Can my set up be improved?

[Jwg1749]

One of the principle objectives of SAM was to reduce bass distortion, which is usually quite large even on pricy speakers.
The speakers are measured and the errors in cone movement mapped, as is the voice coil heating and safe travel of the cone.
The speaker is not really being asked to do more, in fact, since the mapping of the bass unit means the Devialet config will not allow it to be overloaded.
A transfer function of the error is calculated then inverted to make the SAM file, along with mapping the thermal limits and travel limits of the bass driver.
So SAM reduces distortion and prevents damage.
I would guess anybody hearing more distortion has either got the wrong SAM file, is so used to the sound of their speakers that losing the distortion sounds wrong or is driving the speakers so hard they are into the thermal or travel limits of the map and SAM is in "protect the speakers from abuse" mode.
I would guess anybody who has the latter problem needs speakers more suitable to their loudness requirements.

I was thinking specifically of a couple of reports of the LS50s, which suggested that there were immediately audible problems with some (admittedly bass-heavy) music, and that these problems disappeared when SAM was switched off. Now it may be that it wasn't actually driver distortion at all, as you seem to be arguing. It may just have been excitement of a room mode. Since I'm going on second-hand reports, I can't really say any more.

I hear what you say about how SAM works: but it remains the case that in getting deeper LF extension out of a small driver, SAM does walk a fine line.