what is the definition of good bass??

manu4panjab

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hello brothers

i want to know that is it true that a subwoofer which don't have frequency response lower that 25hz is basically a woofer whether it is of 12 inches or 18 inches

and is it real subwoofers are those which can go down below 20 hz
 
Clean bass varies based on whom you ask, and i doubt if anyone can really hear below 25 hz in a normal environment.

The bigger the woofer the easier it is to drive air through the room, but woofer size alone does not define bass quality, the amplification and enclosures play a big role and their tuning.

My definition of clean bass is that which is not boomy or edgy and does not have a thudding decay to it and is well defined and taught like a stretched rubber string, it is clean and smooth like ocean waves coming at you on a shore. Clean bass is not very loud to hear but disappears completely in the spectrum of sound and does not stand out.
 
Here is an example .. :)

Smallmouth bass are now found in lakes and rivers throughout New York, but these fish were not originally widely distributed.

HTH
Cheers
 
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when you hear a "dhol" you can tell whether it is sounding good or bad - if the skin is not stretched, you get a loose bass, but when it is tight you get good bass. That's is one definition.
Get some "dhol" CD and play it on your system. See if you find a good difference between a real dhol being played and being played by your system. Though I think dhol should be in 40+ htz range. For below 40 htz, it would be less of music and more of explosions, collisions, earthquake etc. None of them are very musical.
 
thanks for your assist

but borthers as i say below 20 hz i know we can hear below 20 to 25hz but according to many renowned sites they say good bass must have a frequency response below 25 hz

and one more thing what is meaning of boomy bass

and clean bass mean which blends easily with mains spekaers and don't always sound loud is that right i'm asking this because i first calibrate all the speakers by myself but today i use automatic speaker calibration it set my bass very flat i mean i can hear or feel it but not that much loud i used to

so is automatic calibration seems ok i first set my subwoofer level to -2db but now after automatic calbration it sets it to -9db
 
I cannot explain the definition of good bass but I know what it should sound like & one format that really is king in this department is a record or LP
 
when you hear a "dhol" you can tell whether it is sounding good or bad - if the skin is not stretched, you get a loose bass, but when it is tight you get good bass. That's is one definition.
Get some "dhol" CD and play it on your system. See if you find a good difference between a real dhol being played and being played by your system. Though I think dhol should be in 40+ htz range. For below 40 htz, it would be less of music and more of explosions, collisions, earthquake etc. None of them are very musical.

Good example!
Another indicator of good clean bass output is being able to discern note variations of bass guitar. Of course this is possible only in music having a bass guitar/cello/other bass range instrument.

If you have given too much of Bass boost thru tone control or equalizer settings (usually thats between 60Hz to 120Hz) it will mask the mild bass note overtones (these fall in 200Hz to 2KHz spectrum and make the notes discernible)

Unless you are bass-beat freak, don't give in to the temptation of room overwhelming bass-boost levels. Give only moderate bass boost such that the fundamental note and overtones appear balanced.... and very soon you will notice the efforts a bass guitarist puts in giving a swinging bottom end to songs (many Pop/Rock ballads would be stale without a melodic bass line)

Regards,
 
Hi,

Good Bass means low frequency sounds that are a part of the audio track that tries to give you the impression of the viewer being present at the scene.

As many members suggested, this should not be boomy, less distorted and no hum as all.

The sound from the woofer should augment the other speakers and you should hear as if you're hearing from some single sound source. One should not feel the presence of the sub-woofer.

While its true that human hearing frequency is from 20Hz to 20KHz, this includes the 'roll-off' points as well. The flat part is somewhere between 40Hz-16Khz, and decreases with age or if the ear has been exposed to loud sounds, the threshold varies a lot.

One could try downloading a signal generator software tool and listen to the various frequencies, especially from 1Khz and downwards. It would be noted that once you're below 50Hz, instead of an audible tone, you're literaly feeling the sound, as a pressure from the speaker/headphones, as if someone's blowing into your ears. The very same effect that gives you the good bass.

However not all sub-woofers are capable of this, and instead there may not be any sound or they'd just produce anything that's 50Hz and above, even if there's a component that's below this range, which gives the "poor" bass.

There are other factors that influence the final effect of subwoofers, such as the amount of echo, absorption etc.

Do understand that Bass frequencies have much longer wavelengths, hence its quite often observed that you feel the effect of the subwoofer outside your room/house, instead of it being in your room, which is often mistaken for poor bass/subwoofer.
 
what is the definition of good bass? imagine a musical instrument playing bass to you live. if it sounds the same or closest coming out of a music system then its good
 
Personally I believe too much is made out of numbers when it comes to speaker or subwoofer specifications. It is not necessary for a subwoofer to have a spec listing figures of less than 20 hz capability in order to qualify as a 'sub' woofer :). Anything below 40 Hz typically loses weight when you are using bookshelves, sometimes depending on the size of the speaker, even frequencies below 60 hz are poorly defined. The ideal subwoofer is the one which complements the speakers and aids it by providing adequate support in bringing out these low frequency signals without distortion and without overriding the speaker's output. The name of the game is gelling well and very few subwoofers can meld with a system and make you feel that there is not a third box which is actually bringing out the lower frequencies.

Good bass - I think the definition is a personal one. Some like it heavy and hanging. Others like it sharp and to the point. These are just personal preferences. Musically it is important to be sharp and precise with little or no overhang. For movies it generally is impressive to listen the sub overpower your front speakers when there are explosions. But over time, the funky effect generally wears away. The place of a subwoofer is primarily in aiding the speakers' output by bringing out the bass. Not by overpowering them. That is my view.
 
Personally I believe too much is made out of numbers when it comes to speaker or subwoofer specifications. It is not necessary for a subwoofer to have a spec listing figures of less than 20 hz capability in order to qualify as a 'sub' woofer :). Anything below 40 Hz typically loses weight when you are using bookshelves, sometimes depending on the size of the speaker, even frequencies below 60 hz are poorly defined. The ideal subwoofer is the one which complements the speakers and aids it by providing adequate support in bringing out these low frequency signals without distortion and without overriding the speaker's output. The name of the game is gelling well and very few subwoofers can meld with a system and make you feel that there is not a third box which is actually bringing out the lower frequencies.

Good bass - I think the definition is a personal one. Some like it heavy and hanging. Others like it sharp and to the point. These are just personal preferences. Musically it is important to be sharp and precise with little or no overhang. For movies it generally is impressive to listen the sub overpower your front speakers when there are explosions. But over time, the funky effect generally wears away. The place of a subwoofer is primarily in aiding the speakers' output by bringing out the bass. Not by overpowering them. That is my view.

bhai +1 to that
 
Clean bass varies based on whom you ask, and i doubt if anyone can really hear below 25 hz in a normal environment.

The bigger the woofer the easier it is to drive air through the room, but woofer size alone does not define bass quality, the amplification and enclosures play a big role and their tuning.

QUOTE]

Not Exactly true...but also true :)

Below 50 hz sound is not just aureal (listening) but tactile (Feel) as well. thats what you get with a sub.

Music recordings can go down to 16Hz and true clean bass will let you feel and hear that music.

Good clean bass means there is no overhang, sounds clean and it is not just a 1 tone "Thump" which many entry level subwoofers give.

ideally, if you remove the main speakers and have only the subwoofer connected with the crossover at max (usually 150 Hz) .. music in that range should be clear and not muddled
 
hello brothers

i want to know that is it true that a subwoofer which don't have frequency response lower that 25hz is basically a woofer whether it is of 12 inches or 18 inches

and is it real subwoofers are those which can go down below 20 hz

hi, i jst got a chance to listen to a Velodyne spl 1200R in my friends shop, man!! thats the real definition of ghoood bass, do try to audition this sub its too damn good ,so is the pricing (abt 1.2)
 
hi,
consider that you are 6ft tall and you are standing in front of a team of 50 men, each having height of 5ft 8". all are white. only 1 has curly hair. now because you are taller, you will just notice that man with curly hair. you will know that he is around but he won't disturb you. that is a good bass.now if that man is 5ft 10" tall , you will notice him more. in fact your attention will be repeatedly drawn to him. that is a loud bass but still okay. now consider that the same man is 6ft tall and has curly hair and is black. now your attention will be fixed on him. you will start ignoring others. you will feel that he cannot be a part of the team and you would feel like replacing him with someone more suitable.that is overpowering and boomy bass.

so a good bass is the one where you just feel its presence but it won't overwhelm the other frequencies. a good bass will knock on your eardrum rather than banging. you will know that it is there but you can't separate it out form rest of the sound.

that is my definition of good bass
 
very racist indeed!

hi,
consider that you are 6ft tall and you are standing in front of a team of 50 men, each having height of 5ft 8". all are white. only 1 has curly hair. now because you are taller, you will just notice that man with curly hair. you will know that he is around but he won't disturb you. that is a good bass.now if that man is 5ft 10" tall , you will notice him more. in fact your attention will be repeatedly drawn to him. that is a loud bass but still okay. now consider that the same man is 6ft tall and has curly hair and is black. now your attention will be fixed on him. you will start ignoring others. you will feel that he cannot be a part of the team and you would feel like replacing him with someone more suitable.that is overpowering and boomy bass.

so a good bass is the one where you just feel its presence but it won't overwhelm the other frequencies. a good bass will knock on your eardrum rather than banging. you will know that it is there but you can't separate it out form rest of the sound.

that is my definition of good bass
 
What you probably need to do is listen to someone playing a real bass guitar or upright fretless. Once you hear (or rather, not hear) something like that you will know what real bass is. It is difficult to know what is good and what is not if you've never heard the original instrument.


>>> very well said. i was lucky to get some basic lessons in spanish guitar and drums. so i know how Spanish guitar should sound and how a snare/hi hat/cymbal or bass drum should sound. of course each instrument has its own timbre and one guitar differs from the other. about the electronic instruments, i think their original sound depends on the original amplifier used. these instrument do not move amuch air on their own . whatever small vibrations they produce is picked up by a pick up", sent to the amp and then played through it. so it is coloured by the amp properties. try to listen to an electric guitar with different amps and then without an amp and you will know what i am saying.
 
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