Bass- at what frequency does it change from sounding like a string to just a low tone?

@waytoomuchstuff IMO the way ATC rolls off the low frequencies is better than the usual way.  They roll off slowly starting at a higher frequency.  This is probably a marketing disadvantage but in most practical situations it's a plus.  A speaker that slowly rolls off the bass has far fewer troubling room bass problems while still being capable of great punch and greater dynamics than a speaker that tried to be flat to 30 or 40hz.  It allows you to place them where they're optimal for the rest of the frequency spectrum and fill in with subwoofers what isn't there.  I've got a pair of custom built 110s I bought used about 10 years ago.  I've had them in in at least 5 locations and they're very easy to just set and forget.  The 3 inch mid doesn't have the beaming issues a larger driver would so the in-room response is good and they don't upset room nodes nearly as much as you might expect.  

My guess is the room has much more to do with making strings sound like just a note than the speaker.  Most rooms have huge peaks and valleys in the deep bass.  I 15db resonance peak will swamp the texture and that peak will be different in every room.  

jon_5912. This is what KEF seems to be doing. My R3 Metas don't have impressive low frequency specs but they seem to take good advantage of room gain. 

Bass is a very subjective thing! I used to have a pair of Klipschorns and what I found was the base response was so low and went through the walls in the floor that it wasn’t truly clear and accurate! What you have to remember is that the vibration of a string is not a constant! There’s slight pitch variations in each note played on the bass! At the same time this will vary from bass to bass! Also, it does depend on the player and how he strikes the note whether it is with a bow ,fingers, or a pick! All of those determine the sound!  Also with a bass string there is a certain amount of decay so if your system sounds like a tone but during the decay starts to gain detail you would adjust for turning bass back! What I think you are referring to  or at least I referred to as as mud! It just sounds like a tone, but it doesn’t have realism! I always opt for realism over depth of tone, anytime! But whatever you prefer, works for you! Trust your ears, and what your ears have learned over the years what is preferable to you and soothe your soul!

Great thread. FWIW my combo of Wharfedale Heritage Lintons and REL T5i connected with Mogami cables, including speaker-level custom Neutrik to the sub, is a dream date. Easy to make the sub disappear. The REL volume knob is click equipped, so I keep it at one setting for daily casual listening…and turn it one click lower volume for louder active listening events, LOL REL set to roll off at about 55 Hz on upper end. Vintage recapped Crown PS-200 pushes 135 +/- wpc into 4 ohms.

The Lintons and the REL have similar drivers - fast/tight 8” woofers which I unscientifically think helps them blend.