Distributed Bass Array configuration

noble101

There is no such thing as stereo bass below 80 Hz since it's a fact that humans cannot determine the originating location of any sound deeper than approximately 80 Hz.

That wasn't a fact back when you argued this under your old username (noble100). Remember? Tthat led to such vile, profane arguments from you that you were banned from the group. Now you're back with same same pronouncement.

If anyone thinks they're able to distinguish the specific originating location of bass below 80 Hz, I'd suggest testing this for themselves ...

Some of us have actually tested this, using both commercial and original recordings. You might want to try it for yourself sometime.

... Timing and arrival time of deep bass sound waves at an individuals ears are, therefore, also not anything to be overly concerned with since a 20 Hz bass tone sound wave is about 56 feet long, which likely exceeds the dimensions of at least the length or width of most domestic rooms ...

Non-sequitur.

The truth is ... we're still not able to determine specifically where these bass sound originated from if they're below about 80 Hz.

That's not quite true. Nor is that the standard for proving whether there is such a thing as stereo bass. Because phase matters, stereo bass can sound different than mono bass. It's not solely about localizing LF.

... Recording engineers have been routinely summing left and right bass under about 80 Hz as mono, and sometimes even higher, as a standard practice for over 4 decades.

It's not a universal practice and it originated as much for the convenience of the end user - to ensure trouble-free playback on cheap turntables - as it did to make things easier for the mastering engineer.

Because these recording engineers have known the truth about the myth of stereo deep bass for about the last 100 years, ever since scientists first discovered and formally established this fact through the scientific method. Don't believe me?

You do not know what you are talking about. First, we didn't have stereo 100 years ago. We didn't have the LP, either. Or tape. And I can prove to you through simple measurement that there is such a thing as "stereo bass." That is, I can show you that it is possible for bass recorded and played back in stereo to sound different from the same recording with bass summed to mono. 

@noble100 @noble101 you might want to get your head out of Secrets of Home Theater and your tattered copies of Stereo Review and stop fabricating imaginary scientific studies. You might also want to review the references about this that I gave you before you were banned from the forum, because you are just making yourself look silly here. After all, if those scientific studies you claim were conducted 100 years ago actually existed, the researchers surely would have posted them to the internet, right?

To be clear, mono bass can sound great, and it's often the best and easiest way to get good bass in some rooms. So as compromises go, accepting mono bass is a small one.

Hello lemonhaze,

     Thank you for using a very interesting example to confirm this likely principle.  I understand your comment about a signal generated 41 Hz fundamental tone not being locatable since it lacks the necessary overtones.

Thanks,
Tim

Seems that the term non- directional is getting mis-interpreted also. The low frequency sound waves from a subwoofer emanate in all directions and although seemingly an oxymoron is called non-directional because of that fact. As opposed to high frequencies that emanate from a tweeter in a single and focused direction.

soundspectacular,

     Yes, I prefer the term omnidirectional, as opposed to non-directional, to describe the dispersion pattern of deep bass sound waves being launched into the room from a bass driver, whether from the main speakers or a sub.
     The difference between this and how the midrange and treble sound waves are so much shorter and are dispersed into the room in such a highly directional manner, couldn’t be more stark.
     The truth is that bass sound waves behave very differently than midrange and treble sound waves behave in our typical domestic-sized rooms. My experience has been that it’s much more difficult to get the bass sounding right in a room than it is getting the midrange, treble and stereo sound stage imaging sounding right.
      Due to the above, my system system building philosophy has evolved to the point that I now consider my system as 2 systems: A Bass System and an Everything Else System.
I      like to install the Bass System first in the room, before even bringing in and setting up the main speakers. I use 4 subs positioned in a distributed bass array (DBA) configuration since it provides optimized bass performance and does so throughout the entire room, which is important to me but may not be for others.
     If an individual only requires optimum bass performance at the primary listening position, however, very good results can be achieved utilizing just 1-3 subs in the room, provided they are positioned and configured properly in the room and in relation to the LP. In general, the more subs used in the room, the better the bass performance.
     Once the bass is sounding very good in the room, the final step is to position the main speakers in the room, and in relation to the LP, to optimize the midrange, treble and stereo imaging performance, which in my experience, is typically much easier to get sounding right in the room than the bass is.

Tim

👍 bass is Omni not non directional.