[mikeg88]

I have a (somewhat baseless) theory.

It starts with the observation that a huge population of headphone devotees like bass. Now, I know there are a huge variety of tastes what is a "good" presentation of the lower frequencies, but if I may, for the "average" portable user (those who don't use or even know about headphone amps etc.) why does bass matter so much? When letting a friend of mine try my Shure's, I got the response I've heard SO many times over: "ewwww, this headphone sucks...it has no bass!"

So this person, like many is simply responding to his/her insticts. He/she has neglected the fact that (while my shure's don't have a heavy bass presentation), they are well controlled, smooth, detailed, and have really low impedance which is great for portable players. Shure headphones are great, by many people's standards, so why don't the aforementioned people consider these other factors? Do they not know they exist?

So now comes my theory, which is that people prefer a bass heavy presentation because it scares them. On a primal level, perhaps we have a certain response to lower frequencies. Just like animals (ie lions which have really deep roars), humans are indimidated by deep sounds.
Think of being barked at really loudly by a dog when you were a kid.
Maybe deep sounds continue to impress and intimidate us in our adult lives, and unknowingly, we seek a heavy bass presentation of our music off pure instinct.

Please comment...I'd like to hear if anyone else has thought this before...

M

 

[Nowhere]

i am by no means a basshead but i just like bass because i always liked the droning sound... like the gong that delayed drone of sound.

i doubt it has anything to do with primal or scared or anything hehe... just a particular sound i am interested in.

but i can get tired of bass too... my favorite sound is guitars/piano/violin.

 

[goober-george]

I think its because in todays generation, music is pumped full of bass and losing all clarity and detail. I guess they just don't know any better, kind of brainwashed into thinking bloated bass=good. Theres this great video on youtube called stop the loudness war explains alot about how music is recorded today.

 

[jgonino]

I think Bose is to blame. They always make sure to mention BASS about 400 times per ad.

 

[Mush]

im a leo me likey the lion's roar

 

[Mush]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeg88 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a (somewhat baseless) theory. It starts with the observation that a huge population of headphone devotees like bass. Now, I know there are a huge variety of tastes what is a "good" presentation of the lower frequencies, but if I may, for the "average" portable user (those who don't use or even know about headphone amps etc.) why does bass matter so much? When letting a friend of mine try my Shure's, I got the response I've heard SO many times over: "ewwww, this headphone sucks...it has no bass!" So this person, like many is simply responding to his/her insticts. He/she has neglected the fact that (while my shure's don't have a heavy bass presentation), they are well controlled, smooth, detailed, and have really low impedance which is great for portable players. Shure headphones are great, by many people's standards, so why don't the aforementioned people consider these other factors? Do they not know they exist? So now comes my theory, which is that people prefer a bass heavy presentation because it scares them. On a primal level, perhaps we have a certain response to lower frequencies. Just like animals (ie lions which have really deep roars), humans are indimidated by deep sounds. Think of being barked at really loudly by a dog when you were a kid. Maybe deep sounds continue to impress and intimidate us in our adult lives, and unknowingly, we seek a heavy bass presentation of our music off pure instinct. Please comment...I'd like to hear if anyone else has thought this before... M

i nevered feared a dog's bark and i am intrigued by a lion's roar

 

[wrecked_porsche]

Its because our ancestors from thousands of years ago played tribal drums which were full of bass. Its in our DNA to enjoy bass. Drum 'N Bass anyone?

 

[fordgtlover]

I do solid bass - but not stupid teenage car overdone type bass - because it adds body and weight to the music.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Huh?

It's all about the mids. The range of human speech is most important because our ears and brains are tuned for maximum sensitivity there. Bring on the K-501s, electrostats, ribbons, planars, and singledrivers. And tubes and SET topologies. That's where it's at for me.

 

[Nattydraddy]

If you want to get stimulated by the music, you need drum and bass. ´Cause the rythmn is in there, in the mids are the melodies.

I get "scared" by upper mids (6000-8000 Hz). That hurts. Bass gives me a comfortable feeling.

I´m more a person who wan´t to relax. But the threadstarter mentioned portable headphones, which i use at sports, by walking etc. And there i like some stimulation.

 

[Kees]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goober-george /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think its because in todays generation, music is pumped full of bass and losing all clarity and detail. I guess they just don't know any better, kind of brainwashed into thinking bloated bass=good. Theres this great video on youtube called stop the loudness war explains alot about how music is recorded today.

X2.
It seems that for a large part of the population their music is geared to pump as much bass into them as possible. Gear that helps doing that has obviously their preference.

Edit: Nothing wrong with that by the way, just a very limited approach to "music".

 

[ken36]

Detail and clarity trumps bass, in my opinion.

 

[mikeg88]

Wow I like the range of responses - I agree with many, and others not so much. Thanks for the feedback.

M

 

[onlysleeping]

I like bass cans cause I can't have bass in the apartment

But I don't like muddy ugly bass, like when an earplug is just pressed against the ear canal and you just hear loud lousy noise.

 

[Ogresmash]

I think it has a lot to do with the quality of headphones that most people buy. In almost all cheap headphones, the mids and highs sound fake, but the bass sounds much more realistic. This is partially because it's easier to reproduce, and partially because humans don't hear bass so much as they "feel" it. People get used to heavy bass covering up plastic mids and rolled-offs highs, and it becomes hard to adjust to a headphone that provides high quality mids and highs that don't need to be covered up.

Some people just plain like bass, just like some prefer Grados and AKGs, which are relatively light on bass and focused on mids/highs.