Consumers prefer boosted bass, a forgivable audible sin

Evidence

Home theater installers have long appreciated that many customers are pleased if the system is equalized to have a bass boost—sometimes a significant one. As has been said, excessive bass is a “forgivable sin” for many. Music programs are totally uncalibrated in record or playback levels, requiring music lovers to listen and adjust a bass control until the sound is pleasantly balanced spectrally. The curves in Figure 9.6 do not call for a treble control, although there may be other reasons to use one, and loudness compensators that automatically boost the treble along with the bass are to be avoided—they are ill-conceived. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 921

Categorization

• XREF: Links to Fletcher-Munson equal-loudness contours: the preference for bass boost reflects the ear’s low-level sensitivity drop at low frequencies, tying to the reader’s psychoacoustics focus.