How do I get a speaker with the bass slam of my el cheapo ear buds...?

mtrot,

I added a bit about earphones because you seem to like yours and millercarbon nicely explained what could be causing the difference you notice.

You seem to have decent home equipment but have you considered a possibility that you overall actually prefer the sound coming from phone through the earphones? These days, many people do. Many chase "perfect sound" while they could be enjoying more by accepting the fact that they like "imperfections". At the same time, some people simply prefer the sound through headphones. Chasing speakers to sound like headphones may not be that successful. They are inherently different.

@ yylc
You seem to assume that I am an idiot.  Yes, I played the phone to the AVR that is in the system just to check that out, but I also played the actual CD in the Oppo, which is connected via digital coaxial cable to the PS Audio, which is connected via XLR cables to the Krell, with the same overall sound resulting. 

And I don't appreciate the snide remarks either.  Just because I started a few threads doesn't make me any sort of expert, hence my question.  I hope other people who ask honest questions here don't get the same treatment.

@ glupson
Thanks for the thoughts on speakers vs ear phones.  Yes, they are obviously quite different animals.  But I have heard some speakers that to some extent replicate the sort of bass attack that I am talking about.  Hence my request for suggestions for such speakers. 

I had some Soliloquy 5.3 speakers being driven by a bryston 4 bst and thought it might have had too much slam, even at low volumes.

You may want to try a pair if you ever see some.  I’ve hadquite a few speakers and they had quite a bit of punch; could’ve been in part to that bryston 4bst though too.

mtrot,

"I have heard some speakers that to some extent replicate the sort of bass attack that I am talking about."

Wouldn’t those speakers be a good starting point to the answer you are looking for? Many manufacturers have their "house sound" so maybe a bigger model would be just what you are searching for.

You are the only one who actually knows what sort of bass attack you are talking about. Rest of us are just trying to imagine and may be completely misunderstanding and giving you wrong answers/suggestions.