Which component to upgrade to improve bass control?

Hey stuartk...

I haven't read all the responses, however, my solution to great bass in a small room was placing a pair of subwoofers BENEATH my monitors, using IsoAcoustic isolation between monitors and subs.  Given your budget, the appropriate size and quality of good subs should be within your reach.  And, music lovers, a small investment in a $20-30 Laser Distance Measure (ruler) is vital to great system's loudspeaker positioning...all distances can be easily locked-in precisely, including important fore-aft rake adjustments for time-alignments.  You'll be amazed how rewarding precision will make to your system.  
Good luck, stuartk and More Peace, Pinthrift

@gp4jesus:

Speaker cables are not biwired but are double runs.

@lemonhaze:

My room is long rectangle, not square. In fact, I've already decided that multiple subs will indeed be my approach in our next house, where/when I can have a dedicated room for audio. Due to arrangement of furniture and other aspects of decor, it's just not practical currently. Nor are panels, traps, etc. 

@tvad:

I'd assumed pods would be located under stands but millercarbon clarified for me that they should go directly under monitors. Here in the Sierra foothills, we have earthquakes from time to time and I simply don't trust that my Silverlines would remain perched atop the pods, given a good shaking. At this point, I cannot afford to replace them, so I prefer to play it safe. 

@pinthrift:

I tried isoacoustic footers under components and they didn't seem to do much at all but using them as the "filling", sandwiched between monitors and subs is not one I've encountered before. 

My living room is good-sized and is separated by diningroom by a half-height wall. Both have 10 foot ceilings-- it's not a small space, by any stretch. 

@geof3:

I'm not opposed to dsp but when I read descriptions of using it, it sounds a bit intimidating. 

@bigaud:

Thanks for your input. The speaker cables are double runs, for whatever that's worth. Not sure whether that compensates for resistance. 

 

Less resistance means greater damping factor (control).

Damping factor has very little to do with damping of the membrane (in spite of the name).