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1.0 Introduction
MaxxBass has been used for years on many of the worlds most popular music to
improve bass lines and mix compatibility. Waves has recently began shipping a low cost
ASIC, MX3000AS, making MaxxBass attractive for cost sensitive consumer electronics.
Several tests and comparisons were made between two bass extension technologies,
MaxxBass from Waves and TruBassTM from SRS Labs. This paper provides detailed
test results on frequency sweep and pure sine wave tests. Tests were performed
identically on both systems using commercially available products. Professional test
equipment was used for all measurements. The tests measure audio system response
that would be expected when using these bass extension technologies with small
speakers with a 100 Hz physical cutoff frequency typical of televisions and multimedia
speakers.
The frequency sweep tests used a slow sweep from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with a 1Vpp input.
These tests show system linearity and any changes in level.
The frequency response for pure sine waves was measured to show the harmonics
generation at several frequencies and levels. Sine waves at 50, 70 and 100 Hz was
measured to demonstrate how the harmonics generation varies with frequency. Several
input levels were used at each frequency to demonstrate if the harmonics are generated
consistently across the wide dynamic range of music.
The output plots from all the tests are included in this paper. The authors have also
provided analysis for both technologies as well as some general conclusions on the
superiority of MaxxBass in providing more consistent results across frequencies and
levels and without a substantial impact to the systems signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Waves MaxxBass Pro102 was the MaxxBass test system used. This product uses the
Waves MX3000AS MaxxBass ASIC. The same MaxxBass Pro102 settings were made
for all tests, except when Bypass Mode was used.
All tests were made with no input attenuation, which corresponds to clock position 5 on
the Input Signal knob. The tests were made at maximum system intensity, which
corresponds to clock position 5 on the Intensity knob. The MaxxBass frequency was
set to 100 Hz, which corresponds to a clock position of 1 on the Frequency knob.
The Bypass Mode is enabled by pressing the bypass button to the left of the power LED.
(When the system is in Bypass Mode the Bypass LED is illuminated.)
SRS offers a commercial product called WowThing that provides TruBass functionality.
It utilizes the AP9883 device from SRS semiconductor subsidiary.
The same WowThings settings were made for all tests, except when Bypass Mode was
used. The WOW knob was turned completely to the left to minimize the WOW functions,
which corresponds to clock position 7 . The TruBass function was maximized by
turning the TruBass knob completely to the right, which corresponds to clock position 5.
Volume was originally set to full scale, but it was lower to allow listening tests without
clipping in the speaker to due excess signal gain. The volume was lowered to 14dB for
all tests in order to compensate for TrueBass +20dB low frequency gain and allow
listening without clipping in the speaker system.
The Bypass Mode is enabled by moving the Bypass/Wow switch to the left.
WOW THINGTM
The frequency sweep tests are to measure the frequency response for linearity as well
changes in level. Frequency sweep tests were made to test for system calibration in
addition for both Bypass Mode and ON modes for both technologies. In all cases a
1Vpp input signal was used.
In the calibration test neither the MaxxBass Pro102 nor WowThing box was physically
connected into the audio system. Figure 3 shows the results when the frequency
generator output is connected directly to the input of the measurement system. The test
and measurement system is practically flat from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The 1Vpp maps to the
level of -13dB. The -13dB level represents no system attenuation in all the other plots
presented in this paper.
From the MaxxBass Bypass Mode plot (Figure 4) it is apparent that the MaxxBass
Bypass Mode has a flat response with a 1:1 gain throughout the entire frequency
spectrum. The 1Vpp input corresponds to a level of -13dB level, the same as during the
test calibration so no system attenuation occurs during Bypass Mode.
The MaxxBass Bypass Mode frequency response practically matches the Test
Calibration (Figure 3), so that during Bypass Mode of the MX3000AS the audio system
performance is equivalent to not physically including MX3000AS in the audio circuit.
It is clear that MaxxBass affects only frequencies from about Fc (100Hz in this case) and
below. As a bass enhancement technology MaxxBass only affects the low frequency
audio signals near or below the physical speaker cutoff and leaves the majority of the
audio signals unaltered.
From the TruBass Bypass Mode test (Figure 6) it is clear that the Bypass Mode
frequency response is flat.
Attenuation of -14 dB was needed to provide the necessary system headroom for when
the TruBass function is ON; at least this much headroom will be needed for the audio
system to cope with the +20 dB low-frequency boost inserted by TrueBass. This costs
the audio system -14 dB of system signal-to-noise (SNR) seriously degrading the audio
system even when the TruBass function is off.
When TruBass is ON with 1Vpp input (Figure 7) it can be seen that the frequency
response is no longer close to flat.
2) A more modest +6B high frequency boost has been added above 1 kHz.
3) A relative sharp notch filter has been added at about 570 Hz.
When the input signal is lowered to 250mVpp (Figure 8) the entire curve (of Figure 7) is
simply shifted down by -12 dB, which is the exact ratio between 1Vpp and 250mVpp.
It is clear from Figures 6-8 that TruBass employs a fixed boost filter for the frequencies
below 250 Hz. If a dynamic boost was utilized then the shape of the curve would vary
based on input level. Since only a level shift of 12 dB is seen, it can be concluded that
TruBass uses a fixed boost filter.
To confirm linearity of the bass boost, a further test was implemented on Audio Precision
test equipment. The input signal was a 60 Hz tone, which is the peak of the TruBass
boost curve, and the amplitude was varied between 10mVpp to 1Vpp. Across this range
of levels the output was linearly related to the input.
TruBass uses a fixed +20 dB bass boost method to achieve of its perceived bass
improvement. It is a well known psycho-acoustic principle that increasing the volume
improves the users general perception of sound; however using such a large bass boost
has several well known negative audio system implications.
To practically utilize TruBass +20 dB bass gain, the audio system engineer must
attenuate the overall audio level by at least -14 dB to create the necessary audio
headroom. (This also assumes the audio system already has 6 dB of headroom margin
that can also be used.) The major drawback of this approach is that the system SNR is
also reduced by at least 14 dB seriously degrading the quality of the audio whether
TruBass is ON or in Bypass Mode.
A strong bass boost function such as TruBass with high input level signal can result in
distorted sound and possibly overloading the amplifier and the speaker. There is an
increased probability of burning out the speaker and/or the amplifier unless more
powerful amplifiers and more expensive speakers with larger excursions are utilized.
This can substantially increase the system cost of implementing a TruBass system.
Bass boost systems also do not improve the perceived linearity of frequency response,
which is the normally the audio system designers goal, since they create a substantial
gain only near the speaker cutoff frequency. This is also clear apparent in listening
tests with TruBass.
Pure sine wave inputs are used to measure harmonics generated by the MaxxBass
functions. Sine waves at 100 Hz, 70 Hz and 50 Hz were used as inputs at levels of
1.4Vpp, 1.0Vpp, 500mVpp, 250mVpp, and 100mVpp.
Figures 10-14 show the response of MaxxBass to 100 Hz pure sine. For this test the
MaxxBass Frequency (Fc) is set to 100 Hz, so the sine wave is at the upper edge of the
frequency range for which MaxxBass processing is applied. Additionally the physical
speaker cutoff is again assumed also to be about 100 Hz, so most of the energy output
is still at the 100 Hz fundamental frequency and relatively little energy is in the
harmonics.
These plots illustrate that the 100 Hz fundamental frequency does not scale linearly with
the input level due to dynamic range compression applied as part of the MaxxBass
process. The level of harmonics is in a consistent ratio to the level of the fundamental at
every input level. This is particularly noticeable and important on the first and second
harmonics, at 200 Hz and 300 Hz. The level of harmonics is carefully computed, in
order to achieve natural sounding dynamics for the harmonics signal, and match that of
the original sound.
Figures 15-19 show the response of MaxxBass to 70Hz pure sine. As 70Hz is lower
compared to Fc (100Hz), it can be seen that more energy at the output shifted towards
the harmonics.
As with the case at 100 Hz, the fundamental frequency at 70 Hz does not scale linearly
with the input level due to dynamic range compression applied as part of the MaxxBass
process. The level of harmonics is in a consistent ratio to the level of the fundamental at
every input level. This is even more apparent at 70 Hz where the fundamental and all
the harmonics have shifted down with input. The level of harmonics is carefully
computed, in order to achieve natural sounding dynamics for the harmonics signal, and
match that of the original sound.
Figures 20-24 show the response of MaxxBass to 50Hz pure sine wave. 50Hz is
substantially lower than Fc (100Hz), it can be seen that even more energy is shifted into
the harmonics. At 50 Hz the harmonics actually have more energy than the
fundamental.
As with the case at 70 and 100 Hz, the fundamental frequency at 50 Hz does not scale
linearly with the input level due to dynamic range compression applied as part of the
MaxxBass process. The level of harmonics is in a consistent ratio to the level of the
fundamental at every input level and the entire plot shifts downward with input level. The
level of harmonics is carefully computed, in order to achieve natural sounding dynamics
for the harmonics signal, and match that of the original sound.
Pure sine wave inputs are used to measure harmonics generated by the TruBass
functions. Sine waves at 100 Hz, 70 Hz and 50 Hz were used as inputs at various input
levels to evaluate the consistency of the harmonics generation.
Figures 25-30 show TruBass response to a 100 Hz pure sine wave input at several
levels.
2. Harmonics are generated, but in an inconsistent manner to either the input or the
fundamental. At 700mVpp levels and below no harmonics are generated.
3. At 1.4Vpp the level of very high-frequency harmonics is too high. Too much high
frequency energy (up to 1 kHz) is added back into the audio much of which does not
occur at specific harmonic frequencies. The result is a BUZZ sound, rather than a
deep bass sound.
The level of harmonics does not scale continuously with input level and the range of
acceptable harmonics generation is so small (only 3 dB), that practically speaking with
normal music there will never be a good missing fundamental effect. Above the small
+3 dB input level range, too much high harmonics are generated. This behavior is similar
to the effect of an analog clipper, where the 3dB range is the transition between no
clipping (and no harmonics) and severe clipping (and too much harmonics).
Across the normal dynamic range of music, the TruBass bass improvement is
practically only relying on a simple fixed bass boost, which can be achieved without the
expense of a custom circuit.
Figures 31-36 show TruBass response to a 70 Hz pure sine wave input with several
amplitudes. At 70 Hz the sine wave tests show the same issues with TruBass as
discussed for 100 Hz.
Figures 37-41 show TruBass response to a 50 Hz pure sine wave input with several
amplitudes. At 50 Hz the sine wave tests show the similar issues at 70 and 100 Hz,
although the range of good harmonics has shifted down to 500-700mVpp. Above this
range at 1Vpp too much high-harmonics are generated, and below this, at 250mVpp no
harmonics are generated.
The goal of the audio system designer is to provide linear response in audio electronics,
amplifiers and speakers systems, while meeting product constraints on cost, size and
power consumption. As the product constraints tighten the audio system engineer is
under pressure to raise the speaker cutoff frequency, which reduces the bass frequency
response of the audio system. This is due to an electro-acoustic limitation in which the
speakers frequency response is linear above the speaker cutoff frequency and
attenuates -12 to -24 dB/octave below this frequency.
The goal of any bass extension method should be to extend the perceived bass
frequency linearity below the speaker cutoff frequency, while having minimal impact on
the both the linearity and maximum level of the audio system.
MaxxBass has been demonstrated to increase the bass frequency response up to 1 and
octaves below the speaker cutoff frequency. This is accomplished without changing
the frequency response linearity above the speaker cutoff frequency and without
requiring additional system headroom margin required by large bass boosts.
A listener perceived linear extension of bass frequency can be achieved through use of
a patented algorithm that uses the Phenomenon of the Missing Fundamental. The
perceived natural quality of this algorithm is apparent through listening tests and the
MaxxBass algorithm has been used for years in the production of the worlds most
popular music. Consumer electronic manufacturers can now benefit from the MaxxBass
technology with a new low cost MX3000AS ASIC.
TruBass utilizes a fixed bass boost of +20 dB to generate its dominant bass effect
across the dynamic range of music. To provide adequate system headroom to utilize
this boost, the audio system must sacrifice at least -14 dB of system SNR seriously
degrading the quality of audio whether TruBass is ON or in Bypass Mode.
This large boost does not improve perceived bass linearity, but merely increases the
volume of the bass near the cutoff frequency. This creates unnatural sounding bass
particularly at high levels, which is apparent in critical audio listening tests.
TruBass frequency response also show a high frequency gain and a notch filter at
approximately 570 Hz further reducing the goal of audio system linearity. TruBass
implements some harmonics generation, but the effective input level range is only +3 dB
making it practically useless for the large dynamic range of audio used in music, movie
soundtrack or games.