"Slam"--what is it, is it really accurate?

Buy and large for me "SLAM" is a HiFi or pro-audio support thing. What I mean is, very little acoustic live music ever produces real "SLAM" unless it is of an electrified genre. That said, I think it is a matter of taste for the music reproduction listener and yes it is a matter of amp AND speaker synergy to produce the physical wallop you desire. For me, that characteristic is way down the list of sonic requirements, below timbre, tone colour, texture, and transparency, just to name a few. But I don't mean to rain on your parade, if that is a compelling element to you at this point.I would only caution that to accomplish this, you may well compromise other more subtle aspects that could prove to be more satisfying in the overall context of a musical performance (even in a hard rock type format).

Happy Listening!

"Slam" sells , meaning people tend to like it, and is a big part of many modern recordings these days, especially in pop and music realms involving synthesizers, etc.

It can occur naturally as anyone who has sat close and listened to a drum or any sort being played knows well.

Most forms of live music (save perhaps most forms of classical chamber music or perhaps acoustic folk) have a certain "slam" factor, that varies case by case. Proximity of listener to players usually is means more slam.

My opinion is that if the slam is in the recording, I want it to be delivered accurately along with the rest. Its a big part of being able to convince the listener that what is being heard is real and not just a recording, even though it is.

TO enable that, speakers must not be undersized for the target room, amp must be capable of driving speakers to the max, and a good quality source is needed.

THen the recording is enabled to do its thing, slam or otherwise.

YEah, I hate thumping bass with no texture or detail as much as the next audiophile worth their salt, but love it when done well.

Complete agreement with all Mapman's statements plus an aded emphasis on the importance of the listening room being part of the equation. I've gone through the evolution of DIY room treatments, discarding those and then adding GIK bass traps, and finally adding a Spatial Computer Black Hole pressure regulator in the search for accurate, well controlled bass. With each step, bass has become more accurate and the "slam" we're talking about has gotten more believable. Like Mapman, accurate, you-are-there bass reproduction is something I love.

I've been comparing headphones lately.

Good headphones, like many popular Sennheiser and Audio Technica models, deliver the slam well along with all the rest.

THose along the "Beats" track may deliver slam but not good sound all around.

Others, even some pricey popular ones, are simply junk and turn to jelly with any "slam" present in the recording. Bose headphones were the biggest offenders in this regard I have experienced recently.

"Slam" isn't exactly a well defined word, in
regards to audio. Similarly; some disagree when the term,
"tight" is used, in reference to accurate bass.
When you are referring to live music; one need not be very
close to a drum set, to feel the sensations with which the
kick, toms and snare(or timpani, in a classical setting) can
impact your senses. You can literally sense the tightness of
the skins, through your body. Ever been around any taiko
drummers or pipe organs? They'll fill a good sized venue
with tactile sensations, quite well. The bottom of a
Hammond
B3, produced though a pair of Leslie 122's, can push a bit
too. Regarding audio reproduction: Mapman's last four
paragraphs(1st post) echo my views.