Hi efficient speaker, bass problems

Duke, "Come to think of it, for many years the most natural-sounding bass I'd ever heard was from an IMF transmission line."

So many folks who have been fortunate enough to be around Bud Fried's various designs echo the same thing. The corollary is that so few say it about most other true TL designs. Bud was intelligent/courageous/confident enough in himself to do things differently than everyone else without giving it a second thought; TL implementation being a prime example.

The last true example of the speaker Duke referenced was the Fried Studio V. So often, I say to myself exactly what Duke said. Though I've been around countless loudspeakers that produce much better bass on paper, to me, no speaker (OK, maybe his own personal O subwoofers, which I happen to have in my home) has ever made bass that was more perfect (actually, it's not even close) in terms of sounding like actual music. I admit that it's something that haunts one forever. Here's hoping one day I find a pair...

Weseixas, I would think it would be much easier to get correct phase with a sealed box than with a port.

"Duke, we have all read that bass is omni-directional, and yet very often it's very easy hear where the sub-woofer is (perhaps it's because the overtones appear to come elsewhere?)." - Unsound

"Bass localization is detectable indoors" - Weseixas

Hearing the location of a subwoofer is not necessarily the same thing as hearing the direction that low frequencies are coming from. Subs can be generating harmonic distortion that is more audible than the actual fundamental, and they can be passing lower midrange energy at a level that is still audible. We easily hear where a bass instrument is in the soundstage from the overtones and other higher frequency sounds (drumskin).

"Despite the theories, some of us clearly prefer the sound of sealed boxes over ported ones. As the old cliche' goes; "the proof of the pudding is in the eating"." - Unsound

If you re-read my theory, it is consistent with your observation.

"...get the math wrong and you will know, phase is absolutely critical." - Weseixas

Phase is audible in the bass region only to the extent that it impacts frequency response. So when you hear a difference after adjusting the relative phase of your subs, or their distance relative to the mains, what you are hearing is the effect on the frequency response.

Duke

Hello Unsound ,

Are you talking acoustic or time , the rise time on a sealed cabinet is slower than that of a reflex, compare the square wave response.

Now if running tubes, subjectively there is some argument, tubes have poor damping and hence very little bass control to speak off , a sealed enclosure might be an advantage here, TL too , due to the loading.

regards,

Phase is audible in the bass region only to the extent that it impacts frequency response. So when you hear a difference after adjusting the relative phase of your subs, or their distance relative to the mains, what you are hearing is the effect on the frequency response. - Audiokinesis

Ok Duke ... LOL, Hence Bass localization.

Now if you move the woofer outputs closer to mid ceiling the effect will be minimized to almost nothing.

Bass column-circa 1988

Regards,