Recommendations for hearing bass on home hi-fi systems

[Skybone]

What he said...

[Dood]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1504516176' post='3365299']


Personally I don't like sub-woofers. IMO they sound artificial.
[/quote]

The problem with Subs is the same in HiFi world as it is in Pro Audio world. Plug any old amp in to any old speaker and it makes a sound, getting it sounding great requires proper set up. I suppose you could say the same of people's amplifier and cabinet choices.. It's mostly guess work and very little accurate testing lol.

Get it right and the subs don't sound like an extra sound source but part of 'the whole'.

[thodrik]

Don't buy Metallica albums.

[gs_triumph]

I think a lot of people tend to turn the sub up till they can hear it clearly when it should really sit relatively unnoticed, as Dood suggests... As part of the whole, filling out the soundscape.

Could never get mine to blend in so it performs the admirable role of bedside cabinet in the spare room. 😜

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1504516176' post='3365299']
Personally I don't like sub-woofers. IMO they sound artificial.
[/quote]

Agreed, I've extensively A/B'ed a mid range shelf+sub and a similar pedigree pair of floor standers. The floor standers easily beat out the shelf+sub, it just sounds more natural and integrated in a way I cant get anywhere close to with the separate sub, and you get a clearer more distinct bass even though theres less bass if that makes any sense.

Edited September 5, 2017 by bassman7755

[thepurpleblob]

In my "practice room" I have a couple of second hand Tannoy speakers, an Akai amp and a small mixing desk with a USB input. Whole lot probably didn't exceed 200 quid (just skipping over the 2 grand Mac laptop) and more than does the job for me.

Having said that, I'm surprised how often I'm sitting on the train listening to something on cheap Sony earbuds and think, "I missed that run there" or similar. I honestly, don't think that's the sound quality it's more my brain pretending it hasn't heard the hard bits when I'm learning a song

[ead]

Headphone preamp and cans. +1 for the DT770 Dood mentioned, plus I use a Fiio (can't remember the model number, but it's one of the latest ones).

Just remembered it's and E12

Edited September 5, 2017 by ead

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1504599296' post='3365877']
Agreed, I've extensively A/B'ed a mid range shelf+sub and a similar pedigree pair of floor standers. The floor standers easily beat out the shelf+sub, it just sounds more natural and integrated in a way I cant get anywhere close to with the separate sub, and you get a clearer more distinct bass even though theres less bass if that makes any sense.
[/quote]

I'd have to agree with this. We have a pair of Rega Juras, which have what I'd characterise as a well extended bass response. In fact they're so good I use them for the surround sound system as well. Sub and centre not needed.

Again though, how much this intelligence will benefit the OP is probably moot.

[Orbs]

What brought it home to be about my sound set up not being as sharp as I'd like, was when our keyboard player ran a track from his Mac laptop through his HK keyboard PA/amp set up at rehearsals. It was like wow hadn't heard that bit before, and it all sounded so clear at the time. This may have been due to many variables as already mention in this post, or possibly the track being played at a higher volume, but it certainly made me sit up and think.

I've a decent pair of Sennheiser HD 600's headphones at home, but I prefer to play along to tracks at the same time. The obvious answer now may be, well why don't you buy a HK set up, but I just wondered what other peeps did to obtain a decent bass sound from their home hifi set ups ( btw, thanks again for all your suggestions on this )......

[Dood]

[quote name='Orbs' timestamp='1504635599' post='3366282']

I've a decent pair of Sennheiser HD 600's headphones at home, but I prefer to play along to tracks at the same time. The obvious answer now may be, well why don't you buy a HK set up, but I just wondered what other peeps did to obtain a decent [b]bass[/b] sound from their home hifi set ups ( btw, thanks again for all your suggestions on this )......
[/quote]

In your OP I assumed that you also meant 'bass guitar sound', hence my recommendation of some active monitors. I'd assumed that when you were playing along. I run my bass and my music through the same set of speakers (hence the monitors thing, they're built for it after all).

So, no need for the HK, but a decent set of studio monitors will reward you the same. If you have HD600's, then you should be getting great results playing along to your songs with those surely! For speakers though, the Adam A7's mentioned earlier are nice!

[Orbs]

Hello Dood, yes sorry I did mean getting a good 'bass guitar sound'. I'll take your advice and investigate the decent studio monitor set up methinks.....