| Bass Boost [message #71591] |
Wed, 29 February 2012 17:53  |
Nymeria
Messages: 508
Registered: April 2011
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Illuminati (1st Degree) |
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A friend of mine was bragging about the bass boost on his solid state amp. I haven't yet heard it so I don't know how it sounds, but I'm generally not a fan of bass overpowering the mix. I wondered what you all thought about the bass boost option.
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| Re: Bass Boost [message #72269 is a reply to message #72151] |
Thu, 19 April 2012 21:26  |
Thermionic
Messages: 208
Registered: May 2009
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Master |
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| AudioFred wrote on Sun, 15 April 2012 08:24 | Most of the mass market equipment we hear in peoples' homes and cars, and it any big box store, has far too much midbass boost dialed in.
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Definitely. Besides their overinflated, tubby, mushy, farty, one-note bass characteristic, something else I've noticed in every bookshelf stereo I hear playing in big box stores is extremely grainy, harsh, grating treble. It sets my teeth on edge and just about makes my skin crawl.
And, it's not just today's playback equipment that has ridiculously overboosted midbass, but today's recordings as well. Add to that the ridiculous amount of compression used on them, and all you have is BLECH.
I noticed a trend in mass-market consumer stereo equipment (Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, Sansui, etc) beginning in the '80s, where decent sound quality quickly began taking a back seat to big bass, insane SPL, and blingy, gimmicky display screens. The next thing you knew, individual-component, full-size stereo systems disappeared from stereo shops and big chain electronics stores' stereo departments, and chintzy bookshelf systems took their place.
It seems that the entire industry collectively manipulated the market in a certain direction, in the name of huge sales and profit margins. The bottom line is that equipment that produces loud, sizzling, grainy highs and big, boomy bass is very cheap and easy to manufacture. But, designing and manufacturing stuff that actually sounds good is FAR more difficult and expensive. So, the industry has purposely instilled in the minds of the mass-market Joe Consumers that harsh highs and boomy bass mean good sound.
Thermionic
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Either in the system or the source material. In the system it ought to be fixed if you can as it will influence all music that is reproduced. If it is in the source material then there are a number of possibilities. One it was intended to be that way (OK), second it is a crappy rendition (not OK and I generally won't listen to it), third is was a legacy recording and might benefit from such assistance (kind of OK). In the last case I can see a positive benefit the others no. The question in general begs the whole issue of tone controls, processors and other enhancement devices. IMHO, if you like them and find them useful, great. If you don't like them, also great. 
