Which component to upgrade to improve bass control?

I have great bass. I don't have a dedicated room and I even got great bass from an amp notoriously known for very modest bass (Carver TFM). 

The secret is the room. And you don't really need specialized audio accoutrements.

Now it helps to have a larger...symmetrical...rectangular room with an acoustic (popcorn) ceiling. But you can get pretty good bass with less than ideal circumstances.

Remember the room telegraphs the surfaces you have in it. Lot's of pictures behind glass, tile floors, large TV screens, glass coffee table? Expect bright, smeared sonic picture. 

One of the best things you can do if you have hardwood or tile floors is to put your equipment rack and speakers on a long rug that spans the width of the entire front wall. 
A runner that goes from corner to corner against the front wall is not only amazing for bass but timbre too. The corners are important for bass. this is in addition to a large central rug.

People who say their speakers sound better at lower volumes...or that they 'lose composure' when they crank up the volume? That's mostly the room.

In a well treated room, you should be able to crank it up big time and it should sound great and not seem too loud.

You can make a small room feel bigger to a speaker by being sneaky with your decor.

My wife and I don't always see eye to eye about decor. But I'm a creative director. I can come up with some solution she will like.

Family pictures are in the dining room not the living room. Wall art is oil paintings on canvas or tapestries or wood carvings. Lots of books and LPs help. 

The TV has it's own smaller sound system and is on the side wall...it gets covered by a wool throw blanket when I do serious listening.
The aggregate of these little things make a huge difference. 

The stuff I mentioned above will not only help bass but everything else too.

Good footers for your speakers will decouple the speakers from the room.  You will get crisp bass and way smoother mids and highs.  

For 5 grand I would strongly recommend critical mass systems footers - LS 2.For me they meant the end of those 'wince' moments.

In my opinion the improvement is better than any equivalent costing component upgrade.   Check reviews on what's best forum.  These footers are pretty much the culmination of the CMS owners craft, developed over his lifetime.  At an affordable price in the context of what they do.

Best wishes

@sandthemall:

Thanks. I will apply your suggestions to the extent that I can. 

BTW, I have noticed no worsening of SQ when cranking volume. In fact, it's easy to get carried away and end up listening louder than is healthy for my ears. And, the sound is definitely not too bright. The bass is sloppy, though. 

@aubreybobb:

Thanks for the suggestion. Unless someone sells these with a return option, I wouldn't try them, though. I don't have $ to burn. 

You are missing the point completely.

A DSP will have far greater benefits than downsides. Lazy audiophiles hide behind "oh adding a component in the signal chain is devastating" OR "converting AD then back DA is devastating"

But you need a calibrated measurement microphone using REW on a computer. And there is a steep learning curve.

That is what drive 90% of audiophiles away.. it is hard.. oh i just put a spring or cement block under the component.. that is easier.. even a 10 year can do that..

Ok i have probably offended some people but in my system I could get RID of components when adding a miniDSP 2x4 HD. Removed a passive preamp, and a DAC. So win win.
And digital in and only a DA conversation..
It is only the TT that uses the analog in and reap the benefits of the DSP implement rumble filter + room correction + crossover + other benefits that is greater than lazy purist that is justify their approach that they are in the analog domain the whole signal chain.. the same people are hunting after the right component/cement block/spring. 😉🤣

You can grow with your external DSP when later on getting a subwoofer.. Get a subwoofer without DSP cheaper (it is in the wrong location in your system and is limiting what you can use it for..)

My external DSP are doing seven different sound enhancing jobs that can’t a built in DSP in a sub do..

So those seven tasks will beat any spring or cement block in sound quality improvement any day. Plus you are able to CUSTOMIZE the sound the way YOU like it. Plus you can have four different presets depending on mood, album or whatever.

You will be knowing what your system are doing in the measurements and exactly where the weaknesses there is and what to target plus fix some of your room issues. There is so much to learn and to gain but I will stop here.

I do not know what is harder.. adding vibration control and swapping in and out components (in retrospective) all your life or learn and evolve. (Just trying to be brutally honest)

Keep on listening! 😍🎶