Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
PUBLISHER'S LETTER
Leo Simpson, B.Bus.
Editor
Greg Swain , B.Sc.(Hons.)
Technical Staff
John Clarke, B.E.( Elec.)
Robert Flynn
Darren Yates
Reader Services
Ann Jenkinson
Advertising Manager
Paul Buchtmann (02) 979 5644
Mobile: (018) 28 5532
Victorian Representative
Hugh Anderson Pty Ltd (formerly
McDonald Woodside & Associates
Pty Ltd) , 119 Market St, South Melbourne, Vic 3205. Phone (03) 696
5411. Contact: Ian McDonald.
Avoiding the penetrating bass beat
Over th e last 20 years or so, hifi system s have becom e commonplace virtually every home now has one or more systems in different rooms. If
you are a music lover, then you can only regard this development as good
since it brings instant music within the reach of everyone.
However, there are drawbacks to th is universality of hifi systems. The
first is well known and is the tendency of some people to listen to their
systems at ridiculously loud levels. This really has nothing to do with hifi
and is fortunately becoming less common as peop le come to realise that
music does not have to be loud to be enjoyable.
The second drawback is less obvious and it is related to the ability of
bass sounds to easily trave l though walls, floors and closed windows an d
thereby disturb people who may be quite a distance away. This can h appen even though the sound level in the person's listening room is not particularly loud. So in spite of listening at quite modest sound levels , the
bass from your hifi system could well be disturbing yo ur neighbours.
How does this come about'? First , some popular music is recorded with
very high levels of bass. Partly, this is to overcom e the limitations of cheap
radios and sound systems and partly because young people tend to like
lots of bass. Second, many peopl e play their music with the loudness
control switched in and with bass boost as well. This leads to unnaturally
high levels of bass , which is quite unpleasant to listen to for long periods .
Third, people tend to compound the probl em of excessive bass by
placing th eir speakers in the corners of the room - which makes th em
sound even more boomy.
Lastly, some hifi dealers sell spiked feet for loudspeakers so that instead
of standing on the carpet, they sit firmly on the timber floor underneath.
This is claimed to make the speakers sound better (hard to jus tify) but also
has the effect of making the timber floor into a giant sounding board for the
speakers. That can mean that the bass from your speakers can easily travel
for hundreds of metres or more.
How can yo u be sure that you are not offending in this regard? Easy, just
set your system for your normal listening level at n ight and go outside and
listen. Can you hear the music or the bass? If so, it is time for positive
action. Consider that if you are disturbing someone tonight, they may
decide to disturb you on some other night.
Remember, your hifi system will give the best poss ible sound with no
bass boost, no loudness switched in and with the speakers not placed in
the corners of th e room. And forg et spiked feet for your speakers - th ey are
another gimmick.
Leo Simpson
Regular Contributors
Brendan Akhurst
Jennifer Bonnitcha, B.A.
Garry Crall, VK2YBX
John Hill
Jim Lawler, MTETIA
Bryan Maher, M.E. , B.Sc.
Jim Yalden, VK2YGY
Bob Young
Photography
Glen Cameron
Editorial Advisory Panel
Philip Watson, MIREE, VK2ZPW
Norman Marks
Steve Payor, B.Sc., B.E.
SILICON CH IP is published 12 times
a year by Silicon Chip Publications
Pty Ltd. All material copyright ©. No
part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent of the publisher.
Printing: Magazine Printers Pty
Ltd , Rozelle, NSW 2039; Macquarie
Print, Dubbo, NSW 2830.
Distribution: Network Distribution
Company.
Subscription rates: $42 per year
in Australia. For overseas rates,
refer to the subscription page in
this issue.
Liability: Devices or circuits described in SI LICON CHIP may be
covered by patents. SILICON CHIP
disc;;laims any liability for the infringement of such patents by the
manufacturing or selling of any such
equipment.
Editorial & advertising offices:
Unit 39, 5 Ponderosa Pde, Warriewood, NSW 21 02. Postal address: PO Box 139, Collaroy Beach,
NSW 2097. Phone (02) 979 5644.
Fax (02) 979 6503.
ISSN 1030-2662
MARCH 1991
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