Bass Management Questions (1 Viewer)

[Nathan Eddy]

I don't keep up with this stuff as well as I should--my available funds for upgrading don't really justify it. I bought a used Pioneer 563A over a year ago, waiting patiently for better universal players to drop in price. But the BM is really starting to bug me with this player. Should I go ahead buy a used ICBM? What is the current status of BM issues with DVD-A and SACD players? Are there any out there that get it right for about the same price as a used ICBM? A quick check on Ebay showed ICBMs going for around $300--though the auctions still have days to go.

My system is very modest. I'm been running a 5-year-old Kenwood receiver (VR 6050), Paradigm Atoms for surround and Paradigm CC-100 for center. My mains sound ok, but they are old Audio Reference speakers that were given to me. Would it really make a difference to upgrade my player, or should I upgrade my speakers first? I know speakers make the most dramatic difference, but this will never solve BM issues. Advice?

 

[ScottCHI]

It's not really anything that's "evolving"; either a player does a good job of BM or it doesn't.

Your player IS often sited as lacking in BM features.

 

[Brent_S]

From the models I've researched, the Pioneer Uni players probably do the best job of BM of the inexpensive universals...say $200 and under. Granted, their xover is probably a bit high, but at least there's is BM for both DVD-A and SACD.

The model I'm currently trying to find more information on is the Sherwood-Newcastle SD-860. MSRP is $499, but Froogle shows a couple of listings around $360-380. I either saw a user review here or avsforum that said it had selectable xover frequencies as well as distance and level adjustments for all channels on both DVD-A and SACD.

If you're thinking system upgrades, another option is the Outlaw receiver or separates. The 1070 receiver will bump you to 7.1 capabilty and give you full BM via it's direct analog inputs for $899. More $$$ than a player upgrade, but you get quite a few other advances as well. Just a thought...