I haven't read all the replies, but what you miss with the lowest octave is not only bass, but especially the ambiance cues of the original site that makes a recording sound "real" and complete. Then you can talk about soundstaging and imaging. As they say, you don't know what you're missing until you get it!
Why the obsession with the lowest octave
From what is written in these forums and elsewhere see the following for instance.
Scroll down to the chart showing the even lowest instruments in this example recording rolling off very steeply at 40 Hz.
http://www.homerecordingconnection.com/news.php?action=view_story&id=154
It would appear that there is really very little to be heard between 20 and 40 Hz. Yet having true "full range" speakers is often the test of a great speaker. Does anyone beside me think that there is little to be gained by stretching the speakers bass performance below 30-40 cycles?
My own speakers make no apologies for going down to only 28 Hz and they are big floor standers JM Lab Electra 936s.
Scroll down to the chart showing the even lowest instruments in this example recording rolling off very steeply at 40 Hz.
http://www.homerecordingconnection.com/news.php?action=view_story&id=154
It would appear that there is really very little to be heard between 20 and 40 Hz. Yet having true "full range" speakers is often the test of a great speaker. Does anyone beside me think that there is little to be gained by stretching the speakers bass performance below 30-40 cycles?
My own speakers make no apologies for going down to only 28 Hz and they are big floor standers JM Lab Electra 936s.