Sound
Bass
Also called low end, lows
Bass is the low-frequency part of music, roughly 20 to 250 Hz: kick drums, bass guitar, the left hand of a piano and the weight of an orchestra. How much a product delivers, and how tightly, shapes its character more than any other region.
The region is usually split into Sub-bass, the rumble below about 60 Hz that is felt as much as heard, and mid-bass, where the punch of a kick drum sits. A product can be strong in one and weak in the other, which is why owners describe bass as deep, punchy, boomy or lean rather than simply "more" or "less".
On headphones, bass depends on the seal around the ear: a leaky fit loses the lowest notes first. On speakers it depends on the room and placement as much as the speaker itself. A Subwoofer exists to take the lowest octave off the main speakers.
More bass is not automatically better. Loose, slow bass can smear the midrange; the Harman target adds a modest bass lift that many listeners prefer, while others want a flatter response. Owners rate bass on audiophila. as a position on a scale rather than a score.
Where you’ll see this on tonistry.
- Owners rate bass on a Light ↔ Heavy scale in their reviews; a higher position isn't automatically better. See community reviews and how ratings are read.