Speakers: tweeter or bass?

**Mike** · September 9, 2020, 08:30 AM

When you’re shopping for new speakers, what is more important to you, top end or bass? Are you looking for a detailed, lively, airy tweeter? Are you looking for a smoother tweeter? Are you looking for deep big bass or are you looking for tight bass?

**jadedavid** · September 9, 2020, 08:41 AM

Smooth tweeter-Big bass

**CPP** · September 9, 2020, 08:45 AM

yep a smooth well defined tweeter and a sweet mid range. Not really a bass head.

**Fer1000** · September 9, 2020, 09:12 AM

In my case as follows...:

Tweeter --> smooth well defined (not so penetrant to bother your ears after long day listening)
Midds --> present and sweet
Bass --> tight (but present with no necessity of Subs)

**Dizzie** · September 9, 2020, 11:34 AM

My favorite music lives in the midrange (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano). I am not a bass-head but speakers that only go into the low 30Hz range don't do it for me. Bass has to be tight and articulate. Highs must be easy on my ears.

The two worst offenses of speakers for me are boomy bass and a harsh top. I can live with the crime of omission more than the crime of bad "commission".

**Shadowfax** · September 9, 2020, 11:45 AM

I was always a Bass Head and played Bass for years. I bought my Dynaudios for the bass and silk tweeter. Back then, metal tweeters gave me fatigue after a while. I am hoping that has changed a little bit if I end up with a pair of Fyne 502s that I have no way to demo. When I got my Clearfield Continentals, VAC-Counterpoint setup, it lacked deep bass but I ended up learning to love the Midrange and was fine with the detailed and tone of bass even if it was not real deep and pounding. All my Demo music is actually Bass heavy like Fourplay, Marcus Miller, Primus and such.

I am hoping to find a nice compliment of smooth non-fatigueing tweeter along with controlled Bass and big Mids.

**u-sound** · September 9, 2020, 01:06 PM

as for me, overall coherence and cohesiveness.
avoiding any extremes, frequency independent

**Mr Peabody** · September 9, 2020, 03:03 PM

I like a well defined bass. Prefer a more bottom up sound. I don't mind hearing metal cymbals clearly but they have to be clean as to not be harsh. Smooth highs without seeming rolled off.

**the professor** · September 9, 2020, 08:17 PM

I need toe tapping. That sometimes means its realistic music sounds and sometimes just MUSIC.

That being said - these are what I think helps in getting to the toe tapping:

Tweeter is the first thing - cause with a harsh top end, a system is worthless. can't toe tap if you are cringing - imo

after that it needs to play at the sound level you like in your room.

then everything else.

as a side note - bad bass is SOOOOOO much worse than NO bass.

You can't have anything the makes you go --- (censored)

**steve59** · September 19, 2020, 11:09 AM

The salon 2 probably had my favorite tweeter, detailed but not hot. Bass from active speakers is tough to beat. Judging from many reviewers favorites a boost of 10 db around 100 hz will get a 'highly recommended' every time, personally I just need a bass line I can follow.

**Alpinist** · September 19, 2020, 12:05 PM

If the speaker doesn’t have a silky smooth tweeter, it is off the table. The tweeter should draw no attention to itself whatsoever. Bass should be accurate, articulate and deep reaching. For me, it doesn’t have to be visceral, punching me in the gut.

Ken

**Andik777** · September 19, 2020, 01:39 PM

Smooth tweeter-tight bass

**joeinid** · September 19, 2020, 02:10 PM

Tweeter is first and foremost important to me. Any forwardness, brightness or harshness is an absolute deal breaker. Mids need to sweet and organic. Bass is great but I can give it up a little.

Vocals and piano are most important to me.

**Barry** · September 19, 2020, 04:33 PM

For me, nothing says goodbye like a bullet...or a bad tweeter.

**Puma Cat** · September 19, 2020, 05:11 PM

Whoops, duplicate, see post below...

**Puma Cat** · September 19, 2020, 05:13 PM

I look for a smooth integrated response for both drivers, with excellent horizontal and vertical off-axis response. There should be excellent spectral decay with minimal ringing for both drivers, and minimal comb filtering.

**stereogeek** · October 26, 2020, 10:57 PM

If it doesn't do the midrange correctly nothing else matters.

**kiwi_1282001** · October 27, 2020, 12:29 AM

I look for a high resolution, low noise tweeter which imposes very little of its own signature on a recorded performance. It, with co-operation of the listening room, needs to excel in the reproduction of acoustical space with all its spatial and reverberant cues whilst – recording dependant – avoiding excessive brightness.

Bass needs to be balanced, coherent and seamless with no exaggeration of the low frequency or boom to smear higher frequency detail.

As also expressed by others I don’t have a strong felt need for visceral, gut punching, floor shaking bass which frankly few rooms can handle anyway. As far as I’m concerned, seismic stuff is for home theatre.

**Edward** · October 27, 2020, 07:48 AM

Every great concert I have ever been to has moved me with tight bass that I could feel. This is my quest for the holy grail in home audio....

**Rob181** · October 27, 2020, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by stereogeek

If it doesn't do the midrange correctly nothing else matters.

Bingo - I concur - vocal reproduction - followed by piano reproduction - if these two don't sound right - nothing else will - followed by front to back staging of the music from the speakers...

**PavelDosko** · October 27, 2020, 04:25 PM

the instruments and vocals must sound faithful in all acoustic bands, the reproduction of classical music is decisive

**Phishphan** · October 27, 2020, 08:16 PM

Subs can fill in for bass. Look for a high and mid range you love.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**TheOctopus** · October 27, 2020, 08:32 PM

I like a tuneful, analog type bass. Bass that is slightly "under" rather than "over" damped by the amp, analog vs digital type of bass response. It doesn't have to plumb the deepest depths either and I can live without the kickdrum to the chest and pants flapping. When it comes to midrange, I like a pure midrange but it can't be leaner than reality. I'd rather have it tilt the other way to add some extra meat on the bones and chestiness but never lean.

Tweeter response is the one aspect that can absolutely kill it for me... I don't ever want to live with a tweeter that has audible distortions, break up or non linearities. I can not hear past 15Khz which is pretty typical for a guy in his 50s but man can I still hear that annoying metal dome tweeter flavor that sounds worse than a dentist drill... I strongly prefer the silk dome or similar to a metal dome tweeter that offers tons of perceived air but sounds nasty with anything but a perfect recording.

In a nutshell, I am not a recording engineer, I am not trying to master an album. I am into enjoying music. It doesn't have to be perfect... It has to be engaging, intoxicating and seductive when appropriate. If the system errs on the side of warmth and humanity, so be it. My choice of Luxman Class A and Harbeth speakers are a testament to that.

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