TVs and compact audio systems sound thinner as volume drops. Low-frequency perception falls off faster than the rest of the spectrum — a well-documented psychoacoustic effect described by equal-loudness contours. For product teams shipping consumer electronics, the result is the same: users turn the volume down at night or in shared spaces, and the bass disappears.

Auto-Bass restores that low-frequency balance automatically, in real time, with no user interaction required. The correction tracks the actual playback level and applies precisely the right amount of bass compensation — more at quiet levels, none at reference volume.

Why legacy loudness control failed

The idea of compensating for bass loss at low volume isn't new. "Loudness Control" appeared on consumer audio products in the 1970s, based on Fletcher-Munson equal-loudness curves. It failed for two reasons that Auto-Bass corrects:

• Wrong compensation curves. Legacy systems used the equal-loudness curves directly as boost targets. The correct approach — which Auto-Bass implements — uses the differences between curves at different loudness levels.
• No adaptive tracking. Legacy loudness was a binary on/off switch. Auto-Bass continuously adjusts compensation based on the actual playback level, providing seamless correction from reference volume down to quiet listening.

How it works

Auto-Bass is calibrated to a mastering reference of 80 Phon — the standard monitoring level in professional studios. At normal playback levels, the processing is transparent. As volume decreases, bass compensation increases progressively. At typical quiet listening levels (approximately -20 dB from reference), the correction restores full low-frequency balance.

At high volumes, Auto-Bass constrains bass amplitude within a safe operating zone, preventing speaker excursion damage and amplifier saturation. The system protects hardware while maintaining musical integrity across the full volume range.

Important: Auto-Bass compensates for psychoacoustic perception loss — it does not synthesize bass frequencies that the speaker cannot physically reproduce. The playback system must have existing bass capability. For devices with limited low-frequency response, see V-Bass, which generates perceived bass through psychoacoustic harmonics.

Best paired with PRISM

Auto-Bass delivers optimal results when combined with PRISM equalization. PRISM's Acoustic Power Volume Density (APVD) processing establishes a flat acoustic power frequency response at normal listening levels — the ideal baseline for Auto-Bass compensation. Together, the system maintains accurate tonal balance from reference volume down to background listening.