I bit of bass lift is not quite the same as a bass peak. These peaks generate one note bass.
As a practical solution in real life where you want to maintain an elegant decor, I think the combination of two smallish subwoofers plus an automatic equalization system like the Antimode 8033 is quite realistic. It does not involve ugly bass traps or huge subwoofers, is not a great hassle to set up at all, and is relatively affordable. Depending on room size and desired levels of bass extension and loudness, two small subs and an Antimode 8033 would cost from about $1300 (more if you want the subs to go lower and louder to fill a bigger room). Push the subs into two adjacent corners of the room, do the Antimode measurement ritual (half an hour’s work, including reading the manual), set the level and crossover (that is the hardest bit), perhaps with a measurement microphone, and you are done. With my B&W PV1d you get precise instructions for slope, phase and crossover settings for the specifications of your main speakers. They turned out to be spot on.
In my case I am still using only one sub, and even then the equalization is a big improvement. The Antimode allows you to optimize for a wider area, and that has worked pretty well. Even so, a second PV1d sub is the first item on my shopping list.
As for the additional analogue to digital to analogue conversion, with the Antimode 8033 this only happens in the bass region reproduced by the sub(s). The main speakers receive the same signal as before.
