Which component to upgrade to improve bass control?

When I got my Absolare Signature integrated (unfortunately outside your budget), I realized I no longer needed a subwoofer, the extra bass output was shocking.  It’s 150-200 wpc, so that’s not the whole story, but more power helps.  So a really powerful amp can totally change the bass game all by itself.  

Isolation devices between speakers/stands and floor is a must for tighter better bass response in many cases, including my own.

@tvad:

He might but as I know I can't afford to buy a new amp from him, it doesn't seem quite ethical to ask him. I once explained up front to a speaker manufacturer that I couldn't afford to buy new but would like to hear his speaker. He agreed and then after I'd been there and gone, sent me an angry e-mail castigating me for wasting his time!  

@hilde45:

Ok-- good to know port location is not necessarily a fix. As Audiogon doesn't allow attachments, how would I post a diagram? Please explain.
I have a friend who's a dealer and might have the necessary equipment for measuring my room for nodes. I'll contact him. 

@dekay:

No-- that was kind of embarrassing -- I'd forgotten I'd placed some old Symposium shelves under my monitors. As I already had Herbies Gliders under the stands, I suspect it was to much of a good thing-- too much damping. 

@jrbirdman333:

Thanks for the suggestion. The problem is, due to the price, I'd have to buy the Hegel used and unless I could get it from The Music Room, I wouldn't be able to buy it with a return option. I typically only buy components I can demo.  

@audioman58:

Please see my response to jrbirdman333, above. 

I have a very boomy bass in my room. It is the room/speaker interaction that is at fault. I believe you have three choices.
(1) You should try alternative speakers. In my room only very few speakers would work without a boom. I demoed many in my room. The B&W 804 did not boom. The Boenicke W8 or W5 did not boom. 
(2) Adopt DSP. You can do this via using Roon to stream, or if you are only CD based then via a DSP module such as DSpeaker anti-mode. This can fairly simply be set up to reduce the bass output in the frequencies that stimulate the bass nodes in your room. Or buy an amp with DSP built in. 
(3) Change to an amp, such as a Luxman, with tone controls. This is a more blunt version of achieving (2).

A Hegel h390 has terrific bass control. Damping factor of 4000.

Damping factor, in spite of the name, has very little to do with membrane damping because there is speaker’s own coil in series for the braking current. 8 ohm speaker has about 6 ohm coil impedance at low frequencies. Adding amp’s output impedance of 0.2 ohm (DF=40) or 0.002 ohm (DF=4000) won’t make much difference (6.2ohm vs 6.002 ohm).

Get a sub or an amp with tone and/or loudness control.