sub bass vs mid bass

We mostly can hear down until about 20hz, I can hear 18hz. Sub-bass lies in the frequencies from 20hz to 80hz. Through my JH13 Pro's I can easily differentiate between sub-bass and mid bass. Sub-bass is more of a rumble and feel while mid-bass is the punchy or boom part of the bass. Also, the Monster Beats though sounding decent isn't a headphone you'll want to be using to testing things.

From what I understand, the lowest octave humans can hear spans the 20 to 40 Hz range, and I would call that sub-bass. Mid-bass would be a couple of octaves higher than that. However, just because a headphone manufacturer lists that their headphone can go down that low, doesn' mean you will actually be able to hear those frequencies on that headphone because they may be very rolled off and buried beneath the rest of the sound.

Also, there are few recordings except for audiophile grade masters that include the lowest octave of bass.  IMO, the recorded source is very often the weak link in the chain. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiFlight 

Also, there are few recordings except for audiophile grade masters that include the lowest octave of bass.  IMO, the recorded source is very often the weak link in the chain.

Very true then next up in line is the headphone, earphone or speaker.

Here's an interesting chart that might help understand this:

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

thanx for the link - very useful :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkswordsman17 

Here's an interesting chart that might help understand this:

 

http://www.independentrecording.net/irn/resources/freqchart/main_display.htm

I am so glad this keeps getting reposted.

It's a great tool.

Thanks so much!

shane
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonic 748i 

Very true then next up in line is the headphone, earphone or speaker.

Yeah, but I'd put the human ear / brain interface somewhere up there too...
 

shane

Quote:

Originally Posted by shane55 

Yeah, but I'd put the human ear / brain interface somewhere up there too...
 

shane

Oh, lol, that's first of course.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by sennfan1975 

I almost forgot it..how about upper bass?Does it sound punchy?

 

It's more of a tone.

grado RS1 (not only RS1) has a lot upper bass (i say 90hrz and up) that's the main reason they have a lot of punch to them,but they lack deep bass (almost non at all) and also midbass imo.  

by they way,I found the M50 to have very nice deep bass both in quantity and quality. I like them more over the denon in that regard because the denon has too strong midbass hump that interfere with the deep bass and the M50 don't have that problem..just the way i see it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by plonter 

grado RS1 (not only RS1) has a lot upper bass (i say 90hrz and up) that's the main reason they have a lot of punch to them,but they lack deep bass (almost non at all) and also midbass imo.  

by they way,I found the M50 to have very nice deep bass both in quantity and quality. I like them more over the denon in that regard because the denon has too strong midbass hump that interfere with the deep bass and the M50 don't have that problem..just the way i see it.

Wait what?

http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=283&graphID[]=183
 

Can't talk about the quality but quantity wise the M50 have much more of a bass emphasis compared to the rest of the frequencies especially the midbass. I guess it might be true with the D5000 but even so the M50 have more of a midbass hump in comparsion to the rest of the frequencies.

Now to OP

You can hear the sub-bass quite easily. Just not in today's synthetic music where the midbass dominates so even if there is sub bass it is completely covered. Get a pair of D7000 and if you can hear a distant rumble then you are hitting the sub-bass. The thumps are all mid-bass.