What are you listening to when you have that "non-existance"? For a lot of music, there should be almost no subwoofer output with a 60Hz or 80Hz crossover - very few instruments play that low. Tweaking the sub trim to get that distinct subwoofer contribution from source material where there is minimal content means you are exaggerating the lowest octave bands significantly.

SVS still has a long list of good subwoofer demo material in their FAQ (specifically here ), as do many assorted online forums (the "good subwoofer demo" debate is a common one, after all). I'd start with some of these, as they are specific examples of a source that should be placing strong demands on your sub. Running 11dB hot may make those scenes feel very "muddy" - sacrificing audio details at higher frequencies by drowning them in low end roar. You may still find that you prefer to run your sub hotter than calibration alone would suggest, in which case you will know that you've found the right setting for your needs, but my suspicion (without having heard your system, of course) is that you may be happier with the results if you give the system a chance at a more balanced sub output.