Help wanted: Bass!

RB, my listening room is similar to yours, though a bit larger, at 16' X 34' w/cathedral ceilings. Speakers are custom built 12" Tannoy HPD's (ca 1975 Dual Concentric, which have been converted to Hard Edge surrounds, and custom outboard crossovers).

The bass was good without subs, but I felt I could use more bass in my large room. I added a 15" Tannoy passive sub, which I power with a Crown XTi 2002 (1600 Watts when bridged to mono, into 8 ohms), and a DIY 12" sub w/Eminence subwoofer driver. These two subs have put the finishing touch on an already good sounding system. The bass is very good, not at all overstated.  I couldn't ask for more, I feel a closer connection to my music, which now has a foundation that gets me to where I need to be. Nothing much to do now but listen to music in a very satisfying way.

I wouldn't rule out subs for your situation, the right sub(s) might just be what you need to finish your system off. 

Hope you find what you need, regards,
Dan

Cables and even power cords can make quite a difference when it comes to bass. But it requires experimentation and it won't be inexpensive.

The Tannoy Kensington’s are easy to drive,, but their lowest impedance is in the bass. Have you tried different impedance taps on your CJ 12’s? As these can make big differences in bass performance.

Stereophile test CJ12’s:

The Twelve comes with the output transformer wired for 4 ohm use, but dealer-selectable taps for 2, 8, and 16 ohm operation are also provided.
Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/tubepoweramps/653/index.html#QlUA6LomEQKYfSBa.99

Cheers George

Wonderful suggestions, thank you all.

Beginning with no cost suggestions, I already have the Kensington’s placed by each side of my fireplace which puts them about a foot away from the back wall and about same from the wall of the fireplace. This did help some.

George suggested trying different impedance taps on the CJ 12’s. That’s an intriguing idea which I’ll certainly be looking into…

I do appreciate how room treatment and bass traps would help. However, I should have mentioned earlier that this is our living room and the décor in place is firm. My wife would (and I’ll go along with her) not want any changes to what we have. It’s a very open concept log home and has had it’s décor tuned to a final state and it’s not to be messed with.

Solid state would boost the bottom end but I love tube electronics and will stay the course.

Makes good, no great sense that I need to analyze the room with a measuring device – thanks for recommending this and I’ll do that to “get my hands around the neck of the problem” as Erik so well put it! Need objective data to really gage the issue. I’m 55 and sometimes I wonder if it’s just my aging ears!

This all may lead to purchasing a sub, as much as I would rather not do. Dan mentioned how he’s enjoying one with his Tannoys. Dan – perhaps you remember talking with me a few years back about Tannoys (I saw yours in a pic and complimented them which got us going). Cosmetically the Kensingtons are perfect for our décor and I do love the mid-range they offer.

Thanks again everyone for such great advice, and interestingly enough is that not much talk about an EQ took place here…where I was originally “at” but have since moved on from!

Best regards,
RB