Dear Madfloyd: IMHO the XV-1s is far from be dark and sluggish.
Your TT/tonearm are good enough to the XV-1s performs ( if not at its best ) in a very decent way, no doubt about.
Even that your phono stages are not my " favorities " out there it can make a better work that the one you name It: dark and sluggish: no frequency extremes.
Now, a good digital source/recording almost always will be better ( quality/quantity )on bass than an analog one so you can't try to look ( it is useless ) for a better deep bass in your analog rig in the other part almost any analog rig always will be better on the high frequency range against a CD ( IMHO only a DVDA could compete with analog on that frequency range ). Of course that everything will be dependent on the quality of the recording on each source: digital/analog.
A good example to compare could be Patricia Barber/Cafe Blue ( Nardis track ), the 33rpm version and the FIM label on CD, other one could be Janis Ian/Breacking Silence 33rpm against the Analog production ( Gold limited Edition ) label on CD.
You already follow almost all the advise that several people give you and almost nothing change. There is something that could help: try to change the Azymuth and see what happen.
I have success with the Dyna running at 1.9 or 2.0 and VTA on the positive way ( a little ). I have to say that this cartridge is excellent at both frequency extremes.
One alternative ( between others ) that you have is to take your XV-1s and test on another system and see how it performs, in the same way ( if you can ) try/test a different cartridge in your system.
First than all you have to be sure that your cartridge in right on specs and if it is then the problem can be every where in your system ( other than the cartridge set-up ): cables, tonearm, phono stage, line stage, amplifier, etc, etc.
Other issue that you have is to re-check the sub system seamless integration that you recently add, normally it takes a lot of time to integrate it to any audio system ( some times several months ) and very difficult to integrate seamless to an analog source and at the same time to digital source too, the integration of a sub is difficult even with two subs and a lot more difficult with only one like you. Adding subs means not only " think " on the sub position/place but " think " if the satelites ( JM Labs ) needs to move/change a little along with some room treatment.
Sometimes, at the begening, we tend to set-up the subs a little louder that it real need it and this could be a problem for the XV-1. It is clear too that the external crossover could makes a signal degradation but Bryston is very good on that regard.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
