Best Bass Demo Albums or Tracks

[PeterA]

really the most difficult thing for a system to do in the bass is a really 'hot' recorded double bass. like the Jeton 100 3315 direct to disc pressing of Moonlight Serenade; track 1, Mondscheinsonata (Round Midnight/Moonlight Serenade), Ray Brown/Laurindo Almeida.

getting the double bass to come alive in your room is a real treat. getting great coherent lively mid-bass is much more relevant to music than deep bass. and if you play this as you continue to improve your system it will tell you how you are doing so far.

the re-issue pressing (a tape was made from the pressing and then a vinyl pressing from that) or digital is not the same. you need the original direct to disc version.

I have both an original and the reissue. No comparison. And yes, I agree with you that this LP is a good way to measure progress in one's system evolution. Those low bass notes in that first cut are tough to get to play cleanly and not distort or overload the room. I am finally getting there after a few years of effort. Ray Brown is finally becoming present in the room with his instrument. I realized I was making progress when I started to hear the texture of the bow on the bass, and not just one low, homogenous mess. This is incredibly nuanced and then the plucking later relative to Almeida's plucking is brilliant. The cool thing for me is that my improvements did not involve any gear changes and very little expense.

Another good one is "This One's for Blanton" on Pablo.

 

[Zero000]

Check out the sliding bass on this.

In my current room it makes the sofa shake and my chest vibrate. I can literally see the bass note slide down from the top of the bass panel on my Apogees to the bottom.

This track is a serious event. Play loud.

 

[musicfirst1]

Check out the sliding bass on this.

In my current room it makes the sofa shake and my chest vibrate. I can literally see the bass note slide down from the top of the bass panel on my Apogees to the bottom.

This track is a serious event. Play loud.

What a great track!

 

[Zero000]

What a great track!

I know

Big smiles here glad you liked it.

 

[Zero000]

Actually it should be the forum anthem. After all it is about What's Best!

Listening to it on my mobile and I have no idea there's even a baseline. It simply starts too low for it to get reproduced.

 

[gian60]

Here one track reach 16 hz

 

[gian60]

Others with very good bass

 

[Stereophonic]

Enjoy your speakers bass !!!

 

[kach22i]

I trust my question is not a side track to this now dormant thread.

The CD version of David Gray's "White Ladder", just how pronounced should the bass be?

Take for instance the first song "Please Forgive Me".

Should it be a simple foundation, or a pronounced wallop at times?

I have not calibrated my subwoofer volume using test CD's or LP's. Or mic's and computer software.

I have set it by ear, and it changes with every change I make to my room and system, and there have been several changes a week for months.

This CD is the most dynamic that I think I have played. The high pitched ping noise in the music is like a nail flying in the air at hypersonic speed, and the single matching bass note which follows is rave house worthy.

So those earth shattering bass bongs, are they supposed to be so strong?

They would sound good turned down a bit and with less impact, but is that what the artist intended?

I used to play this CD in my old office with wall hung B&O Redline speakers (6" woofer in plastic cabinet) so maybe I never heard these notes they way they were intended.

Or, maybe this CD was never intended to sound polite on a good system, it was intended to sound great on a very modest system.

What's your take on the bass on this CD and how it should be perceived?

 

[jazdoc]

This direct to disc recording is a fabulous bass reference. The music is delightful. Joscho Stephan is a hella great guitar player.

 

[marty]

This direct to disc recording is a fabulous bass reference. The music is delightful. Joscho Stephan is a hella great guitar player.



Loved it. Didn't know about this guy. Long history of great euro gypsy jazz ; i.e. Jimmy Rosenberg (and his dad), Bireli Lagrene and of course, Django.

 

[andromedaaudio]

In my speaker design i ve tested a lot with house music / tiesto etc , the speakers need to be able to reproduce cleanly that relentless deep rhytm .
Orchestra can also have big deep bass swells which of course need to be reproduced.

 

[musicfirst1]

I trust my question is not a side track to this now dormant thread.

The CD version of David Gray's "White Ladder", just how pronounced should the bass be?

Take for instance the first song "Please Forgive Me".

Should it be a simple foundation, or a pronounced wallop at times?

I have not calibrated my subwoofer volume using test CD's or LP's. Or mic's and computer software.

I have set it by ear, and it changes with every change I make to my room and system, and there have been several changes a week for months.

This CD is the most dynamic that I think I have played. The high pitched ping noise in the music is like a nail flying in the air at hypersonic speed, and the single matching bass note which follows is rave house worthy.

So those earth shattering bass bongs, are they supposed to be so strong?

They would sound good turned down a bit and with less impact, but is that what the artist intended?

I used to play this CD in my old office with wall hung B&O Redline speakers (6" woofer in plastic cabinet) so maybe I never heard these notes they way they were intended.

Or, maybe this CD was never intended to sound polite on a good system, it was intended to sound great on a very modest system.

What's your take on the bass on this CD and how it should be perceived?

I'll buy it and give you my opinion on this thread.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Miroslav Vitous
"Purple" CBS/Sony Japanese pressing
and w Larry Coryell
"Spaces" Vanguard US pressing
The, yes, space, and presence on these two lps is to die for, the bass is totally alive in the room.

 

[daytona600]

 

[daytona600]

 

[daytona600]

 

[kach22i]

I'll buy it and give you my opinion on this thread.

Only if you want to experience a pretty good recording and musical talent.

I figured it out.

Ended up removing some temporary acoustic absorption on the lower part of my front wall. Also removed my large framed canvas with wool blanket stapled to backside acting as center focal point.

These changes opened up the soundstage further so there is no longer and R&L channel in front and a distant center stage. And in addition these small changes gave detail, overtone decay and nuance to what was formerly an overpowering single note bass.

It was NOT the recording, it was the room.

Still an interesting inclusion to the thread list because of the powerful bass impact and how it is used in the song.

This wake up call bass gimmick is used on other tracks on Gray's CD, think of it as a reward for having a capable system.

To be clear, the bass wallop only happens about three times in the first song, and should sound great if everything in your room and system is up to task. If not and like me, you may have some work ahead of you.

 

[oldmustang]

I trust my question is not a side track to this now dormant thread.

The CD version of David Gray's "White Ladder", just how pronounced should the bass be?

Take for instance the first song "Please Forgive Me".

Should it be a simple foundation, or a pronounced wallop at times?

I have not calibrated my subwoofer volume using test CD's or LP's. Or mic's and computer software.

I have set it by ear, and it changes with every change I make to my room and system, and there have been several changes a week for months.

This CD is the most dynamic that I think I have played. The high pitched ping noise in the music is like a nail flying in the air at hypersonic speed, and the single matching bass note which follows is rave house worthy.

So those earth shattering bass bongs, are they supposed to be so strong?

They would sound good turned down a bit and with less impact, but is that what the artist intended?

I used to play this CD in my old office with wall hung B&O Redline speakers (6" woofer in plastic cabinet) so maybe I never heard these notes they way they were intended.

Or, maybe this CD was never intended to sound polite on a good system, it was intended to sound great on a very modest system.

What's your take on the bass on this CD and how it should be perceived?

Not dormant -- just slow.

If I can find a copy of the album on Qobuz or Tidal I'll give it a listen this afternoon/evening and give you my opinion, for what that's worth.

I started out with an instrumented process to set up my subwoofers and then dialed them in by ear using a wide variety of music after that. Though I love bass quality I don't like bass-heavy reproduction, so things like acoustic double-bass, full-range piano, male vocals all came in handy to judge balance and proportion, while genres like electronic dance music, club, drums 'n bass and electronic music in general weren't very useful -- though very fun to listen to.

I'm a proponent of set it and forget it once a good balance is achieved. So different recordings sound different from each other and there will always be a few where the bass, when it's not deliberately emphasized as part of the musical statement, will sometimes sound a little too strong. But those are in the minority and I'm happy to let them be what they are.

I'll check back in later with my thoughts about the album if I can find it.

Steve Z

 

[oldmustang]

Well, that was easy. Copies of David Gray's albums in both Qobuz and Tidal. I'll post again later this evening.

Steve Z