Whats the.....

[Florian]

highest frequency a normal human can hear?

Thanks

-Flo

[shokhead]

Something like 20Hz-20000Khz?

[Wireworm5]

Based on my Sony DVD player which has a sharp/ slow filter. On 'slow' frequencies above 20khz are cut. I have mine set on 'sharp', this to my ears makes the music sound halographic, other than that I couldn't specifically point out instrument characteristics.

[This Guy]

20 khz is average for normal people. It gets lower as you age cause your hearing isnt gonna be as good as when you were younger

[Geoffcin]

highest frequency a normal human can hear?

Thanks

-Flo

On my last hearing test my ability to detect sounds showed a loss at about 17khz. However, I was able to detect a 22khz tone at a higher volume. In my view ultrasonic energy, while not nessasarily detected as "sound" does have a bering on the perception of sound. Tweeters with an ultra-extended high frequency responce, like a ribbon, to me sound more transparent, and better at reproducing something the shimmer of a cymbal. Indeed the direction that manufacturers are taking is to push the flat responce of tweeters out futher and further. The newer materials coming online for traditional domes like Berylium & Diamond have allowed much higher frequency extension, out to 30khz, or even 50khz in some cases. I got a chance to listen to a few of these exotics last Thursday, and in my view, it DOES make a difference to have that frequency extension.

[plextor guy]

of anyone over the age of 21 can hear anything beyond the 16-18 KHz range. This is especially important to consider when reading reviews and opinion about audio eqiupment based solely on listening. It should be mandatory for anyone writing a review or posting an opinion to also post their age. And if not age, post the results of a recent hearing test.

[Florian]

Great for all the fast answeres. I am going to filter some 22K and above stuff out and see how it works.

PS: My Apogee Scintilla's arived ;-)

[RGA]

The vast majority of people do not hear above 15khz or below 40hz(below this it is mostly feeling bass not hearing bass). The industry standard for most of the century was 40hz - 15khz. UHF book talks about the changes (which is mostly marketing to get you to buy things you can;t detect anyway but hey it makes money for people). Sort of like buying a toaster that makes great toast and then having company B come out with a toaster that can heat to 9000 degrees gee pay $850 for toaster B cause it's better. uggh!

The expanded range of 20hz to 20khz has been here for a few decades, this was more of a marketing tool to be able to get people away from buying cassette tapes which most yielded 40hz-15khz. My deck would achieve 18hz - 21khz with metal tapes. These were just as good as the original...it was a pricey tape deck though

[Feanor]

The vast majority of people do not hear above 15khz or below 40hz(below this it is mostly feeling bass not hearing bass). The industry standard for most of the century was 40hz - 15khz. ...

Which is a very moderate level, I can distinctly hear a 20Hz test tone through my subwoofer, however it is possible that I'm mostly hearing harmonic distortion.

On the other extreme, I can't hear a 12kHz tone -- I'm aged 60, so that's not unusual. The lack of the top octave doesn't hinder my enjoyment of music in the least -- which you'll be glad to know, give the inevidable :-))

[Florian]

I was just asking because the Scintilla's are the most revealing speaker that i know. And since most "commercial" recordings are made for car stereos they are overbloaed in regions that i wont hear. But the Scintilla will play it, which means that all the ribbons do more work. So i will use my digital room correction to make a target curve that drops at 22Khz or 20Khz.

-Flo

[E-Stat]

what is the highest frequency a normal human can hear?

Interesting question. Perhaps a better question is "what is the highest frequency a normal human can detect?"

Clearly, there are quite a few instruments having significant harmonic energy above 20k. There is some evidence to suggest that our musical experience is not sensed by hearing alone.

There's life above 20 kilohertz

rw

[shokhead]

Its 20 to 20000 and an intensity of 120db,thats the basic human hearing range. Will change with age. Simple question,simple answer.