[donkeywalker]

I have a somewhat dumb question - do headphones measure the same at different air density and therefore different altitude? If yes, would that make enough difference for human to tell the difference?

Here is a related question : https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/48251/does-altitude-affect-sound-pitch

 

[Speedskater]

From another forum (another poster pointed out that there are engineering problems with the paper)

"Under Pressure: Loudspeakers at Altitude"
John Atkinson

Read more at https://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/590awsi/index.html#kF8tkkqj2jHU18Bh.99

 

[Zapp_Fan]

Apparently pressure has a very small effect, based on what Speedskater posted, but I wonder what effect temperature might have. If it was very cold and/or very dry in a room, it might make speaker cones stiffer and therefore change performance a bit. I'm speculating but it at least seems plausible to me.

 

[donkeywalker]

Apparently pressure has a very small effect, based on what Speedskater posted, but I wonder what effect temperature might have. If it was very cold and/or very dry in a room, it might make speaker cones stiffer and therefore change performance a bit. I'm speculating but it at least seems plausible to me.

I quickly learned in Headfi in the early days that people perceive sound differently and will have completely different opinion of the same headphones even if they drive then on the same amp/dac listening to the same music. Now adding Temperature and air pressure into another confounding variable just made it harder.

 

[Zapp_Fan]

I quickly learned in Headfi in the early days that people perceive sound differently and will have completely different opinion of the same headphones even if they drive then on the same amp/dac listening to the same music. Now adding Temperature and air pressure into another confounding variable just made it harder.

I would not imagine these factors usually make a perceptible difference. I'm thinking maybe the difference between (say) 90F and 30F could make a loudspeaker sound different. I don't think air pressure (in normal ranges) has much of an effect at all. And when it comes to headphones, probably the effects would be even less.

 

[bigshot]

Cold ears probably hear differently than nice cozy ones. Better for Sibelius!