non directional bass

[icarus]

I've talked to several people about this topic and i always get different responses. Is it true that bass is non-directional if so how can that be, considering that bass is just a lower frequency. Is it just that the lower frequincy is Indistinguishable to the human hear. So would sub placement in a room matter? or can it go wherever without making much different?

[kexodusc]

I've talked to several people about this topic and i always get different responses. Is it just that the lower frequincy is Indistinguishable to the human hear.
Uhh, yeah...it's beyond the capability of human hearing to localize sub 100 Hz-ish frequencies. When you can hear where a sub is, your hearing other cues, harmonics and higher frequencies giving the sub's location away, not the fundamental. The lower the note, the less directional these harmonics will be as well. I can't localize my sub when it plays 80 Hz tones. At 90 Hz, it can give itself away, so I apply a filter at 80 Hz, and it works fine.


So would sub placement in a room matter? or can it go wherever without making much different?
As far as localizing signals, placement matters very little (though subs can give themselves away if there are lots of resonances). For loudness, smooth response, and all around sound quality, placement matters very much.

[hermanv]

A 50Hz signal has a wavelength of about 22 feet. Your ears are only about half a foot apart so there is almost no noticable difference in arrival time of the wavefront.

The lower the frequency, the worse localization. There is however a big issue, music is not a sine wave, it stops and starts, it contains harmonics. The ear mostly does a good job on localizing music sources such as bass guitars and kick drums because of these effects.

[audio_dude]

then why not go all out with dual or even QUAD subs??!! well, money for one thing, but who cares!! the ULTIMATE BASS EXPERIENCE!!!

[jrhymeammo]

just get this...

http://avantgarde-usa.com/basshorns.html

JRA

[audio_dude]

Hole-E-****e!

nicee, i've seen some pics of this before, why not get one of those sedom seen 47inch SUBWOOFERS... ya, i said 47"...

lol, this is turning out to be quite the thread...

[Dusty Chalk]

then why not go all out with dual or even QUAD subs??!! Because the low frequencies will interact in different places, in some cases reenforcing each other, in other cases cancelling each other, in hard to figure out ways. It can be done, but usually only someone with good setup experience (I.E. a pro).