Typical upgrade path from VPI?

Madfloyd,
without knowing what the actual response is from your TT you are just guessing. Buy a NAB broadcast test disc, play it back and measure the output voltage from your pre amp at each test frequency. Once you know what the response is, then you can figure out what is needed to solve your problem.

Umm, that just went over my head. What's a NAB test disc, and how do you measure output voltage from a preamp?

Don't worry about it. You don't need to do any of that to set up your system. It helps but is not essential. If you are not hearing the mid-bass problem with your digital but do hear it with your analog it is not a room issue. Fix the core problem and then consider your room. It will only make things better.

From Narrod's post: "If you are not hearing the mid-bass problem with your digital, but do hear it with your analog, it is not a room issue."

BOOM! Exactly correct. Thank you for saying what I was thinking.

Madfloyd: you said, "I can switch to a CD and midbass seems fine, but absent on the TT."

So let's stop talking about basstraps. Madfloyd, have you purchased a cheap cartridge yet? You have been well-advised to check the performance of your Shelter with this simple action. You have me interested now. I look forward to hearding your result.
Hukk

Your original comment stated you had lack of mid bass or bass. Before you begin working on your room or speakers, you need to make sure your TT is getting it off the record first. This can not be done by listening. NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) used to use a frequency response test disc when Setting up a table for Broadcast use. What I was suggesting was obtaining one of these discs, or a similar disc, play it back on your current TT configuration, and measure the output at each frequency the test disc has. The easiest way to measure this is by connecting a volt meter to your pre amp out puts. Set the voltmeter on AC volts 2 volt range. Play the first track on the test disc. Record the out put voltage. Play the second track on the disc, record the output voltage, and so on.
At the end of all this, you will have a range of frequencies from the disc (they are identified on the LP label) and the measurement you took with the voltmeter. If you want to get fancy, you can transfer this information into Excel and generate a plot, but what you are basically looking for, is at each test frequency, was the voltage you were measuring at your preamp, the same or close to the same. If it was then your problem is elsewhere. If the measurements are different, then you have work to do on your phono stage, TT or cartridge. Hope that helps. While the ear is quite good at picking up slight differences, quantifying those differences is not as easy, that is why the suggestion for taking the measurements. If you want, contact me off line, and I can talk you through it.

best
JOhn