Why not the piano as a reference for bass

@freediver 

The piano is a stringed instrument. It is one of the best to evaluate gear. If our gear can't make a piano sound real, we are missing something. I don't know the lowest note on a piano (in hz) but it is quite low. Cello lowest notes are 30 hz, I believe, also a nice indicator of how your system sounds. Pipe organ is probably best for the very lowest notes or some synthesized music as there is pretty much no limit to what digital is able to do. Lowest pipe organ notes are 8 hz from 64 foot pipes but more recordings will include 16 hz from 32 foot pipes. It's the lowest I've heard on a recording (D2D vinyl).. I believe the piano is one of the toughest instruments to reproduce through a stereo system and many do use it as a reference, including myself. Not necessarily for the bass but the bass is indeed quite low. 

@freediver 

I wasn't trying to give you a hard time. Just struck me as funny that you wouldn't think of a piano as a stringed instrument and I know that you realize that it is. As others point out, the deepest bass notes on the piano are often accompanied by other notes and are often short in duration, unless the sustain pedal is used for more than a second or so. I'm sure we all know all this stuff. Also, pointing out the new Bosendorfer and I think some other makers having the extended bass pianos. I've not heard one yet except on computer video, doesn't quite do it justice. 

This is all interesting reading. 

@richardbrand 

Have you witnessed the 64 foot pipe? I've always wondered what the experience would be like. You probably never hear/feel that pipe by itself so maybe hard to describe. I'm sure you do feel it but it's hard to imagine hearing nothing at the same time. Am I making any sense? Just curious about this and have started conversations before about what we can hear/feel below 20hz. I have read that in some instances, some people are able to hear down to 12hz. I heard 17hz on my system with a test record, rather subtle but there. Nothing below that and nothing felt, probably just exceeded system capabilities. Played louder, I might have heard something, hard to say. Anyway, fun stuff.