We play at low volume 95% of the time…
…and what it means for the subwoofer
Today’s music and movies are created with low frequencies most people never get to fully enjoy. The reason is that we play too quietly. Our human ears do not perceive bass until the sound is turned up quite a bit, but unfortunately, we play too quietly most of the time. System Audio has a technology that can help.
Welcome to Episode 3 in a four-part series about the subwoofer, where we talk about the fantastic development happening in sound.
69 % of music’s energy is in the bass, and we need audio equipment that can give us the music as it was produced. We covered this in the first two episodes. But there’s another challenge.
We play far too quietly, and our ears do not perceive bass at low volume.
We not only need audio equipment that can create deep frequencies. We need audio equipment that can convey them at low volume as well!
We can’t just turn it up!
Our hearing is naturally designed so we can’t hear deep frequencies at low volume. You have to turn it up – over 80 dB – before we hear them.
In practice, this means that most people never have the full experience of how their favorite music really sounds, because background music is at 50–60 dB, where hearing is not very good at picking up bass. But we can’t just turn it up to 80 dB, because that’s quite loud. 80 dB will get complaints from the neighbors.
This means that music lovers have fantastic experiences with music at live concerts (where music is loud), but poor sound experiences at home. It doesn’t have to be that way! There are many good reasons why we don’t just turn up the volume. But just as many good reasons to do something about it.
The solution is DSP (Digital Signal Processor)
DSP is the key to getting the full sound experience – even when we play at low volume. A Digital Signal Processor intelligently adapts the sound so we hear the deep bass, even at background levels. This means we can enjoy the music as the artist created it, without turning up to levels that annoy the neighbors.
At System Audio, we have integrated advanced DSP technology into our subwoofers. The result is a rich, precise and life-like sound whether you play loud or quiet. You get a big sound experience, without compromise.
The use of DSP doesn’t normally appear in the technical specifications of subwoofers. Once again, we must emphasize how important it is to evaluate audio equipment with your own ears. Otherwise, you risk wasting money on equipment that don’t deliver the experience you dream of.
Summary
In this episode, you’ve heard that we play at low volume 95% of the time, and why that makes bass impossible to hear without help. DSP is the solution, and the biggest sound revolution in decades. With System Audio’s subwoofers, you get DSP technology that ensures the music sounds fantastic – even when you play quietly.
Look forward to the last episode!
Here we address the importance of the room, and how you can achieve the perfect bass experience with room correction and correct placement. We’ll give you a practical guide and a playlist to test it at home.
That was Episode 3.
