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Why is good, deep bass so difficult? - Myths and their Busters

This is a theme that goes round and round and round on Audiogon. While looking for good sources, I found a consultancy (Acoustic Frontiers) offering a book and links:

http://www.acousticfrontiers.com/guide-to-bass-optimization/?utm_source=CTA

Interestingly: AF is in Fairfax, CA, home to Fritz Speakers. I really have to go visit Fairfax!

And a link to two great articles over at sound and vision:

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/schroeder-frequency-show-and-tell-part-1
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/schroeder-frequency-show-and-tell-part-2

Every audiophile who is dissatisfied with the bass in their room should read these free resources.

Let me state unequivocally, deep bass is difficult for the average consumer. Most audiophiles are better off with bass limited speakers, or satellite/subwoofer systems. The former limits the danger you can get into. The latter has the most chance of success IF PROPERLY IMPLEMENTED.

The idea that large drivers/subs are slow is a complete and utter myth. Same for bass reflex. The issue is not the speed of the drivers. The issue is usually that the deeper a speaker goes the more it excites room modes, which the audiophile is then loathe to address.

Anyway, please read away. I look forward to reading comments.
erik_squires
mitch2
4,006 posts
 
Recently switched from large'ish ported speakers with 4, 7-inch bass drivers each and a single high-quality sub to "monitor" speakers with 2, 9-inch LF drivers each in a sealed 100+ lbs. box and two high-quality subs from the same mfg and the bass response went from pretty good with occasional overloading of the room to what is now the best I have heard.  Driving the mains with high-powered Class A monos and the subs with their own internal amps - the subs definitely keep up.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
@soundsrealaudio      

Can you find any multi million dollar recording studio using 6" toy size woofers for bass on their main monitors?

You can't because these are professional facilities that do things correctly without following some weird urban myth about woofer speed (probably started by an ignorant hobbyist reviewer or a monitor (toy) sized speaker manufacturer). 
soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
756 posts
 
This is interesting, from wikipedia:

Equalisation of the sound system to compensate for the uneven frequency response caused by room resonances is of very limited use as the equalisation only works for one specific listening position and will actually cause the response to be worse in other listening positions. Also large bass boosts by sound system EQ can severely reduce the headroom in the sound system itself. Some vendors are currently providing elaborate room tuning equipment which requires precision microphones, extensive data collection, and uses computerised electronic filtering to implement the necessary compensation for the rooms modes. There is some controversy about the relative worth of the improvement in ordinary rooms, given the very high cost of these systems.
soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
756 posts
 
shadone

Can you find a recording studio using 15" subwoofers. See if you can.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,816 posts
 

Not a recording studio, but Sterling Sound Mastering in NYC have three pair of Rythmik F15 Direct Servo Feedback Subwoofers in their monitor systems, each with a 15" woofer. Killer bass. Rythmik owner/designer Brian Ding has been asked about the question of woofer diameter versus "speed", and his answer is that his 8" and 12" woofers are no "faster" than his 15", but that the 15" has higher maximum SPL output. Of course, the woofers in his Rythmik subs are servo-feedback controlled.

I have both 12" and 15" Rythmik Subs, but the woofer size is the least important difference between the two. The 12" are used in pairs mounted in Open Baffle H-frames, the 15" in a 4cu.ft. sealed enclosure. OB subs are very different sounding than both sealed and ported, for a number of reasons I won't go into here, but the point is the size of their woofers is not responsible for the difference in sound between the two.

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