The pursuit of bass...

[Anonymous]

SteveR750:
igglebert:I appreciate where you're coming from Jax. For me it's the cost. I want what I have and with great bass but I can't pay for it. That includes speakers and the amp(s) to drive it! Also the size becomes a problem as I don't want massive speakers in my lounge.Still, I was brought up on a diet of large transmission line speakers and I'll be going back there before I die

EDIT isn't the wavelength of a low frequency such as 30Hz very very long? Surely that makes the room size a major problem unless you have a massive room?

At 20 Deg C 30Hz has a wavelength of around 1.1m so not that huge. I wold imagine that at these frequencis the room interacts and colours the sound enormously. Forget agile bass if your walls, ceiling, floor, sideboard are all flapping away in harmony.

I read this and remember it being a lot longer so:

Speed / frequency = wavelength

333 / 30 = 11.1m

So, 30 Hz has a wavelength 11.1m. Still, my sub still works its magic! How does a speaker create a sound pressure wave that is 11m long when a cone only travels a number of cm?

 

[Anonymous]

Back to OP, I think blaming the manufacturers is wrong. Of course cabinet size limits extension, but that's down to personal choice and (to a lesser extent) available space/budget. Poor siting of speakers seems the root of most bass problems.

I agree about taut, extended bass being an essential part of much music. My ten year-old asked for a compliation for his room, including a couple of very heavily-bassed Colourbox tracks, which he listened to once or twice and not since. Yet hearing the same songs on the downstairs system, it's immediately obvious that the music really engages him. Subtracting the bass from some pieces of music kills them.

Big rooms are all well and good (ours is 6m x 6.5m), but positioning becomes crucial, for the listener as much as the speakers. Mine's fine if sat where intended, but stand up in the centre of the room and whilst still taut, the bass is just too loud. Presumably that's because the room is nearly square.

 

[plastic penguin]

For me, personally, yeah the bass aspect is easy to reproduce but difficult to reproduce well. There are many aspects that can influence the overall sound and bass you hear.

Some years ago, my boss at the time invited me around his place to listen to his surround sound, and it consisted of the following: Yamaha Processor, Kef Reference front and rear speakers (although can't remember the model no.), a huge sub and Arcam power amp.

His living room was, according to him, acoustically perfect. The bass his set-up produced was monumental; my chest felt it was being hit with a sledgehammer. At first it was invigorating, but after 30 minutes or so it was starting to pee me off slightly. However, he was hearing things I couldn't - maybe his brain was scrambled by the constant crunching coming from the sub and huge floorstanders.

...and probably why I like a leaner set-up.

 

[Anonymous]

Bass is good!!!

My speakers begin the slippery slope of roll-off at 80Hz. I'm considering a behringer external crossover between the pre and the power. This will cull all frequencies to my mini-monitors below 80 Hz, where an active sub would take over below 80Hz. This would get rid of any bass humps as there is a definite start and stop to frequency production.

Recently, having the sub disconnected, listened to some minimal techno and some Jon Hopkins and it sounded a bit 1 dimensional.

 

[swiftmick]

I was in the pursuit of bass from the 1970's Boy that was some ride. Finaly in the 1980's listened to a pair of Kef Ref 107 and was smitten. However the price was around £1800 at the time, so I thought I had better start saving. When I finaly got £1800, The price of the Kef's went up!

Finaly went the Subwoofer way. Now running two Rel Storms along with Mordaunt Short 905i for the music. And I'm happy. Although I still get tempted when I see Kef Ref 107's appear on ebay.

 

[Anonymous]

According to some hearing tests using headphones, it seems like I can hear between 18Hz and 15kHz pretty well. It drops off significantly at and above 16kHz. (drats).

If audiophilia becomes desirable in darwinian selection, perhaps humans could evolve to have 2-way ears in the future (one for normal frequencies, and another for ultrasonic). 😀