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Why the obsession with the lowest octave

From what is written in these forums and elsewhere see the following for instance.

Scroll down to the chart showing the even lowest instruments in this example recording rolling off very steeply at 40 Hz.

http://www.homerecordingconnection.com/news.php?action=view_story&id=154

It would appear that there is really very little to be heard between 20 and 40 Hz. Yet having true "full range" speakers is often the test of a great speaker. Does anyone beside me think that there is little to be gained by stretching the speakers bass performance below 30-40 cycles?
My own speakers make no apologies for going down to only 28 Hz and they are big floor standers JM Lab Electra 936s.
mechans
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mapman's avatar
mapman
23,042 posts
 
Because part of the music occurs there normally with a good recording or live and this is the " high end" audio site where everything that you can or should be able to hear matters.

Having said that, it does not in practice really matter to many.

I could live without it if I had to but prefer to not.

Elizabeth is probably on to something with the "guy thing" assessment.
uru975
684 posts
 
From a different perspective. Talking about treble say from 15k to 20+khz is difficult. No matter how high you turn up those frequencies you can't feel them as you can with 20 to 60 hertz bass. Also many people can't hear them, which is why there are reports every now and then of teen age girls using 16khz or higher tones for their phones. They can hear them ring but the teachers can't. So it makes more sense to talk about something you can hear and feel than about something you may not be able to do either or both.
mapman's avatar
mapman
23,042 posts
 
Often one will chose to not worry about it initially then tackle it later once all the rest sounds right.

True that most can detect the lowest normally audible frequencies but not the highest as ears age.
samujohn's avatar
samujohn
291 posts
 
Well, in defense of my sex I can say that women only like that "sissy" music
that has "no balls". If we are done now with stereotyping, perhaps we can return to discussing stereo equipment.
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