Midbass, is it possible to get any from a FR?

[DJNUBZ]

So I have recently listened to some great car audio systems, something I have not head in quite some time. We all know that it's easy to get good bass in a car. Midbass is where many sound systems fall flat. Now that I have heard midbass so dynamic it makes you flinch in a car, I want to do it in my house. What I want to know is if it is possible to get tight and precise midbass from a full range driver or if that is just asking to much from a single driver.

[vinylkid58]

Originally Posted by DJNUBZ

What I want to know is if it is possible to get tight and precise midbass from a full range driver

Sure.

jeff

[LCole]

Try rear firing transmission line cabinets placed near the corners of the room. Move around to taste.



I've built some speakers similar to these using just a 4.5 full range driver in place of the woofer. Could probably have used the helper tweeter but still amazing what they do for a low priced, minimum effort build. Good bass extension - just my opinion but they seem to hold up well on jazz, blues, adult contempory guitar and bass solos-- with not much lacking throughout the mid bass region. I'm not sure if I can recommend these speakers for complex music such as rock and metal, but then again maybe that fault lies more in the driver rather then the design itself.

If you've got some full range drivers and some scrap lying about (I think mine were roughly 11 x 6 1/4 x 9 with ~ 40" line length) and only a couple hours to kill, build yourself a set. Leave one side open so you have access to the line as there seems be a million ways to stuff these things to taste.

[planet10]

First off what do you mean when you say midbass? It is defined as the octave from 40-80 Hz.

This is at the low end limits of many FRs and below that of some of our favorites. But yes, it is possible to get good midbass out of a FR.

dave

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by DJNUBZ

Now that I have heard midbass so dynamic it makes you flinch in a car, I want to do it in my house. What I want to know is if it is possible to get tight and precise midbass from a full range driver or if that is just asking to much from a single driver.

I think you have guessed the answer. I bet there are many "full-range" systems that are running with super tweeters and subwoofers. I think that many drivers that are called full-range should really be called wide-band, because there are limits to the range over which a particular driver will perform best.

Back to car bass in the home. The only time I have heard dynamics in a home system approaching the best that I have heard in a car was in a high end 5.1 home theatre system comprising big B&W front, centre and rear speakers (the rears were floorstanders) and two subwoofers. This tells me that it will take a lot (cost and effort-wise) to get equivalent performance in the home. Specifically, I think, because the typical HT/audio room in a house is so lossy acoustically in comparison with a car. For instance, car systems seem to have much more power vs. SPL on hand in comparison to home systems; this is already a plus for dynamics. Bass in a car is more tactile due to the apparent pressurisation that the cabin experiences (I say apparent because this is only my unproven theory based on subjective observation; other more knowledgeable can comment on what causes the effect).

The short answer to your question, I believe, is: "With much difficulty".

[LCole]

If you have the space- build a small room using the aproximate area of a van interior. Load it up with your 'dream sound' audio componants and have fun. For added realism you can loosely screw a license plate to the door of your new audio enclosure for that added realism and hope you have a very understanding significant other.

Snarky? Maybe. But could possibly work.

Earlier post, I was defining mid bass as being in the 60- 100hz region. My bad. My little monitors have a useable low range but not likely to satisfy if trying to create a car's interior.

[Scottmoose]

Given the car analogy & the 'flinching', I would assume we're talking midbass as in roughly the octave 60Hz - 120Hz, where the majority of bass energy in rock (prog. & some metal aside), & a lot of classical (concert grands & organ music aside) is concentrated.

Equivalent to a car? I'd say almost impossible to achieve in a house with one driver, sans a ruddy big horn. Air volume is too great. Wideband with a couple of sealed 15in pro-audio woofers might get in the region, depending on the size room in question & how well damped it is.

[planet10]

Originally Posted by Scottmoose

I would assume we're talking midbass as in roughly the octave 60Hz - 120Hz, where the majority of bass energy in rock (prog. & some metal aside), & a lot of classical (concert grands & organ music aside) is concentrated.

half-n-half

20-40 Low Bass
40-80 Mid Bass
80-160 Upper Bass
160-2500 mid range (4 octaves)
2500-20k treble (3 octaves)

dave

[freddi]

Karlson couplers are probably the champ for "hit" in that region.

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by LCole

If you have the space- build a small room using the aproximate area of a van interior. Load it up with your 'dream sound' audio componants and have fun. For added realism you can loosely screw a license plate to the door of your new audio enclosure for that added realism and hope you have a very understanding significant other.

Snarky? Maybe. But could possibly work.

Earlier post, I was defining mid bass as being in the 60- 100hz region. My bad. My little monitors have a useable low range but not likely to satisfy if trying to create a car's interior.

Originally Posted by Scottmoose

Given the car analogy & the 'flinching', I would assume we're talking midbass as in roughly the octave 60Hz - 120Hz, where the majority of bass energy in rock (prog. & some metal aside), & a lot of classical (concert grands & organ music aside) is concentrated.

Equivalent to a car? I'd say almost impossible to achieve in a house with one driver, sans a ruddy big horn. Air volume is too great. Wideband with a couple of sealed 15in pro-audio woofers might get in the region, depending on the size room in question & how well damped it is.

FWIW, I think these are both saying the same thing


now, for my own exercise in snark - the quest to translate any of the "qualities" of a car audio system in a home environment is setting the bar rather low, doncha think?