Home Hi-Rez Highway

New high resolution SACD releases, players and technology.

[ Follow Ups ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Hi-Rez Highway ]
[ Alert Moderator ]

Re: Bass management or LFE low-pass filtering is required if using a sub


This is probably my very first post in which I have written the phrase "Bass management". So, let me begin by saying that I know little or nothing about the subject. I've never had any interest in it because my understanding (or misunderstanding) has been that it was more desirable to have full range speakers and to avoid a subwoofer and the .1 channel all-together. Further my dac/player has no provision for bass management.

My completely unscientific observation has been that for most (not all) orchestral music the mains take the brunt of the heavy bass and the center and surrounds are putting out a fraction of the bass that they are capable of. For example, for the hammer blows of Mahler's 6th the software "asks" the mains to take the heavy hits and the other speakers have it relatively light. Of course, from the listening position you can't tell from where the bass is being generated. But there are certainly exceptions, even for classical, particularly organ works, where all speakers are asked to put out. But even then the mains are doing most of the heaviest work. (I only know this by actually walking up to all the speakers to verify what they are doing; otherwise the bass distribution is seamless). Is it that the mixing engineer "assumes" that in most systems that the mains are probably the most capable with respect to bass and directs most bass energy their way?

For popular music, especially those with more aggressive mixes, all speakers are more like to join the fray with respect to bass reproduction, although not in equal amounts. It is with these discs, such as The OJay's "Ship Ahoy" or some of the funkiest Monte Alexander's releases that all speakers most apt to be called to fully put out.

One thing that is certain is that there is no doubt that 5 full range speakers are called for with SACD multi-channel even if you can get away with bass restricted surrounds on most occasions.

So do my experiences mesh with your statement ****so the "best" assumption is that the recording is intended to sound optimal assuming 5 full range channels plus subwoofer***

Specifically, if the optimal situation calls for a subwoofer, which I don't have, what am I missing?

I am only referencing music and not Home Theater.




Robert C. Lang

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Parts Connexion  

Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups
You can not post to an archived thread.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]