Learsfool brings up a good point about just how low in the bass frequencies a person needs to go to achieve high fidelity sound. Reading several articles online suggests that the range of 40-14,000 Hz is sufficient, with one article stating "the reproduction of orchestral music with perfect fidelity requires a frequency range of 40 to 14,000 cycles . . ."
Age and hearing can be another factor. One article said that 50 Hz to 15 KHz used to be considered the range of human hearing and was a standard for hi-fi reproduction. The article goes on to say that the range of human hearing is now considered to range from 20 Hz to 20 KHz; "however once out of the first flush of youth we practically have a hearing range of ~50Hz to around 15/16KHz (G#1 to C10/C10#)."
A reviewer of the Rega R7 had this to say about bass frequencies and room interraction:
"34-years experience in the audio world have taught me that the most common system building error is mismatching the speaker to the room. Place a mini-monitor in too large a room and you get the bass-shy squawk box syndrome. Far more common in the US is buying a speaker whose bass response is more than the room can handle, resulting in various manifestations of boom, thud, and rhinocerine mud-wallowing. Its more than a simple matter of room dimensions and overall volume: wall and floor construction also play a crucial role. Its been my general experience that if you can get clear and tight response down to 40 Hz in-room, stop and count your blessings. And think very hard about pursuing response into the bottom octave. One is more likely to screw up everything achieved in the musically useful range of 40 Hz and above."
So my under-appreciation for subwoofers could stem from my choice of music (various forms of classical, acoustic jazz and bluegrass) and age (over 50) as well as any problems with system or room integration with the subwoofer-reinforced systems I've heard.
Age and hearing can be another factor. One article said that 50 Hz to 15 KHz used to be considered the range of human hearing and was a standard for hi-fi reproduction. The article goes on to say that the range of human hearing is now considered to range from 20 Hz to 20 KHz; "however once out of the first flush of youth we practically have a hearing range of ~50Hz to around 15/16KHz (G#1 to C10/C10#)."
A reviewer of the Rega R7 had this to say about bass frequencies and room interraction:
"34-years experience in the audio world have taught me that the most common system building error is mismatching the speaker to the room. Place a mini-monitor in too large a room and you get the bass-shy squawk box syndrome. Far more common in the US is buying a speaker whose bass response is more than the room can handle, resulting in various manifestations of boom, thud, and rhinocerine mud-wallowing. Its more than a simple matter of room dimensions and overall volume: wall and floor construction also play a crucial role. Its been my general experience that if you can get clear and tight response down to 40 Hz in-room, stop and count your blessings. And think very hard about pursuing response into the bottom octave. One is more likely to screw up everything achieved in the musically useful range of 40 Hz and above."
So my under-appreciation for subwoofers could stem from my choice of music (various forms of classical, acoustic jazz and bluegrass) and age (over 50) as well as any problems with system or room integration with the subwoofer-reinforced systems I've heard.