sounds like a great starter system! i have components that are different, but in about the same price category. first question, though... what specifically do you feel is lacking in terms of bass? mushy? boomy? not enough extension? second question... do you have the b&w's biwired? regardless, i would definitely look into new speaker cables. without getting into all the details about where/how you have your speakers crossed over with the sub, biwiring the b&w's with shotgun runs of a better quality cable will definitely improve the bass output of the speakers (cleaner, tighter, not necessarily deeper). you might find that you can then set the crossover on the sub at a lower frequency, which might improve the overall bass presentation. the sub ic's will also help. again, however, it depends on what kind of improvement you are looking for. some good quality cables you might want to look into... dh labs t-14's and q-10's, kimber 4tc/8tc, older audioquest stuff (can be found for very good prices), or a set of john risch designed belden cables (check out www.boldercables.com). if you want to invest in some cables that will last you for MANY upgrades, you might want to look into harmonic technology's offerings, or call rick shultz at virtual dynamics (www.virtualdynamics.ca). third question... what kinds of stands (if any at all) are the b&w's on? this can have a huge impact on bass, as well as the rest of the sound. get those speakers on some good quality, fillable stands (nothing exorbitant... something in the $100-$150 range. try looking at atlantis or lovan). fourth... have you played around with subwoofer placement? is it in a corner, how close to the wall, etc, etc, etc... fifth... you might want to try an after market power cord for the bryston. i have a virtual dynamics power three on my anthem integrated 2, and it made an incredible improvement (including bass). call rick, and he will tell you all about it! as far as the front end, i think you should be okay for awhile with the DVD player. for $700, you might want to consider moving up to the sony 9000es instead of the pioneer elite. not only is the sony a very high quality progressive scan dvd player, it also is a fantastic cd player than also plays sacd's. going for around $750 used, and it's a steal at that price. hope this helps. happy listening!

ewha March 04, 2002 01:13