I have a theory that experimentation seems to bear out. The hypothesis was this: that the amplifier in the ELS system is far more powerful on the HD and CD than it is on any of the other inputs (radio, XM, and especially AUX -- I haven't tested USB).
If I play the same track on an MP3 player (WAV file) through AUX, I have to nearly double the volume to get nearly the same level as when I play it on CD. Everything I have played on CD (and the stuff I have burned to the HD) is really full and rich and I can't turn the volume much above 20 if at all. And the bass is tight and full, and the sub bass is there as well without booming. It is really accurate all the way through the frequency range, and the reason I know this is I tested it with something I mixed and mastered myself.
So, for all the people who feel the bass is faint, I am betting they are playing off an iPhone or MP3 player (even if they are playing full resolution files), not playing a CD or something burned to the HD. Try it with a CD and see if that sounds better. :-)
If I play the same track on an MP3 player (WAV file) through AUX, I have to nearly double the volume to get nearly the same level as when I play it on CD. Everything I have played on CD (and the stuff I have burned to the HD) is really full and rich and I can't turn the volume much above 20 if at all. And the bass is tight and full, and the sub bass is there as well without booming. It is really accurate all the way through the frequency range, and the reason I know this is I tested it with something I mixed and mastered myself.
So, for all the people who feel the bass is faint, I am betting they are playing off an iPhone or MP3 player (even if they are playing full resolution files), not playing a CD or something burned to the HD. Try it with a CD and see if that sounds better. :-)