How to listen to drum and bass at home: speakers, sub bass and your room
The music is built for big systems, but you can get a great deal out of a modest set up. Where to put the speakers, what a sub does and how to protect the neighbours.
Photo: Arnold Jaeger Werner, CC BY 2.0. Illustrative where it does not show the subject of the story
Drum and bass is made to be heard loud, on large sound systems, in rooms built for it. But most of us listen at home, on whatever we have. This guide is about getting the most out of that. It is practical, not technical, and none of it requires expensive equipment.
Start with the source
The quality of the file matters more than most people think. Heavily compressed music loses detail in exactly the places drum and bass lives: the sub bass, the snap of the snare and the fine detail in the hi hats. Where you can, use a lossless or high quality stream, or buy files directly from the label. It is also kinder to the artists. Many labels sell on Bandcamp and on their own shops, and buying a record sends money straight to the people who made it.
Headphones or speakers
Headphones are the most affordable route to good sound. A decent pair of closed back headphones lets you hear detail at a moderate volume and does not annoy anyone else. But headphones cannot move air, and bass is felt as much as it is heard. If you want the physical sensation, you need speakers.
Where to put the speakers
Placement matters as much as price. Put the speakers at ear height, roughly an equilateral triangle with your listening position, and a little in from the walls. Pointing them slightly towards you, called toe in, sharpens the stereo image. If the bass sounds boomy, move the speakers away from the corners; walls and corners reinforce low frequencies and make them sound heavier than they are.
What a sub does
A subwoofer adds the lowest octaves that small speakers cannot reproduce. Drum and bass leans heavily on these frequencies, so a sub can transform the experience. Place it on the floor, near the front, and experiment with its position: moving it a metre can change how smooth the bass sounds. Set its volume so that it supports the speakers rather than overwhelming them. If you can hear the sub as a separate source, it is too loud.
Your room
Every room colours the sound. Bare walls and hard floors reflect high frequencies and make the sound harsh. Rugs, curtains, bookshelves and sofas absorb and scatter sound and improve clarity. You do not need special panels; a few soft things in the right places will help.
Volume and neighbours
Bass travels through walls and floors much more easily than other frequencies. If you live in a flat, try putting the sub on an isolation pad or a heavy mat, and keep the volume sensible late at night. Talk to your neighbours before you turn it up. It is better to agree in advance than to argue afterwards.
Look after your own ears too. Sound above a safe level for a long time can damage hearing, whether it comes from a club or a living room. If the music sounds distorted or you feel pressure in your ears, turn it down.
Listen actively
Finally, give the music your attention. Drum and bass rewards close listening. Try following the bass line for a whole track, then the drums, then the small sounds in the background. You will hear things you missed, and you will begin to understand how a producer built the track.
Wikipedia describes the genre as characterised by fast breakbeats with heavy bass and sub bass lines, samples and synthesisers. At home, with a little care, you can hear all of that.
