Tight Bass

The semantics of audiophilia (is that a word?) is rife with "borrowed" words like "air". Air really doesn't have a sound, except during our Florida hurricanes. Most 'philes know what these words mean in the context of this hobby but it can lead to misinterpretation. When I refer to a component as "open and airy" sounding, I know what I mean but it may have a different meaning to you.

Well done Detlof. When I use the term tight bass; I believe it to mean well controlled, quick and hearing the detail of the bass; not the boom that some subs carry for extend time limits. Some subs seem so one noted, so I guess some could also interpert tight as clearly transitioning from one bass note to the other. If a sub is boomy there's very little difference in bass notes, some bass can be quick and sharp. I am no music teacher but have heard my share of live performances. So I'll go with the understanding that tight is just another word for well controlled, quick and lack of boom. pete

Some folks and I would include the Pace and rhythm British followers,are audiofiles who are going out the the way not to have natural extended bass,as this Slows the music down or to borrow their term takes away the pace. If you add a accented upper mid range to this then these Linnies and Naimies, are even happier when the cembels and snar drum are given an added kick. But it does not sound like any real music I have ever heard. But it is tight.

"Tight" was/is a phrase used by many musicians to describe the way they played thier performance together.If you have ever played in a rock or jazz band you may know what I'm refering to? When you have many people playing a very difficult piece of music with a lot of punctuations in thier phrases,all in perfect timing,there is an uncanny feeling of "One-ness" with your fellow musicians!!!! Felt as a perceived tightness or unity.....My take on tight bass would be the cross-over of that "feeling",to the reproduction of the same music on your home system. Some amps and Speakers do not exhibit tight/well paced sound together,so to me the phrase tight does apply to the characteristic sound......Just my short feeling on Tight Bass......When everything else is crazy in life, Sit Back and Enjoy the Music!

Detlof and others have been very good on this question, IMHO. All I'd add is that room acoustics can certainly make bass sound UNcontrolled. I thought my bass was okay, not a problem area, but then decided to add a couple more perforated panel absorbers to the three I already had, these tuned to "tame" the lowest room resonant modes assocated with room length and the width. I was amazed at how much pleasanter it was to focus on the bass, or how much more I could enjoy it subliminally. I could follow pitch, for example, much better than before, even with quiet bass in a jazz group. Not surprising, if certain notes were no longer getting a big decibel boost and masking others. Components are important for good bass, of course. But don't neglect the room, for it has to be part of the good bass equation.