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Are we obsessed with bass?

To each his own, listen to what you want/like and enjoy! In my case when running the Eico ST 40 through my Frazier's the sound was wonderful, but lacking on some of the music I listen to. Frank was, well, Frank and sounded full range. Bruno, on the other hand not so much. I added the sub to the center channel, dialed it in, and it made both better to me. It was like inviting the bass player and drummer into the same room with the rest of the band.
 
Wigwam Jones said:
"So, how do you like your new system?"

"It's perfect. Totally reproduces the entire spectrum as the artist intended."

"But how do you like it?"

"Who cares how I like it? It's TO SPEC!"

Weird. But I guess it's just me feels that way.... :)
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"So, what did you think of the movie?"

"Well, the picture wasn't very good and some of the scenes were blacked out."

'But how did you like it?"

"Who cares, I was at the movies!".

Is your example any more weird than mine? :)
 
89grand said:
I seriously doubt there is a single person here that feels like that.
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I don't think there are many who would admit that, not even to themselves. But notice 'how I like it' doesn't seem to be a major concern. Accuracy, whatever that term means, seems to be the watchword, and if one likes it, great, but if not, well, it's accurate.

I do however feel a system that reproduces more life like sound would be better liked by everyone.
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First, I don't know what is meant by more life-like, and I never have. Life-like as compared to what? A live concert? The sound in the studio? Whatever the studio monitors in the mixing room were reproducing that day? The sound in the engineer's headphones, or his or her idea of what it should sound like? What is 'life-like' sound?

Second, as I've said, my only yardstick is my own enjoyment, and even if I'm a distinct minority, I'm part of 'everyone', so no, not 'everyone' prefers accuracy over non-accuracy. If it's enjoyable to me and others feel it is also accurate, that's a bonus. If I enjoy it and others think it's not accurate, oh well. I enjoy it just the same.

We all just have to live with and accept the limitations we all have, but no system sounds better with more limitations than with less.
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Depends on what the limitations are. I apparently cannot hear, or do not focus on, limitations that others perceive or think I should be able to perceive and care about. Do I hear a difference between a cheap plastic-fantastic all-in-one system and my Luxman? Yes, I do. And I prefer my Luxman. However, I don't know if my Luxman plus my input source plus my crappy vintage speakers adds up to an 'accurate' system in anyone else's opinion; it's quite good enough for me to enjoy it. So yes, *some* limitations get in the way of my enjoyment. Others, whatever they happen to be, apparently do not.

I can't speak for others. But I can smile at what looks to me like amazing stretches to make sure one's system sounds as others feel it should as opposed to whatever one might personally like. Although apparently they don't like to say that. It's all good. I'm smiling, not being mean here. :D
 
It depends. I very rarely use my sub as it doesn't add much as what I have goes low enough for 99% of all music. Plus I have neighbours downstairs who aren't fans of the bass as it is.

With a pair of bookshelves it would be essential, though I've never been much a fan of bookshelf/sub combo as the ones I've tried/heard seem to be light in mid bass. Proper integration is key I guess.

It really depends on your environment. I'd love to have 3 15" subs to fatten out that last octave, so I could feel the kickdrums beat me against a wall. But then I don't live on a farm, which is the only place I could see myself enjoying such a combo for longer than 20 minutes before the cops show up.
 
tomlinmgt said:
"So, what did you think of the movie?"

"Well, the picture wasn't very good and some of the scenes were blacked out."

'But how did you like it?"

"Who cares, I was at the movies!".

Is your example any more weird than mine? :)
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Better to watch a good movie with bad picture, than vice versa. The old black'n'white argument.
 
Many prefer to have the woofer driver in the same box (or location) as the other driver(s). What are the advantages of this vs distributed bass?
 
tomlinmgt said:
"So, what did you think of the movie?"

"Well, the picture wasn't very good and some of the scenes were blacked out."

'But how did you like it?"

"Who cares, I was at the movies!".

Is your example any more weird than mine? :)
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Yes, let's run with your example and I'll show you what I mean.

You're at the movies and you see a movie. Say, "Bladerunner."

Your pal asks you if you enjoyed it and you say "It's not the Director's Cut, which had no narration, and some different scenes inserted."

Your friend says "Yes, but how did you like it?"

You reply "Who cares how I liked it? It's not the way the Director intended it to be seen!"

That's what I'm talking about. People who seem to have an attachment to what they suppose is the 'accurate' rendition, whether they actually care for it or not.
 
I personally couldn't give two you-know-whats whether I'm hearing what the studio engineer did. I want to listen to a band with all the power it has to offer, not a pair of tiny studio monitors.
 
1TUFSS said:
I personally couldn't give two you-know-whats whether I'm hearing what the studio engineer did. I want to listen to a band with all the power it has to offer, not a pair of tiny studio monitors.
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Damn straight!

3450782911_f887eec59f_b.jpg
 
Pandovski said:
'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.
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Well the 120Ti goes down to 35Hz, and the bass is clean and accurate (instead of one-note bass). Not only that, but many times I was surprised by panning stereo bass that I couldn't previously hear with a single sub. :thmbsp:

So, I don't really think I need a sub anymore. Of course, someday it may change.


Pandovski said:
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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:eek: NOOOOO!
 
Just I find Bluray and HD more life like than standard (low) res movies, I find music more life like when it has good frequency response and balance, with good imaging vs not having it. Using three subwoofers gives me better frequency response, and proper/careful, however you want to say it, speaker positioning gives me better imaging, and using the best source material I can get sounds better than low res MP3.

I could use no subs, and just mash my speakers up against the wall, but then it sounds a lot worse, so I don't do that.
 
Kreshna said:
Well the 120Ti goes down to 35Hz, and the bass is clean and accurate (instead of one-note bass). Not only that, but many times I was surprised by panning stereo bass that I couldn't previously hear with a single sub. :thmbsp:

So, I don't really think I need a sub anymore. Of course, someday it may change.



:eek: NOOOOO!
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Ideally, you'd run the mains with no high pass crossover, so that the mains compliment the subwoofers. So you still get what you get out of the main speakers while the subs add any missing low frequencies and also smooth out the upper bass frequencies if you run the low pass on the subs high enough.

I run my mains wide open and my subs to 100hz.
 
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89grand said:
Ideally, you'd run the mains with no low pass crossover, so that the mains compliment the subwoofers. So you still get what you get out of the main speakers while the subs add any missing low frequencies and also smooth out the upper bass frequencies if you run the high pass on the subs high enough.

I run my mains wide open and my subs to 100hz.
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Thanks for the tip. How about stereo sub, by the way? It seems most people have their subs in mono, and even when they're using two subs, it's dual mono instead of stereo. But I've been pleasantly surprised by panning stereo bass in certain songs.

Then I found this article.

So, are stereo subs better than dual mono?
 
89grand said:
Ideally, you'd run the mains with no low pass crossover, so that the mains compliment the subwoofers. So you still get what you get out of the main speakers while the subs add any missing low frequencies and also smooth out the upper bass frequencies if you run the high pass on the subs high enough.

I run my mains wide open and my subs to 100hz.
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This is what I do, glad to see I'm not the only one. My mains drop off steeply below 34hz (-6db point is 27-28). I use a gentle crossover slope on the subs, which suddenly kicks up to match that steep rolloff. Blends in just nicely (at low volumes I can barely tell when the subs are turned on/off) while providing mountains of gut slam when required.

Kreshna said:
Thanks for the tip. How about stereo sub, by the way? It seems most people have their subs in mono, and even when they're using two subs, it's dual mono instead of stereo. But I've been pleasantly surprised by panning stereo bass in certain songs.

Then I found this article.

So, are stereo subs better than dual mono?
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They certainly are. I went from one sub to two (a matched pair) a few months back. I'd never go back to one sub.
 
I swapped high pass and low pass in my previous post, but I think it was understood what I meant...I think.
 
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