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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
hshifi
572 posts
 
Hello,
besides the obvious of a better preamp and DAC. You need the Puritan PSM156 power conditioner. I would upgrade the power cord to the unit. This will cost $3300. This is a no brainer. The next thing is your power cords. Make sure your amp can breath. I am going to recommend the Nordost Frey power cord. This will really help get better bass. If you can swing it go to the TYR 2. The gauge and the way it is made gives unbelievable control over the bass. If you live near the Chicagoland area this store will let you try before you buy:
https://holmaudio.com/
All of this helps the sound of the whole system. Plus, For another $275 you can add the Ground Master City to the Puritan for dead black noise floor. And it’s all plug and play. I hope this helps. 
hshifi
572 posts
 
Hello,
besides the obvious of a better preamp and DAC. You need the Puritan PSM156 power conditioner. I would upgrade the power cord to the unit. This will cost $3300 total for the PSM156 and the Puritan ultimate XX. This is a no brainer. The next thing is your power cords. Make sure your amp can breath. I am going to recommend the Nordost Frey power cord. This will really help get better bass. If you can swing it go to the TYR 2. The gauge and the way it is made gives unbelievable control over the bass. If you live near the Chicagoland area this store will let you try before you buy:
https://holmaudio.com/
All of this helps the sound of the whole system. Plus, For another $275 you can add the Ground Master City to the Puritan for dead black noise floor. And it’s all plug and play. I hope this helps. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,974 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.
gormdane
35 posts
 
Your options are limited by the intrinsic acoustics of your room.  Regardless of the kind of room you have (dedicated or not) there will be peaks and valleys in the bass response.  Before making any purchases you might want to try a free/easy setup tweak before evaluating the more expensive option that may/may not work in your situation.  Using an RTA or SPL (can purchase apps for iPhone as well) you want to focus on the region 25-250Hz to find a position(s) where you get the most even bass response. That is where you want your listening position to be.  It is NOT about where you get the most bass.  Check out the link below:

https://www.psaudio.com/copper/article/location-location-location/

Good luck!
Gorm
gosta's avatar
gosta
839 posts
 
Bass at the listening place is controlled through dsp. Look at Dirac as mentioned or a simple Paradigm (Anthem) ARC processor (0,5K) between your transport and DAC. When you've become more knowledgable you can move up the dsp cchain. Opens up to the best sound.
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