When I look around at various forums and someone wants a stereo the remark always pops up don't forget the sub. I reality the mids & top end are where most of the music comes from. As long as the speaker gives a tight tuneful bottom I'm happy. I never use my sub w/music just w/movies. What's your opinion?:scratch2:
Are we obsessed with bass?
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mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
I'm not, no. I am fixated on midrange that sounds real - which is why I listen, most of the time, to Altec Duplexes - and sometimes Quad ESLs.
purple1
Well-Known Member
After using a sub (or 2) with my systems it seems something is missing without one. Before I got a sub I used a Realistic Bass Enhancer to get the low sounds and I always knew when it was not in the enabled mode.
If you don't ever use one, you will never know what is missing. But that is just my opinion. YMMV
If you don't ever use one, you will never know what is missing. But that is just my opinion. YMMV
Wigwam Jones
Caesar non supra grammati
I do not own a sub of any kind, not even on my HT setup. Don't think I'm missing anything. What others do is up to them; if they think it sounds good, then great for them.
Killabyte
New Member
Music is made up of frequencies, if some of it is missing, it sounds incomplete to me. I use 3 subs, and I'm of the opinion that I don't like missing the lowest bass any more than I want to miss the highest highs. I wouldn't be content with a speaker that only when up to 10khz either.
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MWalt
Super Member
I am more in line with this opinion. But, for those of you that don't use subs, is it because the speakers you are using can reproduce the entire audible frequency range, or you just don't care for the lowest octave of bass? Just curious.
drknstrmyknight
Addicted Member
While I have a sub in my HT setup, I do not with my LaScalas.
Pundits often berate them for being weak in the bass department, and youngsters often have had their hands slapped reaching for the Bass knob on my preamp, but their bass seems in-line with reality to me. In a club or at the cinema, exaggerated bass has a place for putting down a beat or dramatizing an explosion or gunshot. Playing the 1812 overture or organ music has never made me long for more LF.
Pundits often berate them for being weak in the bass department, and youngsters often have had their hands slapped reaching for the Bass knob on my preamp, but their bass seems in-line with reality to me. In a club or at the cinema, exaggerated bass has a place for putting down a beat or dramatizing an explosion or gunshot. Playing the 1812 overture or organ music has never made me long for more LF.
The ability of a system to play deep bass enhances the realism of any recordings where the room plays an audible role (i.e. a concert hall, club, church, theater, home recording, etc.). It expands the depth of the soundstage and solidifies it.
It's not easy to get a sub properly set up and integrated into the system, and the same goes for the placement of any speaker that has significant output into the 20-30Hz range, but if/when it's right, it definitely does add to the experience for many recordings.
It's not easy to get a sub properly set up and integrated into the system, and the same goes for the placement of any speaker that has significant output into the 20-30Hz range, but if/when it's right, it definitely does add to the experience for many recordings.
sqlsavior
Lunatic Member
My opinion is that even an inexpensive but decent subwoofer, like a HSU STF-2, can provide an extra musical dimension to some recordings that is very satisfying once heard. The best illustration from my own experience is Little Feat's live album "Waiting for Columbus", which has stupendous bass. When the sub is in, the separation of the kick drum from the bass guitar is so much more obvious that going back to no sub is a distinct letdown.
That said, plenty of enjoyment can be had without the bottom octave.
That said, plenty of enjoyment can be had without the bottom octave.
tomlinmgt
Lunatic Member
I wouldn't be content to read a book that's missing sentences....or watch a movie or view a work of visual art with scenes or content obscured or deleted.....so it goes without saying that I want everything that's in a musical recording to be (properly) reproduced when I'm listening to it. As a musician and artist, if I put something in a song then my intention is for you to hear it. The low frequencies convey A LOT of the song's emotion and stylistic statement.....regardless of genre. So getting every bit of LF reproduced accurately is high priority to me. It's much more important to me than, say, making sure every hint of sibilance is eliminated from the playback. And since it's one of the most difficult realms of the audio spectrum to recreate accurately (since room acoustics play such a profound role), I enjoy the challenge of getting it right and feel a great deal of accomplishment as I get closer and closer to that goal.
- Michael
- Michael
This. It's also not cheap. For me, it's akin to making vinyl sound as good as digital. Both can be done, however, I can't afford to properly implement either.
If a speaker can flatly reproduce the low E (41.2Hz) on a bass guitar, I and my wallet are happy.
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Before 120Ti? Yes.
After I got the speakers, I'm more obsessed with cymbals.
'Mericans really love their Bass. :yes:
The beauty of bass frequency is the 360 degree spreading, the enveloping effect it creates. It is like a warm jacuzzi with strong whirpool massage. We sense low frequency with our body, not just our ears.
Midrange and high range are directional and shout at you. If you like them, you are the perfect tolerant husband material.
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Wigwam Jones
Caesar non supra grammati
It is because I am not religious about things.
It is possible that there are tones encoded on my music sources (LP, CD, etc) that are not being reproduced in their entirety on my system.
I do not care. That's not my concern.
What is important to me is that I enjoy what I am hearing. If I do, then I am happy and satisfied. If I do not enjoy it, then I make whatever changes I can until I am happy and satisfied.
I also cannot hear much, if anything above 12K. Age does that to you. Paying more to have accurate reproduction of tones I cannot hear would be flat-out stupid for me. If others can hear dog whistles, then that's great and I understand completely why they would want to.
Some people are kept up nights worrying about whether or not their systems are producing what they believe is the exact and accurate reproduction of what the 'artist' (or engineer, etc) wanted them to hear. I could give two craps about what the artist wants me to hear. I only care about what I want to hear. Why should I care what someone else wants? They're my ears, and it's my enjoyment, or lack thereof.
We have been down this road before many times, however. With all due respect to those who want 'accurate reproduction' (whatever they think that consists of), I just don't have that requirement. It begins with absolute statements such as "We can all agree that the goal is accurate reproduction..." and goes downhill from there, because no, we don't all agree that is the goal. I have only one goal. To enjoy what I hear. If I do, then I'm done. Nothing else is required for me. Others have different goals, and that is very cool too.
Malice towards none, maximum enjoyment for all. If you get your enjoyment knowing that you are hearing what the artist intended you to hear, that's great. If you just like to hear what you like to hear, also great. I'm in the latter camp. So accurate bass reproduction? Doesn't really worry me much.
TitaniumMan
Helpful Hardware Man
Too many of the helpful subwoofer discussions are arguments about the infrasonic capabilities of subs. I want to know about the musical performance. I just don't care if I miss out on a 5 Hz dinosaur fart from some action flick.