What I suggest is to grab a spectrogram visualizer (or download the references and play them from iZotope RX. And try to determine if you’re truly hearing the lowest lows. In monitors there will be quite a lot of vibrational energy. In the headhpones, it can be unpleasant rattle. Remember, we don’t need the subsonics all the time when mixing, but we need them in key points - when we’re checking the low end and when we’re compressing and tonally balancing the low end.
Bad Bunny - MONACO JID, Kenny Mason - Dance Now Kendrick Lamar - hey now
All of these 808s go down to an A0 (27.5Hz). Just going down 1 more semitone and all 808s I’ve tried start to crap out. Likely the physics are the limiting factor in a solid 808 under a certain frequency.
Diamond Platnumz - Shu
This doesn’t stop amapiano productions from going to the lowest low.
ROSÉ - 3am Thomas Rhett - Beautiful As You
Both have the lowest bass note at under 30 Hz. It’s an interesting choice. From a songwriting perspective, the notes are correct. Technically (and physically) the notes are just too low to preserve the same texture across the entire bass line. If you hear just a slightly recessed lowest note, your monitoring is not delivering the low end and a proper level. If you also hear that texture change typical to a low bass note, then it’s all good.
Patricia Kaas - Ceux Qui N'Ont Rien Mitchell Tenpenny - Truth About You
This one is a live concert mix. The kick is nice, round thumpy. If don’t hear it that way (you only hear a boring, woody kick), there is not enough low end in your monitoring. Now Mitchell’s kick is a bit laid back in the oomph department compared to Patricia’s, and they should be perceived as such. It’s important to know if your low end is capable of reproducing nuances.
Maroon 5 - Wait
About nuance again, the kick is on the woody side, with almost no low end thump.