Poll: Can you hear sound over 20kHz?
Jan 1, 2013 at 7:13 PM Post #346 of 551
Not to worry. It is abnormal to hear above 20kHz. Even perfect human hearing becomes dicey above 18kHz because it's right on the edge of audibility. I bet that the people in this thread who claimed to be able to hear above 18kHz were detecting sound pressure. They weren't actually hearing sound.
 
Jan 1, 2013 at 9:34 PM Post #347 of 551
Not to worry. It is abnormal to hear above 20kHz. Even perfect human hearing becomes dicey above 18kHz because it's right on the edge of audibility. I bet that the people in this thread who claimed to be able to hear above 18kHz were detecting sound pressure. They weren't actually hearing sound.
I hear actuall sound with100% certainty up to 21khz, however tones beyond 19khz for me become much much lower in amplitude. But they are there. My brother is ten years younger, and he can't hear past 17khz. It is what it is I guess...
 
Jan 1, 2013 at 10:16 PM Post #353 of 551
There isn't much difference between 20kHz and 21kHz. The same note just a tiny hair sharper.
 
Jan 1, 2013 at 11:15 PM Post #354 of 551
Quote:
There isn't much difference between 20kHz and 21kHz. The same note just a tiny hair sharper.

 
Keep in mind, you need speakers or headphones that can "accurately" reproduce these frequencies to test your hearing.  Not every headphone can do this, in fact most cannot.
 
But, for me it sort of goes like this.  16khz 100% volume, 17khz 100%, 18khz 80-90%, 19khz 50-80%, 20khz 30-50%, 21khz 10-30%, 22khz nothing but possibly pressure...  The ranges of percent are the volume as it climbs up in that range...
 
Jan 1, 2013 at 11:20 PM Post #355 of 551
Also, for what it's worth, I've added high cut filters to some popular songs in my pro audio software, and assuming everything is as accurate as they claim, I don't notice any major difference in music at the 20-21khz range.  I do however notice up to 19khz in music, especially well recorded jazz...
 
Jan 1, 2013 at 11:33 PM Post #356 of 551
Male, near 40, can hear 15 not 16.
 
Jan 2, 2013 at 12:16 AM Post #357 of 551
I voted yes, but I honestly have only tested up to 20 Khz, and it was barely audible.   I assume I can hear at least to 20,001. hz...
 
Male, 53, noted for having relative bat ears for my age.  I ran the test with a signal generator on my iPhone, so take that for what it is worth.  I see no reason for it not to be accurate.  In my youth - absolutely above 20Khz..  There were stores in the 60's and 70's that had AC units with a high pitched whine that I could hear, and almost no one else  could.
 
Jan 2, 2013 at 12:51 AM Post #358 of 551
Quote:
I voted yes, but I honestly have only tested up to 20 Khz, and it was barely audible.   I assume I can hear at least to 20,001. hz...
 
Male, 53, noted for having relative bat ears for my age.  I ran the test with a signal generator on my iPhone, so take that for what it is worth.  I see no reason for it not to be accurate.  In my youth - absolutely above 20Khz..  There were stores in the 60's and 70's that had AC units with a high pitched whine that I could hear, and almost no one else  could.


It's funny you said that.  I have to share a story of my "bat" ears.  My wife and I were in a restaurant last week and there were tvs playing sports games.  They sat us across from one, and the noise drove me INSANE.  It was SOOOOOO loud and high pitched I was about to walk out.  I politely asked one of the waitresses if they could turn off the television.  She asked me why.  I said the noise it is making is really high pitched and loud.  She looked so confused and told me "sir, the tv speakers aren't even turned on".  I knew right there she couldn't hear it.  So I just said it was the tv itself not the speakers.  She literally had a look on her face like I was some psycho, but she turned it off anyway.  Apparently most people can't hear the noise tube tvs make...
 
Here's the irony.  Before the waitress came over I fairly loudly asked if anyone was watching this one t.v. and if they minded if I shut it off.  There was another identical tv at the other end of the room, which i could actually hear the noise from as well afterwards, but it was acceptable being further away.  But people could watch that one anyway.  So there was one older man a booth down and across from us that waited for the next waitress to come by and told her to turn the t.v. back on.  When I hear the awful noise I looked up and he was making a NASTY face at me for having it shut off before.  So, I was thinking "why didn't you just speak up before when I asked everyone first".  I proceeded to tell him "sorry, it is making a really loud high pitched noise that is bothering my ears".  He didn't say anything, so I pointed to my ears and made a face like it was bothering me.  Then, I'm not sure if this was taken as an insult or what, but he pointed to his ears and then pointed to the tv as well and I could just glimpse he had a hearing aid in.
 
So, I gave up.  Then I had an epiphany!  I had my in-ear headphones in my pocket!!!  I stuck them in my ears, with no music playing, as earplugs.  I STILL heard the noise the whole time, but it was cut in half and much more acceptable.  People probably thought I was rude listening to music with my wife or date. ha.  She didn't mind though.  She heard it but much less than I did.
 
Anyway, I just thought that was funny and sort of relevant.  IEMs can make good earplugs when you need some! :)
 
Jan 2, 2013 at 2:04 AM Post #360 of 551
I heard that sound 20-25 years ago. No longer :)
 
 

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