Please do. I would appreciate hearing your feedback.
Is bass the most important frequency band?
One thing I’ve noticed when upgrading my audio system is that when I have really good bass, I’m happy. If the bass is top notch, I can overlook less-than-stellar treble or so-so midrange. The opposite does not seem to be true. Sure, I can get tremendous enjoyment out of a high-fidelity playback of a flute or other instrument that doesn’t have much bass impact, but when I switch to a track that has some slam, if my sub/woofers don’t perform, I’m left wanting, and I am inclined to change the track. When my subwoofer game is top notch, there is something extremely pleasing about tight, powerful, and accurate bass response that easily puts a smile on my face and lifts my mood in a matter of seconds. Maybe it all boils down to the fact that bass frequencies are heard AND felt and the inclusion of another sense (touch/feeling) gives bass a competitive edge over midrange and treble. I am not talking about loud bass (although that can be really fun and has its place), but the type of bass that gives you a sense of a kick drum’s size or allows for the double bass to reach out and vibrate the room and your body. I propose to you that bass and sub-bass should be optimized first and foremost, followed by treble and midrange in order to maximize enjoyment. Thoughts?
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Really good bass always was pretty much impossible to achieve. People came up with all sorts of solutions. Do a search, with enormous horns and speakers built into walls there are people pretty much turned their whole house into a subwoofer. I heard a bunch of systems with really powerful impressive and deep bass. But never anywhere heard really good bass until I built my DBA. The difference is hard to describe in a way people who have never heard it will understand. It is not so much that the bass goes really deep, although it does. It is not so much that the response is ruler flat, although if that is your thing it can be, and a whole lot easier than any other method. It is not even so much that the bass is clean and tuneful and articulate, although it is all of those and in spades. Mostly what it is, the DBA gives a sense of envelopment, of being in the recording venue and space. This helps make not only your speakers but your entire room disappear. This is something that is heard, better yet felt or experienced, even when there is no apparent bass to speak of being played. When I put my subs on Townshend Pods for example the improvement was immediately evident in these terms long before any real bass was even being played. I have heard plenty of mightily impressive bass. I have heard some exquisitely tuned systems that I am sure measure within a gnats hair of perfection. And yet I have never heard anything with that you are there sense of envelopment that is so easily achieved with a DBA. |
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Ballpark $100 per Pod. They are priced higher https://www.audiogon.com/products/townshend-audio-seismic-isolation-pods but call and order direct from John Hannant he will give you better pricing. They like to recommend four per component, but I use 3 under most things and have played around and don't really notice any difference 3 vs 4. My first big surprise with Pods was how much resonance was coloring everything. The more Pods the more that goes away and the more every instrument sounds as it should. The cumulative effect is really something. I was listening to Brubeck last night. The whole record is a gimmick- Time Out, they are all different time signatures- and it usually gets tiresome and so hasn't been played in a while but last night I was struck over and over again how much more interesting it is when it sounds like a real piano, sax, and drum kit. The other thing, my room has hardly any treatment, it keeps getting put off and now I am so glad! Podiums and Pods removed a huge amount of "room" resonance that I would have sworn could only be handled with bass traps and diffuser panels! That is why when we did them recently at Brandon's he said it was worth a couple thousand in room treatment alone. That was Podiums, they have the biggest effect but also the biggest price tag. Hopefully that is enough info so you will be able to figure it out but if not you can always ask for more. |
- 89 posts total