Why the obsession with the lowest octave

From Wikipedia:

"A distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation."

So if it is in the source but not heard, it is an alteration and can be considered a form (by omission) of distortion.

How acceptable is it in those terms now, audiophiles?

This is truly how I look at it personally and why I find I cannot be satisfied fully (despite being satisfied greatly still though in practice ) by even excellent smaller speakers otherwise that punt by design and chose to omit the lowest octaves in order to achieve greatness.

Sitting at Dress Circle balcony level in Carnegie Hall, I felt the visceral impact of the tympanis when struck to the greatest degree I recall at recent live concert events.

Mapman (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

Understood. Carnegie is a fine hall for good reasons. Imagine the impact of the tympani had you been sitting closer.

The visceral experience in the Front Terrace (first balcony) at Walt Disney Hall in Los Angeles is much different than the visceral experience in the Orchestra seats, and yet Disney is considered to be an excellent hall for acoustics.

There are always exceptions. One must write with the precision of a lawyer in these threads to cover all the possibilities.

"Imagine the impact of the tympani had you been sitting closer."

I can only imagine, but I would propose that it is possible the impact could be less sitting closer if sitting on a more rigid floor or foundation. Its possible that being higher up and further away yet in an elevated balcony transmitted some of that bass energy through the structure, ie "the place was literally rocking" maybe.

Also, the balcony was elevated with the tympani in direct line of sight so I suspect it took a direct hit from the soundwaves, whereas the floor is closer but below the stage, so the sound waves transmitted might be lesser as well.

YEs, Tvad, we audio kooks are an anal bunch indeed....

I will never forget the visceral sound of that particualr tympani in that particular setting though. It was almost an "out of body" experience that seemed to defy physics. I was left disoriented for a moment and trying to figure out how what I just heard actually happened?

ISn't that the kind of thrills we misguided audio head cases seek,afterall?

I confess i was being naughty. (8^Q...
But I do love the upper registers way more than the lowest.
My wants in a system must have clarity, upper end being vital. The times i have had a sub it was great with chamber music, but awful with any rock.
I would turn it off and on depending on what was playing. Being lazy, that got tiring fast.
My idea of really bad low frequency is driving, then hearing some morons' thumping crap subs from five cars away at a stoplight, and being stuck till' the light turns green. Best Buy used to be horrible, running loud thumping crap constantly.. My friends (female) refused to even GO to a Best Buy because of the thumping going on. Thank goodness they have stopped that.
So I am a bit biased against the trash bass, where if I could get that perfect real low frequency sound from an orchestra, or quartet, i would be happy. But then i would have to put up with the crap from rock albums in the lowest octave, and back to sub on? sub off? and forget that.
Plus I despise hearing low frequencies through the walls of where-ever I live (apt. dweller), and assume others do not want to have to put up with that either. So another black mark against subs.
And yeah I can hear stuff my (favorite) dealer obviously cannot in the upper registers... And no, I do not want to feel it in my bowels.
And i apologize to men everywhere for saying ANYTHING is a guy thing. Football, fast cars, big tits, curvy ass babes, big stereos, "hard' rocking bass.. not guys things i guess?
They are probably not a 'guy thing' for that interior decorator fellow.
LOL!! (And I apologize to fem gays everywhere.. being politically correct and all )

"My idea of really bad low frequency is driving, then hearing some morons' thumping crap subs from five cars away at a stoplight, and being stuck till' the light turns green. "

Yes, I agree. That IS the worst!!!!

Some of the things I have heard in Best Buy and other stores that target the masses are close behind.

I used to sell car stereos at Radio Shack years ago. I am proud to say I managed to always resist the urge to sell car stereos and make commissions by cranking up distorted bass. I did OK though despite by just trying to keep focused on quality, not quantity.