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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 4 responses by hilde45

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,802 posts
 
It seems like you have a very good integrated, and that the power it provides for your speaker is more than adequate. Bass is so much a function of the room that I would strongly suspect that if subs and traps/treatments are off the table, you have only a couple options. One, would be to partially plug the port in your speaker. I did this with my Salks and got some additional control. Another would be biwiring or biamping the speakers. I've never done that but it could gain you additional control. A third option would be to play with placement. A final option is a much more powerful amp but, there, I'd bet that 10 to 1 that the amp does not help you get what you're looking for.


hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,802 posts
 
@stuartk I have front ported speakers. I’ve learned that the physics of bass is so room-dependent, that if pulling them out as far as you have doesn’t address the issue, the location of the speakers ports won’t matter. Bass radiates.

Listening position and speaker placement are the biggest levers. I solved my bass issues with a multi-front assault -- multiple subs, shift of positioning, and treatments. Given your specific situation -- and I’m heeding all your constraints -- what I would do is measure the room using a mic to see where the bass humps and nulls are, and then positioning things to try to mitigate. Keep in mind that various other things in the room which can be moved or shifted might change some of the bass response. A bit. The physics of bass is really quite obstinate.

A diagram or description of your room and dimensions would help.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,802 posts
 
Good footers for your speakers will decouple the speakers from the room. You will get crisp bass and way smoother mids and highs.

This comment stunned me. Maybe it's something huge that I overlooked but I thought that the bass waves being produced by the woofers and being amplified by the room were not something that could be neutralized by decoupling. If I'm wrong about this, I'd like to know, but it seems like something to do only *after* major problems involving the room had been addressed.

The proposal by hshifi — a better preamp, DAC, plus power conditioner, power cords, and a ground master — sound like throwing quite a lot of money at a much more fundamental problem. I'd bet an amount equal to their full cost that they would not help the issues you describe.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,802 posts
 
@aubreybobb Will check it out. Thanks!
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