If you have a frequency sweep just sit down and listen to it (when in doubt use your ears) - Richard BassNut Greene

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If you have a frequency sweep just sit down and listen to it (when in doubt use your ears)

The ultimate goal of a flat bass frequency response can be simulated by listening to a slow sinewave frequency sweep from about 20Hz. to 100Hz. If you do not hear any unusually weak or unusually loud bass frequencies during the sweep, then you are hearing a relatively flat bass frequency response.

A more demanding test is rapidly repeating bass tone bursts,
or at least a rapidly repeating kick drum.

A good subjective bass test CD is from Linkwitz Labs (see hot link)

You should be able to get the frequency response at one listening position (an average of two measurements made eight inches apart to represent your two ears) better than +/-6dB measured using a slow sinewave sweep.

Most of the bass frequency response deviations after EQ will be caused by one or more frequency response troughs that can't be
EQ'ed away.

Fortunately your ears are MUCH more likely to notice LOUD peaks under 80Hz. that distract you from the other frequencies in the music ... while "missing music" caused by nulls is likely to be distracting only if you happen to be concentrating on the bass guitar.
(Ethan frequently argues with me about this statement but he's biased because he & his business partner are musicians who obviously focus on the bass line and go berserk jumping up and down and waving their arms when a bass note appears to be missing due to a room null ... while most non-musician audiophiles don't even notice unless a bass note is much too loud.)

You may have to move your ears up to one foot (sometimes more) to get your ears away from one or more deep nulls if you want to obtain a bass frequency response better than +/-6dB.

Weak frequencies (at least some of them) will become louder if you move your ears further from nulls (1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 of the way between opposing walls are approximate locations for the very
audible and deep axial room mode nulls).

The loud portions of the frequency sweep can be reduced with an equalizer.

Measuring sine wave tones is only necessary to set EQ controls -- listen to a sinewave sweep, bass tone bursts and music to test the results.

Linkwitz Labs bass test CD (Open in New Window)

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - AVsponge 23:46:34 05/17/04 (10)

Re: Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - AVsponge 18:21:42 05/18/04 (3)

If you have a frequency sweep just sit down and listen to it (when in doubt use your ears) - Richard BassNut Greene 09:27:37 05/19/04 (2)

Re: If you have a frequency sweep just sit down and listen to it (when in doubt use your ears) - AVsponge 11:48:49 05/19/04 (1)

There are lot's of bass problems besides peaks: Buzzing room objects and windows, resonating floors, harmonic distortion - Richard BassNut Greene 17:49:08 05/19/04 (0)

Re: Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - AVsponge 14:51:02 05/18/04 (0)

Re: Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - AVsponge 11:23:39 05/18/04 (1)

Re: Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - Rives 18:36:17 05/18/04 (0)

Re: Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - Rives 10:06:52 05/18/04 (0)

Here's what subwoofer EQ can do for you - Richard BassNut Greene 09:37:04 05/18/04 (0)

Re: Help needed using ETF (fool with a tool) - Ethan Winer 08:44:56 05/18/04 (0)

Follow Ups

If you have a frequency sweep just sit down and listen to it (when in doubt use your ears) - Richard BassNut Greene 09:27:37 05/19/04 (2)

Re: If you have a frequency sweep just sit down and listen to it (when in doubt use your ears) - AVsponge 11:48:49 05/19/04 (1)

There are lot's of bass problems besides peaks: Buzzing room objects and windows, resonating floors, harmonic distortion - Richard BassNut Greene 17:49:08 05/19/04 (0)

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