[Spyro]

In sort of a tangent from the other Bass BA driver thread......
 
I was pretty set on thinking W4 had among best bass of universals.  Great extension and great texture due to 2 bass drivers.
 
Now I'm am listening to UMPro30.  Much larger single bass driver.  Definitely more kick and more slam and it seems the texture is still all there.
 
SO.....W4 defintely doesn't have the amount of bass as Pro30.  Pro 30 has no mid bass hump so it is solid from that standpoint and does NOT bleed into the midrange.  I think I am preferring the EFFORTLESS bass of Pro30 more.
 
Can any of this be measured and what does it really mean?  Can they both extend the same but one have more "oomph" behind it?
 
Is measuring bass different than measuring treble and midrange?  Bass can extend deep but if there is no "oomph" behind it there is a problem.  Is the "oomph" portion measurable?

 

[bigshot]

It's not about frequency extension so much as frequency balance. And yes, balance can be measured. It's exactly the same as treble and midrange.

 

[Spyro]

What balance? Balance to the other frequencies within the same presentation?

Does SPL come into play? so many say ER4 bass is superior to JH13 bass but my ears hear different. I suppose the higher JH13 SPL messes everything up?

 

[bigshot]

What balance? Balance to the other frequencies within the same presentation?

 
Exactly. When some frequencies are louder than others, an auditory principle called masking comes into play. A boost at one frequency can completely cancel out frequencies an octave above. Get a few spikes in the wrong places and the response turns into swiss cheese.
 
That mid bass bump can cancel out the upper bass and completely remove the pluck of the bass (which is what I think you are referring to as "texture")

 

[Kaffeemann]

Distortion and decay also play a role in perceived bass quality. Both can be measured.

 

[SP Wild]

The slew rate of bass drivers are regularly measured.