Hi all,
calling all audiophile friends,
this question is about how low can you go and especially how low it's healthy.
I am not going to details, but I am fond of flat frequency response, extended both frequency ends (I still believe I can hear well) and dynamic yet sweet sound. So both of my systems use high efficiency speakers with classA tube amps on mid/top and high current ss amps on woofers. Anyway, both systems utilize 31-band digital equalizer to flatten the room response. It is quite transparent, but it makes quite an impact. For 90% of recordings its perfect. For some, it's disaster. The problem is, audiophiles call some of those cd's perfect, I call them disaster. Like Cowboy Junkies "Lay it dow" when played quiet or loud it shakes the whole house and resonated in foundation with ovewhelming bass. I can hear just the bass in basement two floors down.
That's with bass equalized flat to 20Hz. My bass section has no problem with that, just my ears do.
So the question is, to equalize to 20 Hz flat or not.
What are your thoughts.
ed
calling all audiophile friends,
this question is about how low can you go and especially how low it's healthy.
I am not going to details, but I am fond of flat frequency response, extended both frequency ends (I still believe I can hear well) and dynamic yet sweet sound. So both of my systems use high efficiency speakers with classA tube amps on mid/top and high current ss amps on woofers. Anyway, both systems utilize 31-band digital equalizer to flatten the room response. It is quite transparent, but it makes quite an impact. For 90% of recordings its perfect. For some, it's disaster. The problem is, audiophiles call some of those cd's perfect, I call them disaster. Like Cowboy Junkies "Lay it dow" when played quiet or loud it shakes the whole house and resonated in foundation with ovewhelming bass. I can hear just the bass in basement two floors down.
That's with bass equalized flat to 20Hz. My bass section has no problem with that, just my ears do.
So the question is, to equalize to 20 Hz flat or not.
What are your thoughts.
ed
I feel that anything below 50 hz should be equalized "to taste". Flat isn't always better, although I do prefer my system as flat as possible too. I guess you just can't win them all.
-Justin
-Justin
I do not think is very common
that music is mixed/produced for flat curve downto 20 Hz.
The bass level is set to suit 'more normal' loudspeakers.
And such equipment they listen with in mixer studio.
And most such speakers would have several decibel sloop 'already' at 50 Hz.
90% of all music consumers/buyers speakers have very weak sound below 50 Hz.
Anyone that has build loudspeakers have seen and knows these curves.
And 95% of all music will also have very little information in this range.
So this is not a big problem.
that music is mixed/produced for flat curve downto 20 Hz.
The bass level is set to suit 'more normal' loudspeakers.
And such equipment they listen with in mixer studio.
And most such speakers would have several decibel sloop 'already' at 50 Hz.
90% of all music consumers/buyers speakers have very weak sound below 50 Hz.
Anyone that has build loudspeakers have seen and knows these curves.
And 95% of all music will also have very little information in this range.
So this is not a big problem.
Hi despotic931 and lineup,
you both are right that most important is personal taste to adjust the very low frequency extension. However, how to handle the situation when for most cd's the settings are right, just for some its bad. Even worse, when most cd's from the same music group like Cowboy Junkies are ok, just one is overly basy.
Most of the time I am quite happy how ultracurve adjusts the equalization to be flat, it truly is great improvement of some imperfections in the audio chain, especially for speakers and room. Turning it on and off is convincing me that its the right way to do it. After perfect adjustment its like stepping into concert hall.
One thing I noticed when going to great live performances here in dc, if its Kennedy Center or Strathmore, that its the bass which makes live concert to stand up. Shear dynamics and effortlessness of bass of symphony orchestra is magnificent. I often run home to play the same and compare. I do consider my audio adequate in mid and hights section. Its all transparent, clean, pure, sweet and pleasant. Its usualy the bass which can not keep up. This seems to be the last frontier.
Hence I am trying to get this part right. Any suggestions are appreciated.
ed
you both are right that most important is personal taste to adjust the very low frequency extension. However, how to handle the situation when for most cd's the settings are right, just for some its bad. Even worse, when most cd's from the same music group like Cowboy Junkies are ok, just one is overly basy.
Most of the time I am quite happy how ultracurve adjusts the equalization to be flat, it truly is great improvement of some imperfections in the audio chain, especially for speakers and room. Turning it on and off is convincing me that its the right way to do it. After perfect adjustment its like stepping into concert hall.
One thing I noticed when going to great live performances here in dc, if its Kennedy Center or Strathmore, that its the bass which makes live concert to stand up. Shear dynamics and effortlessness of bass of symphony orchestra is magnificent. I often run home to play the same and compare. I do consider my audio adequate in mid and hights section. Its all transparent, clean, pure, sweet and pleasant. Its usualy the bass which can not keep up. This seems to be the last frontier.
Hence I am trying to get this part right. Any suggestions are appreciated.
ed
One more thing, I wanted to add that most of the time I come accross recordings which are quite poor in bass. Its like recording engineer was half deaf and turned the hights all the way up.
To come accross overly bassy cd is rare, but it happens. Lineup, you are right, studio engineers are mixing it every time to their own taste and each studio has different monitors. Hence the difference.
To come accross overly bassy cd is rare, but it happens. Lineup, you are right, studio engineers are mixing it every time to their own taste and each studio has different monitors. Hence the difference.
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