What is Bass Management?: Bass Management is a feature found on home theater receivers that determines which speaker(s) in the system reproduce bass or low frequencies. It is a very useful feature for stereo and multichannel music and movie sources that allows you to get the best audio performance from your system.
Why is It Important?: Bass management is important for two reasons. First, speakers differ in their ability to reproduce bass. Speakers with smaller woofers (approximately 6” and less) are less capable of producing very low or deep bass. Bass is best handled by a subwoofer when using a small speaker. Second, with the introduction of 5.1 channel DVDs, the .1, or ‘point 1’ channel is a separate bass only track that is intended for subwoofers. The .1 channel is used for special effects in movies and on some music discs.
How Does Bass Management Work?: Most audio/video receivers have bass management features to direct the bass to the appropriate speaker(s). In the ‘Setup Menu’ of the receiver select ‘Large’ or ‘Small’ speaker size for each speaker in the system. The Large selection means the speaker is capable of handling bass, while Small means the bass is directed to the subwoofer. In some cases there is a ‘Both’ selection, which means that the main speakers and a subwoofer will reproduce the bass. Your choice should be guided by the size of the main speakers and personal listening preferences. Always follow the manufacturers recommendation for speaker size.
