"fast bass", let's clear things up (1 Viewer)

[Manuel Delaflor]

I still read, very often, all those things about "fast bass" and how it is needed to have "accurate sound".

Most refer "tightness" as the ability of a driver to quickly shuts up after a punch, supposedly, this "speed" will make a good sub because of the good definition on bass frequencies.

Of course, this "sounds" right, but is a just a myth.

If a driver is not able to start and stop fast enough it won't play certain frequencies. It is as easy as this.

So, there is nothing such a "fast" or "slow" driver. The boomy (or sloppy) sound of some subs has more to do with their "Q" (how fast the slope of their cut frequencies act), the room in which they are located, the exact position in the room, and, lastly, with its harmonic distortion than with its proposed "speed".

 

[Rory Buszka]

bass quickness can be affected by the enclosure used, as well. Some enclosure designs have larger group delay than others, which makes it seem as though bass is not all that fast by smearing an already slow (by nature) transient response.

 

[John Robert]

The October and November issues of Home Theater have a subwoofer shootout that is as interesting for its methodology as it is for its results. The author spends some time debunking the notion of "fast bass"...

 

[Manuel Delaflor]

That's very right Rory, thanks for pointing it out, I left it behind

 

[Mark Seaton]

John-

Right you are. Keith Yates knowns a bit about making subwoofers work in home theaters. Some great general info about subwoofers there, beyond just the data on the models reviewed.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

All I know is my pair of JBL 2226J's are probably 'faster' than the tweeters in my main speakers!!!

Those things are freaking amazing