocolate pudding with real whipped cream.
Will it play lower in a small room? Down to 15 Hz?
A small room adds "room gain": below a certain frequency, the measured level rises about 12 dB per octave. The lowest note the Kraken can play safely is set by its tuning and processing, which have to protect it in any space. In a small room that lowest note moves down a little and gets much louder. It won't be flat to 15 Hz. It may reach 18 or 19 Hz, depending on the room size.
Can I play it loud for hours without getting tired?
Yes, and no. Distortion climbs fast as level rises, so having far more capability than you need keeps distortion low. That's the point of a box like the Kraken. You'll still get tired, but not from the cabinet. It's the intensity. Very low notes at high level move your eardrums more than they're built to move, and that gets uncomfortable quickly.
You may also hear the mids and highs sound like they're playing through a fan. That's the bass moving the air so much that it changes how the higher notes travel to you. The tops aren't distorting.