Speakers replace or improve?


Hello,

In my home stereo I use pair of Polk Audio TSx 550T floor standing speakers connected to the YAMAHA A-S501BL amplifier, which is connected to the Fluance RT85 Turntable with Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge.

The treble and mids are ok but the bass is very weak.

To make the speakers to produce some bass I reduce treble, reduce the Loudness setting  from Flat to -30db and turn volume to very high. But I live in a townhouse and can’t do that most of the time.

If possible I would like to increase the bass. I know that this question was asked many times and there is no universal solution. My home stereo is located in the small living room which practically doesn’t have a back wall because there is a big opening between the living room and the dining room.

I also have the Polk Audio PSW108 subwoofer but I don’t use it because there is no room for the sub in my living room. 

My questions are:

1. Can the Schiit Loki equalizer improve/increase the bass? Can I connect the Schiit Loki between the Fluance turntable and YAMAHA phone input without preamp?

2. Do I need to replace my speakers? Are there decent inexpensive (below $1500 a pair) speakers for a small room?

3. Can I use bi-amp option for my speakers? Do I need to buy a second amplifier for this option?

Thanks in advance for any answers and recommendations.

sukhenkoi

That open area is going to cause loading problems. You really need to buy a couple of good subs that will proplerly load that whole area. Which means to get good bass you need something that will really move a lot of air. Forget the cheaper subs, they are not going to cut it. That is a larger area you are trying to bass load. Do you have a friend you who will let you borrow a couple of large subs so you can try it out?

No, I don't have a friend who can let me borrow his sub. But when I turn on my sub it produces more than I need bass. I just need to learn how to use it properly because it has two knobs and two switches. 

I was trying to avoid using the sub because I can't put it in front. It sits close to the right side wall. But it looks like I need to use my subwoofer all the time. And probably buy a second sub. 

My sub allows wiring speakers to the sub. Is this a good option? Right now my speakers wired to the amp and the sub connected to the amp.

@sukhenkoi I think you need to step back for a minute. It looks like you are all over the place with trial and error. What you are experiencing is very common when folks have home theater gear and then want a taste of High Fidelity. Good for you. But you need to start over and approach things a little differently.

Going back to the original set up in your opening post, you say that CD sounds good. That means your system is functioning at a basic level. If this is the case, then the issue is with the vinyl source.

Is that correct?

No, I don’t have a friend who can let me borrow his sub. But when I turn on my sub it produces more than I need bass. I just need to learn how to use it properly

There should be a knob on the sub’s back called crossover. Set it to 60 hz or so for now.

There should be another knob on its back called volume. Ya crank it counterclockwise until there’s no too much bass...and the sub’s bass feels like it’s coming out the speaker, not the sub. In other words, the sub should disappear and the speaker should sound like a non-flaccid bass capable speaker 

Well, sometimes it looks like the issue is with the turntable. But when I played records on my previous turntable (Audio-Technica AT-LP120 with Shure M97xE Cartridge)  I experienced the same problem. Probably preamp in the phono input on my YAMAHA amplifier is not working well. I am thinking to get a preamp and try to connect the Fluance RT85 Turntable  to CD input to see if it makes any difference. 

But for now I will sue my Polk Audio sub.