2. tech-talk
  3. 1298395611

Budget Strategies forTightening up Bass?

My system: Opera Consonance 120 Linear CDP, Extensively modded Jolida 302B, Silverline SR 17.5 monitors. AudioArt Speaker wire. Various IC's. Short of buying a sub, what is biggest bang-for-buck upgrade to tighten bass? Wire? PowerConditioning? ("currently" I have just an upgraded cryo-treated outlet) Better footers? (I have vibrapods and cones). I've got about $350 to spend on this... I know-- that's not much-- maybe my goal and my budget are mutually exclusive. Still, any suggestions would be appreciated!
stuartk
musicslug
430 posts
 
I've found that sorbothane under a CDP makes the bass 'riper', while inverted brass cones make it 'tighter'.

your mileage may vary...

you might also look into a DAC. the different flavors of D to A vary enormously between brands (e.g. theta = kind of gutsy while sony = analogue-y). you'd have to audition them in your system to see if that addresses the problem.
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,306 posts
 
try a VenHaus DIY PC <$100 ea

you may realize other benefits as well

power cords make a big difference and may be all you need
meiwan
399 posts
 
Speaker cable and power cords. A good power cord will tighten things up - 'A LOT'.
cwlondon
1,210 posts
 
Just a guess, but I have never had much luck putting speakers near any walls, not to mention corners.

If you want to use the room as a tone control of sorts, often better to bring the speakers out from the walls, and push the back of your listening chair against the wall.

Still guessing, but I would think this would also dramatically improve the imaging of your Silverline speakers.

Not sure how this might complicate your decorating, but you asked about tightening up the bass, not your marriage.

Good luck.
stuartk OP
2,914 posts
 
Cwlondon-- was that "good luck" with my speakers or "good luck" with my marriage??? ;o)
Musiclug-- I will try brass!
RE: speaker cable and power cords, my speaker cable is 20', so upgrading it significantly will, I'm guessing, cost a good deal more than $ 350, but used, maybe not. Any suggestions?????
I've got Transparent Power Link Plus power cords, now.
I'll try borrowing something else from my dealer, see what happens.
More to discover