I want to be moved and have the music touch my soul!

I have a nice vinyl rig too.
Tried a prima Luna prologue premium but it just did not have the punch of solid-state.

How did you set up your sub?

It sounds like you may have set everything up a little too flat.

It sounds like you have two options:

1) Figure out what element is missing. If you can't identify what is lacking it is going to be hard to reach your goal by making changes in your current system. Might be fun but it also might be expensive and frustrating.

2) Start auditioning other systems.

Finally, and this always gets said at some point: examine room dynamics.

honashagensez ...

• I tend to buy recordings because of the sound quality. Steely Dan, Lee Ritenour, Keith Johnson reference recordings, Sheffield Labs.

Therein lies the problem. Stay away from the usual audiophile recordings and get into some recordings made in the Golden Age of Stereo (including reissues). That would be the late 50’s to mid-’60s. Also, consider some of the great mono recordings that were never released in stereo. There are some real gems there. This applies to rock, classical and jazz.

Don’t get me wrong here. I also have a boatload of audiophile recordings, most of which were bought in the early ’80s. They continue sitting on the shelves taking up nothing but space. They very seldom get placed on the turntable. Most of them are soulless when it comes to musical expression, with the emphasis on sound. And even then, most have mediocre sound when you get right down to it.

Frank

I, like most audio fans, have changed components countless times over the years, generally resulting in somewhat better sound overall. That said, the move I most recently made to a tube preamp partnered with a single ended tube power amp, and adding (necessarily due to the lower wattage SE amp) efficient speakers, resulted in the largest overall improvement in sound quality I've ever enjoyed by a large margin. Simply more involving and musical for my tastes, and really providing the mojo I like...I use a couple of great sounding subs also (had these even before the tube stuff), which make my somewhat low bass reticent main speakers sound glorious.