2. misc-audio
  3. 169510-13640

Which component to upgrade to improve bass control?

Adding Symposium shelves and rollerblocks to my monitor (Silverline SR17.5) equipped system definitely helped but bass is still not nearly as controlled as I'd like.

Until we move into a different house where I can have a dedicated room for audio, I cannot use subs or add panels, traps, etc. to the room.  

So, I'm left with the possibility of upgrading a component but I have no idea whether my integrated (Wells Majestic), transport (Sim Moon 260) or DAC (Aqua La Voce S2) might be the best candidate for upgrading.

DAC UPGRADE ?
Are R2R ladder DACs simply weak in this area?  Searching the threads, I found a reference to DAC power supplies having a strong influence re: bass control but I lack the technical expertise to utilize this fact. Please keep in mind that I do not enjoy DACs that prioritize resolution above all.  

TRANSPORT UPGRADE ?
Would replacing the Moon transport with say, the new Pro-ject CD Box RS2 T be a better choice? 

INTEGRATED UIPGRADE ?
Would an amp with more grunt be the best choice?

I can only upgrade one of these at this point.
Budget:
Integrated: 5K
Transport: 3.5K
DAC: 5K
stuartk

Showing 1 response by bigaud

bigaud
8 posts
 
I assume your speakers are well cross-braced, between each pair of opposite panels. i.e, side to side, top to bottom, etc. Assuming a well-designed speaker, then that is the most important factor I have found for clean bass. I have learned this by building and testing.

On to your situation: Bass likes current. Current likes thicker wire. Thicker wire means less resistance. Less resistance means greater damping factor (control).

You said your speaker cables are 20 feet long. Resistance increases proportionately to length. So you have reduced your damping factor some.

I suggest you employ cables that are equivalent to 10 gauge AWG or better.

Since treble likes thinner wires, cables made up of many thin wires work well. I suggest using Kimber 8TC or even 12TC. A friend uses them on his Magnepan 20.7s and they do very well. Their net gauge is even better than 10 gauge.

BTW, I am about to build some speaker cables of my design, see if I can improve on what I did before. One will have 16 pairs of 22 gauge wire - plain solid core copper. This adds up to 10 gauge equivalent. I have hopes on the result.


Brandon
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