On some of the most popular listening devices, such as headphones, earbuds, and computer speakers, the ability to reproduce bass is severely limited, and too much low bass in a mix will overwhelm the music. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t have low end in your mixes. Bass-specific harmonic exciters, such as Waves Renaissance Bass and MaxxBass, don’t increase the volume of the fundamental bass frequency, but rather the higher harmonics that the human ear perceives as reinforcing the fundamental bass note. This means that you control the low bass level while still hearing low end.
Be judicious with bass harmonic exciters, of course — they’re easy to overuse. But if you find that you need to tame your low end while still maintaining full bass sound, it can be a valuable tool in your arsenal.