Mosquito Tones - testing your aging hearing

[beden1]

I saw this on a Stereophile Forum subject post and tried the test. I'm good at 12khz, or a bit better than my age . . . but, it's just one more check mark in the inevitable "aging loss" column. I knew I damaged my hearing during that 1973 Emerson, Lake & Palmer concert in Miami.

Now, can somebody tell me what this means in my diminished ability to fully appreciate my B&W speakers!

http://www.freemosquitoringtones.org/

[EAmin]

I'm 36 and I couldn't hear the 16.7khz, 17.7khz, 18.8khz, 19.8khz, 21.1khz and 22.4khz tones, but I could hear everything else.

Too bad they don't have Lasik for our ears.

Interesting find...thanks for sharing.

[Alaric]

16.7khz was the last one I could hear , but I had to get pretty close to the speaker. Last easy one was 14.9khz. Fun little test!

[WI Rotel]

My guess is that the computer speakers cannot reproduce the higher tones. Ive listened to plenty of 20-20 sound sweeps and I can easily "hear" all but the highest registers 19-20K, my guess is that you have to copy them and play them through your BW's :B BTW I have a brand new Qosmio computer which supposedly has the best audio reproduction in "laptopdom" :W

[hd99yr]

I'm 47 and a 12. Damn-it! :huh:


but check this out for the low end.

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

It was suggested in the sub-woofer post that maybe you couldn't hear below 50hz and that you most likely feel these sounds. But I have a sub connected to my computer and could hear down to the 30hz.

[hd99yr]

My guess is that the computer speakers cannot reproduce the higher tones. Ive listened to plenty of 20-20 sound sweeps and I can easily "hear" all but the highest registers 19-20K, my guess is that you have to copy them and play them through your BW's :B BTW I have a brand new Qosmio computer which supposedly has the best audio reproduction in "laptopdom" :W

My son has friends that use these ring tones for school so the teachers can't hear the phones. Vibrate makes to much noise and teachers can hear it.

Maybe true for some Computers but my point is us old folk really can't hear that high. Leave to someone to figure out how to make a buck!

[Alaric]

Turned 45 last March. My computer speakers are little harman/kardons' , but I can't vouch for their performance one way or the other. Came with a low-end Dell PC.

[beden1]

Turned 45 last March. My computer speakers are little harman/kardons' , but I can't vouch for their performance one way or the other. Came with a low-end Dell PC.

I have larger HK speakers on this Dell desktop computer. I'm hoping we can blame their inefficiencies, but, I kinda don't think we can.

Since our ears are starting to produce diminishing returns, maybe the Harmon Kardon speakers are all we really need?

[beden1]

I'm 47 and a 12. Damn-it! :huh:


but check this out for the low end.

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html

It was suggested in the sub-woofer post that maybe you couldn't hear below 50hz and that you most likely feel these sounds. But I have a sub connected to my computer and could hear down to the 30hz.

I just tried your test and could hear down to 30hz without a sub on the computer. I'm starting to feel a little better as I love bass tones. I still couldn't hear above 12khz though.

Maybe that's why I don't find my 703s to be particularly bright, and my 803Ds to be a bit on the dull side?

[WI Rotel]

I'm going to try it out with my cat! they have much better hearing than us apes!

[linuxtx]

I am 31 and could hear 16.7kHz without trying too hard. Anything above that took my headphone setup with a good amount of volume. Certainly not my system since my computer is hooked up to a Musical Fidelity X-DACv8, A5 integrated and era Design 4s. Kind of makes you wonder if all of this latest trend with tweeters that can do 40kHz + is really worth the R&D. How about just tweeters that can do up to 20kHz perfectly...

[erich]

i'm 26 and i could here everything except 22.4khz ;D i'm using tiny creative labs computer speakers

[BassThatHz]

I am 24 and was able to easily hear the 15.8khz tone even with a loud air conditioner two feet away. 16.7khz was difficult to hear in a quite room.

I tested my hearing like this when I was 15 and never could recall a time when I could hear above 17.5khz.

The 22.4khz tone is impossible to hear because of the mp3 compression, you need a lossless audio format with a sample rate of 48khz.

21hz is the lowest I can hear below ~80db, I would need a better subwoofer to test lower than that with certainty.

[Alaric]

I have larger HK speakers on this Dell desktop computer. I'm hoping we can blame their inefficiencies, but, I kinda don't think we can.

Since our ears are starting to produce diminishing returns, maybe the Harmon Kardon speakers are all we really need?

I'm not giving up my Paradigms! Also , check out the telephone ring on Heart's 'Soul Of The Sea' (Dreamboat Annie album) approx. 3:14 into the track. It sounds like a sonic icepick on my PC speakers , but sounds like a bell ringing through my real speakers.

[beden1]

I'm not giving up my Paradigms! Also , check out the telephone ring on Heart's 'Soul Of The Sea' (Dreamboat Annie album) approx. 3:14 into the track. It sounds like a sonic icepick on my PC speakers , but sounds like a bell ringing through my real speakers.

Actually, I'm not ready to give up my B&W speakers anytime soon either!

[RebelMan]

Actually, I'm not ready to give up my B&W speakers anytime soon either!

Good for you beden1! :T

Similar to the lack of low frequency reproduction (below 28Hz) from instruments in music, high frequency octaves of 8kHz or more are rarely if ever approached. The subdued response you detected with the diamond tweeter has nothing to do with extension whatsoever, but a lack of distortion from resonant mode breakup. You are hearing distortion free playback from your 803D tweeter and that is a good thing. ( Now if you would just scrap your sub... j/k... enjoy your sub. :B )

Just for grins I tried the Mosquito Tones too and I notice a sharp rolloff above the 16.7kHz test tone using the speakers built into my laptop which may not be of the highest quality. In any event, anyone interested in a self administered audiometry for a more accurate and complete profile should look into Digital Recordings instead.

[beden1]

Good for you beden1! :T

Similar to the lack of low frequency reproduction (below 28Hz) from instruments in music, high frequency octaves of 8kHz or more are rarely if ever approached. The subdued response you detected with the diamond tweeter has nothing to do with extension whatsoever, but a lack of distortion from resonant mode breakup. You are hearing distortion free playback from your 803D tweeter and that is a good thing. ( Now if you would just scrap your sub... j/k... enjoy your sub. :B )

RebelMan,

Actually, I guess I am going to be giving up my subs by default . . . as soon as I finish connecting the Classe CP-500 and a Sony SCD-XA9000ES that just came today. You have me interested enough to give critical 2 channel listening an earnest go. Now I'll be able to accurately audition/review my 803Ds for what they are worth. I'm really looking forward to it, as I've grown tired of listening to a growing variety of music genres being butchered by my receiver.

I did ask Tom at Classe how I could incorporate my subs through the CP-500, and unfortunately, it can't be done. Oh well, I guess I'm being forced into becoming an audiophile purist! :T

[dave240z]

I was wondering what those "secret" ringtones sounded like.

I guess I'm one of the lucky few who have "golden ears". I can hear everything except 22.4KHz. :T

[dknightd]

At the ripe age of nearly 50 my hearing falls off between 12 and 14 khz. The hidden blessing is that this makes digital reproduced music more tolerable, and enjoyable.
I still think people can sense music they cannot actually hear - the ears are not
the only body part that can sense air pressure variations - but I could be wrong.
Likewise being able to hear a 20khz signal does not make your ears "golden" - whatever that means. . .