How important is bass to you?

Many instruments can get quite low, not only pipe organ and acoustic and electric bass. And voice can get low too. There is a huge difference between a system giving you some bass at, say, 30hz and the one that plays it just as well as 50hz.
I was listening today Hellborg/Velez Ars Moriende album. The Love Death Ritual track is excellent. His custom acoustic bass guitar goes very low at certain moments. But my system gives me 'some bass' at 30hz, there is a lot more in the recording. I was upset.

Clean clear bass is more important than BASS; often the crossover is just as important so that you can hear a distinct difference between the low-midrange instruments vs strong bass lines in an ensemble. To get the best LOW bass performance, the room acoustics become extremely critical, as does the upper treble frequencies (too bright AND too boomy). For me the final answer is, as i am
using my living room as a listening room, to find the right volume level. I have way more stereo system than my room can handle (i often wish i had stuck with a smaller pair of speakers but a good deal came along, etc.).
IN conclusion, the more you hear "clearly", the more enjoyable the experience of listening over extended periods of time. But if, in the end, you aren't going to be satisfied with less than 20Hz bass, you're going to have to address the other issues i mentioned above.

If it's well recorded it's great, but if it's well PLAYED, it's even better even if recorded mediocre.

I like it. A lot of people do. It can sound really good or really bad, and will not hurt your ears like that darn airy treble can when things head south.

I like to be able to feel the bass naturally when it is present and not just hear it. Midrange is lovely and music's bread and butter (where most music occurs) but bass gives music impact and "meat on the bones" that one needs to be fully sated.

20Hz-40Hz is quite a range, I meant below, say, 25HZ.
Of course 'well played' is more important, but if you can't really hear it - it makes no difference.
Not only crossover and room are critical but electronics too. Some people upgrade their speakers too quickly, many speakers are in fact better than they might seem. There is a lot that can be extracted from one great 8" driver including low bass. Not the best bass possible, not at all, but quite satisfactory.
Good bass/great midrange vs. great bass/good midrange. That's tough. I would have to listen, this can't really be decided in general. But midrange is most important, no doubt.