Sound Reproduction

CHAPTER 13

Making (Bass) Waves—Below the Transition Frequency

Bass is extremely important, and it matters in both quantity and quality. The phrase “deep, clean, and tight” comes to mind. We want to hear the lowest rumbles of the pipe organ and synthesizer, the body-shaking punch of a kick drum, the rhythmic throb of a good bass guitar riff, and the solid foundation of the acoustic bass in a jazz trio. We don't want individual notes to be omitted or accentuated. We don't want overhang on transient sounds. We want it all.

But we rarely get it. Real-world experience is that bass reproduction in small rooms is a game of chance because rooms are different from one another. Different listening positions in the same room can sound different. We get ...