@atmasphere --
Just to be clear, nowhere did I state that
What’s more, "flabby" and "slow" bass as an antithesis to "tight" is hardly a compelling trait as something associated with natural bass.
Correct. I read your remark in reply to @chilli42's comment "Also the bass got flabby/slow/less present" as a presumption mostly that his idea of natural bass might be have been inclined towards unnaturally tight bass, and thereby indicating, without elaborating on your own idea of natural bass, that what he lamented was a closer match to authentic bass.
I simply pointed out that overdamped speakers often results in a phenomena known as 'tight bass'. I've heard it in stereos many times but have yet to encounter it in the real world.
I fully agree on this, and it's a rare sentiment that counters or exposes an element of "analysis" in assessing sound that veers away from authenticity - not only in the realm of bass. In general and in the whole frequency band it seems "fullness" in the reproduction of sound (which I believe to be an important aspect in realism as well)
in domestic, audiophile environments is avoided in preference of a leaner, more HF or detail oriented presentation.
Horn loaded bass is a rare thing to hear- on account of needing a bass horn that is very long- 20 feet or more. Even audiophiles with a relatively wide open budget may find such size a bit daunting!
It is rare, yes, and explains why few can ever comment on the sound of horn bass, but while 20 cubic feet (folded) horn subs aren't small, which gives you 20-25 Hz, they're manageable still - at least to those who haven't abandoned the mere thought of their implementation for whatever reason (mostly practical, it seems). What might surprise some is that building, or having build horn subs (apart from a few pre-build options from the likes of Danley Sound Labs and JTR) mayn't be that expensive, certainly not compared to Funk Audio or JL Audio with a comparable radiation area. Indeed, mostly what it comes down to is deciding to house horn subs and have them build (or building them oneself), and not that their price empties pockets.
But the issue that isn't solved by any bass system that originates in front of the listener is standing waves. Standing waves can't be solved by room correction either; if there is a standing wave causing a lack of bass at a certain frequency at the listening chair, you can put as much power as you like into it without significant change. But if you employ a distributed bass array the standing wave is corrected and you will have 'wholly enveloping' bass.
I won't deny the importance of this, and had space and budget permitted I'd have gladly gone with 3 or 4 horn subs. But to reiterate, 2 subs - symmetrically placed to the mains - can make wonders still with care invested in their integration, and I'll maintain that a symmetrical placement in close proximity to the mains is of utmost importance (depending to an extend on the chosen cross-over region). Believe me, I've tried a myriad of combinations placing my subs most everywhere else, but the symmetrical option has always prevailed; things simply fall into place sonically. Having an array of direct radiating subs around you can certainly envelope one with bass in a literal sense, but even a pair of horn subs 'envelope' in a way quite differently. The proof in the eating of the pudding, as they say.
