bass boost preamp idea, need input

Rig ->

Onkyo TX reciever
Scarlett 2i2 interface/dac
Akai studio monitors, 6" + 2" woofers, + tweeters

Problem ->

- SOFTWARE EQ WILL NOT WORK. Please don't suggest that! I've tried, the signal is sent directly from the computer, not through any software, so its useless for this setup.
- Mids and highs sound GREAT, but its lacking bass in this setup, even my eq controls on the onkyo aren't doing anything, and Im unsure why.


So I am thinking of making a bass preamp. I was thinking of using an LM386, but will this be strong enough for a setup like this? If someone has a good suggestion, please let me know.

Well, for one, I'm not sure just how much bass you are expecting from 6" woofers, without a dedicated subwoofer or transducer. Even if the driver is capable of reproducing frequencies in the bass range (<90Hz), it won't be room shaking, just audible.

2nd, software is more then capable of EQ'ing your system and speakers if the PC is what is outputting the audio.

Equalizer APO is the answer to system wide EQ on a Windows box. And I do mean system wide, regardless of what is playing the audio on your PC or what method you use to output the audio (HDMI, Optical, Analog, etc).

Combine that with Room EQ Wizard and a calibrated mic/SP meter, and you're all set.

I've tried that already, doesn't change the audio at all. The sound is going directly into the DAC, then to my receiver, and I don't really have a way to swap that around. I need the DAC for my guitars, so I can't swap it around. Im comparing apples to apples, If I just plug in directly to the receiver, I get plenty of bass, but going this route, I have no bass at all. It's quite frustrating. Might be a problem with my receiver perhaps.

I just don't understand why the receiver would work direct in or headphones, but not via my DAC. Its like the DAC is flat lining my signal (which perhaps is what its supposed to do?).

Have you tried S/PDIF or HDMI from the onboard to the receiver (assuming it's digital) and then use the external sound card for input only? The analog inputs on a digital receiver are for compatibility only and are similar to the VGA input on a LCD monitor.