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Loud vs. Tactile Bass

I’m wondering what the difference is between loud and tactile bass or if there is any (I believe there is), and how to get more tactile bass, especially low bass notes. I’m defining tactile bass as bass you can feel throughout your body as opposed to just loud bass you hear. I know there’s a relationship with frequencies with low infrasonic notes being predominantly felt instead of heard (although most bass notes can be felt if loud enough), and a relationship with volume where the bass has to be loud enough to be tactile. But there is more to it based on my experiences. I’ve heard a pair of 10” subs in a car and even though they had low tuning they seemed to get loud without as much tactile sensations compared to a single 15” subwoofer which seemed more tactile at all volume levels and way more tactile at high volume levels. Both scenarios had similar cone surface areas. I’ve heard Paul McGowen mention that larger subwoofers “couple” to the air better but outside of him using that term I’ve never seen it mentioned. I’ve also tried to Google search tactile bass but almost all the results are about bass shakers you attach to your listening chair. What are your thoughts?

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mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,005 posts
 

Your distinction is right OP and on target...

All headphones i ever used were able to give deep loud bass...

Not one give me tactile bass... Save my modified AKG K340 ... I listen big organ bass notes in a church with my toes and body ... The first time i was so surprized it felt like an acoustic hallucination...

 The reason is the way the dynamic  membrane  of this hybrid headphone and his 5 tuned  passive resonators acting as woofer are  able to go deeper without loosing any power under 40 hertz to 25 hertz, without any flowing from the deep bass in the mid bass ...

Erik_squires  will be able to explain it better than me about membrane design ...

 

kennyc
1,450 posts
 

My preference is for a tight accurate articulated bass that sonically seamlessly blends in with the rest of the audio frequency band that sounds like real instruments playing - sonic quality is the most important. I do not care for loud distorted bass often heard in cars which doesn’t sound like a real instrument. Feeling tactile bass is not a priority either.

In search for an articulate subwoofer, seems the Perlisten D212s/D215s might be one of the best - iirc a reviewer felt the room pressurize without hearing anything (it was below human hearing ability).

kijanki's avatar
kijanki
4,428 posts
 

Many years ago I replaced 2.5 way with a bit larger 3 way speakers - same 30Hz extension, same amount of bass, equally tactile.
The difference was in the sound of the bass - attack and decay, became more natural, more melodic.   IMHO it is not between amount or speed, but the overall sound of the bass.

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,005 posts
 

Very good description ...thanks..

The organ playing timbre as said kijanki is more definite because the playing timbre is defined by this attack and decay time, then the bass is not only there by amount or speed as said kijanki as much as musically there by the power of the attack with a clear sustained decay time...Timbre perception is the heart of music and acoustic perception....

Bass tone are not mere number in decibel and frequencies, their are for a musician a timbre with his attack and decay time . The way an headphone or speakers are able to convey the timbre tactile experience to the ears and especially to the body is what matter...It is not only about decibels and frequencies even if it is important for sure..

The difference was in the sound of the bass - attack and decay, became more natural, more melodic. IMHO it is not between amount or speed, but the overall sound of the bass.

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