Frequency response range for stereo speakers

john_k_antony

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2009
Messages
1,104
Points
83
Location
Bangalore
Hi,

I have been having this question for a while. What is the good frequency response range for a speaker system that is only used for music. The music genre includes Bass heavy Rock, Pop, Indian classical instruments, India movie music and very rarely Electronic dance music.

Is a speaker system that can do 40-50Hz to 20KHz good enough for music listening for the above mentioned genre? I like deep bass that doesn't sound boomy.

I have seen stereo speakers that can all the way down to 15Hz. Do you really need stereo speakers to do frequencies at 15-20Hz? Or do we need speakers that can go all the way down to 20Hz to sound good in a large sized room with a listening distance of 20ft from the speakers?

Thanks,
John.
 
Speakers that can do 40-18,000 Hz are more than enough for most genres. Anything below and above adds to the feel.

Also, to do below and above that range is not as easy as it is to desire. Those are the boundaries beyond which speakers start to become expensive.
 
There are a lot of variables which impact what we would ultimately hear. A good way to eliminate the boom is to pad up your room (or atleast the corners nearest to the speakers) with some sound-absorbing material. I've read about audiophiles raising the height of speakers off the ground to reduce boom. Heavy metal music is best listened to without boom (with deep bass) and a roll off on the mids. Speakers good for listening to an orchestra would sound pathetic with rock. That's why one is not likely to see speakers that produce the so-called "realistic" sound in a metalhead's home.
 
Good is anything you want it to be in your mind.

Frequency response should not be used as a hard and fast rule to measure the quality of a speaker. But a relative indication of the extreme limitations of the speaker. Telling you what to not expect.

The large chunk of human hearing is mid-range of 100hz-16khz. But that does not mean we dont pick up highs and lows. It just means that midrange is the largest range we HEAR. Deep bass is not heard, it is felt. At ordinary sound pressure levels, most humans can hear down to about 20 Hz.To accurately reproduce the lowest tones, a woofer, or group of woofers, must move an appropriately large volume of air; a task that becomes more difficult at lower frequencies. The larger the room, the more air the woofer's movement will have to displace in order to produce the required sound power at low frequencies.

As far as do you really need 15hz? it depends on the type of music you listen to.
If the majority of music you listen to has vocals only which often dont go down to 20-40hz then you should spend money on a setup that specializes better in 40hz+.

Where as suppose you listen to electronic music where tones are fed directly to electronics from their creation as VERSUS recorded through a mic, these electronic tones can often go down to the deepest reaches of pure bass. In such a case if you have a speaker that goes down to 15hz, can reproduce those tones.

However there are many different types of bass.

1. Excursion based cone air displacing bass
2. Large surface area travelling shorter distances
3. Acoustic bass generated from spatial design

Deep bass is more of a physical body experience rather than auditory experience through ears.
You have to have all bass, midbass, mids, upper mids and highs functioning as a cohesive being.
 
Last edited:
I have been having this question for a while. What is the good frequency response range for a speaker system that is only used for music. The music genre includes Bass heavy Rock, Pop, Indian classical instruments, India movie music and very rarely Electronic dance music.

For bass heavy rock you need amps with muscle behind the speakers first. I would recommend something in the 200 W range to get you going. The more the better. Amps in this power range are able to open up speakers even at nominal sound levels (8 to 9 o clock on the volume dial) which will greatly enhance your listening experience for rock music.

my 0.02!
 
Thanks for the details guys.

I was planning to get a high efficiency speakers (99db-102db) that can do low end upto 25Hz, paired with a low output tube amp (10-15wpc).

So do you mean to say that for deep bass, that is rather felt than heard, do I need to look for high power SS amp (200wpc+) and a speaker that can handle such power? If I have to go this route, would a hybrid approach give me best of both worlds? Like a tube pre-amp and a high power SS power amp which will give me warmth of a tube setup and the power of the SS? I am yet to check out the similar combo from AP.

-John.
 
John,

I am using the AP PM1 Tube Pre + CPA3 Dual Mono Power and I can say that it handles rock very well. The tube Pre is amazing and the SS Power is muscle with finesse. I am really happy with it and would recommend it as a very capable amp. However there may be other ways to go about this. As they say - many ways to skin a cat.

(But it helps to have a sharp knife!)

Cheers!
 
Thanks for the details guys.

I was planning to get a high efficiency speakers (99db-102db) that can do low end upto 25Hz, paired with a low output tube amp (10-15wpc).

So do you mean to say that for deep bass, that is rather felt than heard, do I need to look for high power SS amp (200wpc+) and a speaker that can handle such power? If I have to go this route, would a hybrid approach give me best of both worlds? Like a tube pre-amp and a high power SS power amp which will give me warmth of a tube setup and the power of the SS? I am yet to check out the similar combo from AP.

-John.

Which high efficiency speaker do you have in mind?
 
Investing in a powerful amp is a wrong way to get loudness. Every speaker has a loudness level till which it will play comfortably. Pushed beyond that limit it will distort.

A powerful amp allows for better control, not for higher loudness. Even a 500mW amp can drive a 3 inch full ranger to very high volumes. What really helps produce loud sound is larger cone area.

Speakers with large cone area are not easy to make, nor are that easy to control. Its much easier to make small cone drivers and put an array of them in an enclosure to get the loudness. Genres such as Rock, Electronic, R&B will play very well with this kind of arrangement.

Good speakers with large cone area (Tannoy, Altec, JBL, Diatone) are not cheap. Implementing them also requires higher expertise with the enclosure. However, once properly implemented, they provide loud, well controlled, effortless, uncompressed rendition of music that is truly a pleasure to listen to.
 
another thing, i've noticed

For metal, you've got to have speakers that give you aggressive highs. Once when on a trip to UK, I remember being invited to a customer's home. He was using a Linn system with floorstanders and played the track, "be good to yourself" by Journey on it for us (since he knew that I was into Heavy metal and that was the closest he could get, from his collection). I must say, I thought to myself, Linn equipment is nothing but junk. The highs sounded very mello and dry resulting in poor aggression from the lead and rhythms. The bass tonked. The overall feel was like a speaker was placed in an earthen pot. I have heard some really kick ass speakers on a tear during rock concerts, especially JBL. Now, that how you'd love to listen to Master of Puppets or Sad but True. I think the original recording of Sad but True is the best for testing equipment from a metal head perspective. The original version of Judas Priest's "Painkiller" is also a good option. Live Bites by scorpions is a great album for the live feel, so is the AC DC Live Collector's Edition box set.

and yes, you've got to have a powerful amp to drive your speakers, its simple...the less the power of your amp, the less the overall dimension of your music at low levels, atleast that what i have noticed.

My 2 cents.
 
Last edited:
Hi,

I have been having this question for a while. What is the good frequency response range for a speaker system that is only used for music. The music genre includes Bass heavy Rock, Pop, Indian classical instruments, India movie music and very rarely Electronic dance music.

Is a speaker system that can do 40-50Hz to 20KHz good enough for music listening for the above mentioned genre? I like deep bass that doesn't sound boomy.

I have seen stereo speakers that can all the way down to 15Hz. Do you really need stereo speakers to do frequencies at 15-20Hz? Or do we need speakers that can go all the way down to 20Hz to sound good in a large sized room with a listening distance of 20ft from the speakers?

Thanks,
John.

40Hz to 20kHz is fine BUT with within what decibel range?
3 dB is tolerable
6 dB is easily perceivable
12dB is utter misguidance
 
Order your Rega Turntables & Amplifiers from HiFiMART.com - India's reputed online dealer.
Back
Top