[bigshot]

Getting the crossover between the mains and subwoofer to be smooth and even is quite a trick. It took me a lot of tweaking to get mine to hand off properly. I kept hearing descending bass lines that would get louder at 80-100Hz and then drop back to the right volume again. I forget which song it is, but there is a Beatles song on Magical Mystery Tour where the bass guitar walks it down several octaves. Each note should be the same volume, but it wasn't easy to get it like that.

But bass sounds awful if it's *always* there. It should lay back when it isn't in the music and come forward when it is. I hear a lot of people with 150-200Hz bumps that make it sound like bass is always there. It gets tiring to listen to like that.

 

[Marleybob217]

Getting the crossover between the mains and subwoofer to be smooth and even is quite a trick. It took me a lot of tweaking to get mine to hand off properly. I kept hearing descending bass lines that would get louder at 80-100Hz and then drop back to the right volume again. I forget which song it is, but there is a Beatles song on Magical Mystery Tour where the bass guitar walks it down several octaves. Each note should be the same volume, but it wasn't easy to get it like that.

But bass sounds awful if it's *always* there. It should lay back when it isn't in the music and come forward when it is. I hear a lot of people with 150-200Hz bumps that make it sound like bass is always there. It gets tiring to listen to like that.

Exactly my opinion. Although I'd rather have a warm-ish sound, than a purely bright one. Atleast bass doesn't hurt your ears, like sibilance does.

 

[fengyoujin]

i listen to something like jazz that's mastered well, I don't get that feeling at all. thanks 

 

[pookeyhead]

I think the reason is simple.  You can FEEL bass in a loudspeaker based hi-fi system..  you can't with headphones. The majority of people will feel they're missing something at the bottom end.
 
As others have said..  the subwoofer has a lot to answer for.  Actually...  a badly set up subwoofer is to blame.  Most people have them set fat too high.

 

[Marleybob217]

  I think the reason is simple.  You can FEEL bass in a loudspeaker based hi-fi system..  you can't with headphones. The majority of people will feel they're missing something at the bottom end.
 
As others have said..  the subwoofer has a lot to answer for.  Actually...  a badly set up subwoofer is to blame.  Most people have them set fat too high.

You can feel the bass with headphones/IEMs just fine, but it's limited to you ears! 
 
Feeling the bass hit you in the chest and stomach is really awesome though.

 

[proton007]

Two ways to look at it.
 
-- Traditionally, bass created by a double bass, and jazz is the best example. They don't even use a bass drum. Orchestras use a combination of bass drums and double bass.
-- Electronic/Pop music with an electronic bass line.
 
So, bass is supposed to be present when needed, not unnecessarily thumping all the time. Its there to create that foundation note upon which the rest of the music is based.
 
Also, the 'thumping' bass is more of an electronic invention. A traditional bass instrument will never give that kick in the chest like modern music has.

 

[dead99]

  maybe because it's the easiest thing to hear. 
 
It's much easier to test than, say, treble extension.
And as most people don't care about sound quality, they want something that impress them at the first listen, this thing is bass. 
 

Thats just the strategy Beats is using. just drown the bad sound in bass.

 

[HPiper]

I had an idea for all the people who demand headphones with good bass. Get a couple of 6 inch subwoofers, connect a leather strap between them with a good amount of padding on it, then put some more padding on the face of them with grills removed. Run you some good 18 gauge wire to each and wire it to a headphone jack. Specify an amp requirement of at lest 150 watts per channel. Put it on, plug it in, and crank up the volume. Now you can hear the bass AND feel it. The purists will be happy, no crossovers to worry about, nothing in the signal path at all. Easy cable upgrades too.

 

[TMRaven]

You could just take some closed headphones and hum to the song while it's playing.  BASSSSS.

 

[radiofrog]

...there is a Beatles song on Magical Mystery Tour where the bass guitar walks it down several octaves. Each note should be the same volume, but it wasn't easy to get it like that.

 
Thanks for that tip, bigshot!  Do you have any other suggestions/techniques that might help out in getting that crossover smooth?

 

[bigshot]

Tchaikovsky's Marche Slav on Living Stereo. I think it's Reiner... If you can get the relationship between the cellos and double basses right with this, everything else will fall into line. Also, put on a blu-ray like Insidious at the end and see if your lower bass is too high. That movie pegs the sub if it's out of alignment.

 

[TonyVier]

Probably the answer to why people like bass is somewhere to be found in our evolutionary history. Maybe the drums in Africa as someone suggested, (as a sign of safety in the community, a sense of belonging).

This may give a clue:

http://www.theguardian.com/science/audio/2008/aug/18/science.weekly.podcast

 

[pookeyhead]

Probably the answer to why people like bass is somewhere to be found in our evolutionary history. Maybe the drums in Africa as someone suggested, (as a sign of safety in the community, a sense of belonging).
 

That implies racial or genetic memory, and there appears to be no proof that such a think exists...  not in humans anyway.

 

[TonyVier]

Oh, yes there is a lot of proof that "genetic memory" exists. We are not born as blank slates, we come with build in skills, preferences, a concept of the physical world, basic morality, basic concepts of grammar/language. And since music is closely related to language, neurological wise, one can safely assume we are born with music/sound preferences (and skills) which have been developed in our millions years of evolution.

 

[TonyVier]

But not only genetically determined abilities/preferences are in play, although they are a prerequisite. Also aquired preferences and learning are:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131030185525.htm

As birds have their mating sounds "build in" we have a lot "build in" as well. Of course this is not a literal memory, it's a pre-disposition.