Your tympanic membrane moves immediately in conjunction with the pressure front created by whatever frequency of sound you care to talk about including bass. This movement occurs immediately and does not wait for a full wavelength to pass. But, it does take a period of time before the sound is registered and interpreted by the cerebral cortex. This probably occurs at the same time for all frequencies. Now, in deep bass it becomes not only hearing but feeling that are involve in assessing the sound. At some point it becomes only feeling if the volume is loud enough to register at all.
The job of the enclosure is to isolate the woofer's rear from it's front waveforms so they do not cancel and to hold the woofer rigidly in space. Any movement of the woofer distorts the waveform. If the enclosure is sufficiently heavy and stiff it does not matter what it rests on. Unfortunately, that is a very difficult goal to reach so it is always best to anchor the subwoofer to a large immovable object like your house.
The way I use my subwoofers is significantly different than say millercarbon. I cross over to them much higher at 125 Hz. This is up into the range that can be located. So my subs have to be arranged around the satellites in a symmetrical pattern to maintain a proper image.
I also have to duplicate the radiation pattern of a line source so that the subs can keep up with the satellites as distance away from the speakers increases. It is certainly true that a bass instrument's higher frequencies and harmonics locate the instrument. The fundamental does not even have to be there. What goes AWOL is the sensation. I can make an EQ preset that chops everything under 40 Hz. Switching back and forth between the normal curve and the 40 Hz chop will not change what you here so much but all the sensation you get being at a live concert will disappear, gone. Those frequencies under 40 Hz are what makes music breath. Unfortunately, it is so easy to corrupt that end of the spectrum with room problems, phase inconsistencies, poor enclosure design and execution, and under powered amplifiers. But, when you get it right it is a beautiful thing.
The job of the enclosure is to isolate the woofer's rear from it's front waveforms so they do not cancel and to hold the woofer rigidly in space. Any movement of the woofer distorts the waveform. If the enclosure is sufficiently heavy and stiff it does not matter what it rests on. Unfortunately, that is a very difficult goal to reach so it is always best to anchor the subwoofer to a large immovable object like your house.
The way I use my subwoofers is significantly different than say millercarbon. I cross over to them much higher at 125 Hz. This is up into the range that can be located. So my subs have to be arranged around the satellites in a symmetrical pattern to maintain a proper image.
I also have to duplicate the radiation pattern of a line source so that the subs can keep up with the satellites as distance away from the speakers increases. It is certainly true that a bass instrument's higher frequencies and harmonics locate the instrument. The fundamental does not even have to be there. What goes AWOL is the sensation. I can make an EQ preset that chops everything under 40 Hz. Switching back and forth between the normal curve and the 40 Hz chop will not change what you here so much but all the sensation you get being at a live concert will disappear, gone. Those frequencies under 40 Hz are what makes music breath. Unfortunately, it is so easy to corrupt that end of the spectrum with room problems, phase inconsistencies, poor enclosure design and execution, and under powered amplifiers. But, when you get it right it is a beautiful thing.