To earnestly begin a discussion on this, let me say that music needs a foundation to begin with. I mean body, and what low frequencies provide is that, body.
My present set up, is a JE Labs OB, using a pair of old Altec 755Es with an infinity 1.2 subwoofer, somewhere in between the OBs.
Blending in low frequencies, for what I have experienced is near impossible to be perfect. There is always an issue with either,
bloated, pounding low frequency that has to do with subwoofers interacting with near walls, which most likely could be solved with pulling the offending device away from the collunding wall, but in terms of practicality and living sake, it is impossible.
I have a pair of SW-1 tower subwoofers that act as pedestals to my Gershman X-1 mini monitors on top. The combo was placed about 20" away from the wall and I used to experience what I call, "bass slap." With certain lower frequencies pounding at the walls.
Back in the days, I used to either blame the amplifier driving it, saying that it did not have the stats to control the woofers.
Then, I realized it was a function of the subwoofers interacting with the walls. There are devices out there that try to manipulate the low frequency output through either analogue methods or digital DSP.
I can recall the Legacy Styrgian being an analogue type. Then there is another company that makes a parametric equalizer type that used monitor loop outs to manipulate the bass signals that cost 2K.
The most popular digital type of device that is sort of affordable seem to be the Behringer devices.
I did not bother using ANY of these devices, because soon I wind up changing my system around back loaded horn speakers and also now, OBs with subwoofers.
in the process of getting where I am right now, I learned quite a few thing about bass and different types of speaker enclosures.
Horns are a dog to match a powered subwoofer with. Due to its high efficiency, the subwoofer has a difficulty keeping up with the proper output, regardless how much I dial up the subwoofer.
There seems to be different types of subwoofers that are able to keep up with the horns, but they are few and are mostly expensive. REL and TBI seem to come to mind.
I do believe that Horn speakers with the appropriate subwoofer combination will give you the most bass neutral or realistic portrayal of music one can experience.
That comes from two experiences that I had with horn speakers.
I heard a Brooks mahogany horn loaded with a 8" supravox EXC field coil driver paired with 15" alnico 1955 Klipsch horn bass horn sections. These were very realistic in presentation, the basshorns simply adding the body and excitement whenever the source called for it. Not more, no less, just enough.
Another horn system that I heard was Buddy's or AKA SET Mans horns, after he had properly broken in his Fostex 6" fullrange drivers with about 2-3 years worth of music playing.
It must have been a Rave that took place about 1 year or so ago, that his horns were able to produce some decent low frequencies, without the help of subwoofers in general. His bass, produced with high current 300B design amplifier, was astonishingly fast, not prodigious but very dynamic.
Most other bass designs that I have heard in contrast to the two systems I have heard lack the finesse or the naturalness that I associate with live music.
Even my present system lacks a firm bottom end that blends in naturally.
OB speaker low end also presents its own challenges, due to the uncontrolled backwave, especially if there is a lack of space for the OB to breathe naturally. That being said, still I have plenty of joy listening to my present system. It has some of the foundation needed to make listening fun, it still lacks the major punch that can be had with a well set up subwoofer.
PS: The best standard speaker subwoofer or low frequency set up that I have ever experienced was the low frequency of my Infinity Kappa 9s, circa 1989. The four 12" plywoofers set up in an acoustic suspension cabinet. The wave launch was amazing, but so were the requirements in wattage, amplification and room.
Bass for me is like a mercurial salt, it gives taste, but once you add a little past the normal, there is never a way of fixing it well.
