[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Hey Naut,

My impression is that the musical information down below 30 Hz is mainly drum pressure.

Actually, drums don’t have any fundamentals that low. That ultra-low impact you get with some recordings is artificial, the result of equalizing.

Aside from that, you’d be surprised at how much information there is in music below 30 Hz. When I did the four-sub comparison a couple of yeas ago, one of them practically brick-walled at 30 Hz, while the others went lower. The sub with the lowest extension sounded the best, while the one that went only to 30 Hz sounded the worst. The lower sub added a noticeable “foundation” or underpinning to the bass that made it sound more substantial.

Most likely it has to do with harmonics. You hear a lot of talk about first and second harmonics and such, which are one and two octaves, respectively, above the fundamental, but harmonics extend below the fundamental as well. A sub with good extension can bring that out.

I don't think that what happens below 25 Hz has much impact on musical detail. Can you explain your reasoning?

You’re probably right about that. That’s why I suggested curbing response below that point. That’s what I meant by “I’ve been theorizing that you get better bass detail when response droops below 25 Hz.”

Regards,
Wayne