How high can you hear?

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  • 09-20-2006, 04:21 PM
    hermanv
    I'm curious that the digital protocol in use works past 22KHz. As far as I know Mpeg does not neither does SPDIF, and I'm not that sure about the sound card. Somewhere in the chain is a digital to analog converter, it has a clock, signals higher than 1/2 the clock frequency are not possible.

    At 59 I can hear to about 14K at low levels, higher frequencies at louder levels.

    My wife could easily hear bats and ultrasonic burglar alarms (I think they run 30KHz) In fact there were stores she couldn't enter because of the loud irritating whistle from these alarms.

    CRT TV sets (not HDTV) run the horizontal scan at 15,734 Hz most young people can hear them fine.
  • 09-21-2006, 09:08 AM
    Hermanv brought up a good point. My sound card can't play anything above 20KHz., not that my hearing can hear that high anyhow...

    Just out of curiosity, what about the low end of the spectrum? I wonder how deep people can hear at 20Hz?, 16Hz? 12Hz? Does anyone have any test tones at these frequencies?
  • 09-21-2006, 09:53 AM
    hermanv
    About 4 years ago Fi or maybe Audio posted a list of low frequency content of rock music recordings. There were probably 25 records listed, the lowest I recall was 4Hz! Many had 8,10, 12 or 16Hz tones from synthesizers.

    I think most people switch from hearing a tone to hearing a series of beats and feeling a tone near 20Hz. Its not like the high frequencies, where you just can't hear them anymore, it's that the continuous tone appears to seperate into repetitive pulses.
  • 09-21-2006, 07:12 PM
    Dusty Chalk
    Yeah, it's a little harder with the low end of the spectrum, because although you may stop hearing it, you won't stop feeling it, and you might associate feeling it with hearing it. Especially if you were recently hearing it (as in, during a downward frequency sweep).
  • 09-22-2006, 05:39 AM
    shokhead
    When i was younger,i could get pretty darn high and hear everything.
  • 09-22-2006, 08:46 AM
    I was listening to these tones with my headphones, so the feeling it part I'm more immune to, I think. Is there a place online where there are low Hz samples?
  • 09-22-2006, 11:45 AM
    Dusty Chalk
    You don't have any feeling in your ears?
  • 09-22-2006, 12:42 PM
    shokhead
    The other day i was listening to Nightfly and noticed if i turn my left ear towards the front speakers i could hear the snars{spelled right} on the snardrum but turning with my right ear towards the fronts i couldnt.
  • 09-23-2006, 08:56 AM
    audio_dude
    Yes, i can hear TV's, CRT monitors, and some types of lights (i don't know what type, i think they may be halogen, we have a set in out kitchen and i can't stand to have them on)

    oh, and for REALLY low htz, if you can hook your audio up to your computer, you can use the NCH tone generator, google it, i think the demo lasts 30days...
  • 09-23-2006, 11:40 AM
    GTF
    Nightflier I have a BassZone test cd and with my home built transmission line subs I could hear 10 hz. They played 10 hz to at least 85 db's. It had to be above a certain volume level to start hearing it though which I don't recall.
    My present subs, also transmission line, don't go as low but are vastly superior in bass resolution. Bass detail on line as to Quad midrange compared to BOSE midrange.
    NOT Boom boom thud, boom boom thud, etc. You know like most subs nowadays.
    Thank you low-fi car guy's for this acceptance of boom boom thud, boom boom thud.

    GTF
    BTW I'm 54 and can hear 19,000 hz.
  • 09-23-2006, 12:55 PM
    audio_dude
    i took the test again, and i could still faintly hear that high pitched noise at 25k, its really anoying, and now i must go take an advil for this pounding headache (naw, i'm just kidding, but i can still here to 25k, i wonder if thats a good thing?)
  • 09-25-2006, 10:36 AM
    GTF, Where did you get the BassZone CD. Is it available online?

    Audio_dude, since hearing diminishes by age, how young are you? Is the pic accurate?
  • 09-25-2006, 12:34 PM
    shokhead
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GTF
    Nightflier I have a BassZone test cd and with my home built transmission line subs I could hear 10 hz. They played 10 hz to at least 85 db's. It had to be above a certain volume level to start hearing it though which I don't recall.
    My present subs, also transmission line, don't go as low but are vastly superior in bass resolution. Bass detail on line as to Quad midrange compared to BOSE midrange.
    NOT Boom boom thud, boom boom thud, etc. You know like most subs nowadays.
    Thank you low-fi car guy's for this acceptance of boom boom thud, boom boom thud.

    GTF
    BTW I'm 54 and can hear 19,000 hz.

    Heard or felt 10Hz?
  • 09-25-2006, 12:52 PM
    GTF
    Heard and felt.
    My 18 year old daughter had to leave the house when I was using the BassZone cd.
    I also had to remove tools from the garage wall behind the living room and
    put many nick-nacks on the floor so they didn't vibrate off their shelf's.
    nightflier I think they are out of business. last I heard anyway.
    I'll see if I can copy it.

    transmission lines subs are great.
    Except! No boom, boom, thud. Boom, boom, thud. Boom, boom, thud.

    GTF