[luisdent]

Quote:

Distortion. People aren't hearing tones outside the range of normal human hearing, they're hearing the error caused by their headphones trying to play frequencies they weren't designed to play.

 
I'm really not discounting this.  It is completely possible that I cannot hear that high, and that it is distortion.  No argument there.  However, it doesn't "sound" like distortion.  What I mean is that the tones gradually increase in pitch and lower in volume.  It seems odd to me that distortion would sound exactly like the next step in that sequence.  I can understan someone straining to hear anything and thinking "oh, i can hear something, it must be 20khz!".  But for me, it sounds like the next tone in sequence...  But who know without a completely perfect audio testing lab?

 

[lee730]

Quote:

 
I'm really not discounting this.  It is completely possible that I cannot hear that high, and that it is distortion.  No argument there.  However, it doesn't "sound" like distortion.  What I mean is that the tones gradually increase in pitch and lower in volume.  It seems odd to me that distortion would sound exactly like the next step in that sequence.  I can understan someone straining to hear anything and thinking "oh, i can hear something, it must be 20khz!".  But for me, it sounds like the next tone in sequence...  But who know without a completely perfect audio testing lab?

Same here luisdent. I can't say 100% that it isn't distortion but if that was the case I'd be more inclined to think every test tone that guy announces has distortion then lol (which I highly doubt). As you said it starts at one point and continues going higher and higher in pitch.

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

Same here luisdent. I can't say 100% that it isn't distortion but if that was the case I'd be more inclined to think every test tone that guy announces has distortion then lol (which I highly doubt). As you said it starts at one point and continues going higher and higher in pitch.

The way you described what you heard sounds like aliasing. Your sound card or DAC is likely at fault.
 
You should only hear one sine wave. That's it. Anything more and there is a problem with the playback. Nothing high pitched should be playing during the bass, and nothing low pitched should be playing during the high frequencies.

 

[luisdent]

Quote:

The way you described what you heard sounds like aliasing. Your sound card or DAC is likely at fault.
 
You should only hear one sine wave. That's it. Anything more and there is a problem with the playback. Nothing high pitched should be playing during the bass, and nothing low pitched should be playing during the high frequencies.

 
I'm not sure what you mean.  That isn't what I described, and I don't think that is what he described either.  I think (correct me if I'm wrong chewy4) that we mean when we go from 19khz to 20khz it sounds one relative pitch higher as you would expect it to.  We don't hear multiple tones (i don't).  As I progress from one frequency test to the next each test is successively higher in pitch and lower in volume.... That's all...

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

 
I'm not sure what you mean.  That isn't what I described, and I don't think that is what he described either.  I think (correct me if I'm wrong chewy4) that we mean when we go from 19khz to 20khz it sounds one relative pitch higher as you would expect it to.  We don't hear multiple tones (i don't).  As I progress from one frequency test to the next each test is successively higher in pitch and lower in volume.... That's all...

Let me pull a direct quote:
 

 So I'm hearing two frequencies in tandem.
 

 

[bigshot]

Quote:

Same here luisdent. I can't say 100% that it isn't distortion but if that was the case I'd be more inclined to think every test tone that guy announces has distortion then lol (which I highly doubt). As you said it starts at one point and continues going higher and higher in pitch.

 
Distortion is very likely in frequencies that ears aren't designed to hear and equipment isn't designed to reproduce. Distortion can follow a tone in a lower octave as it goes higher. Distortion doesn't always sit in the same frequency.

 

[lee730]

I tested on both the DACport LX and Bladelius DAC with the Triad L3. Same results for both.
 

 

[J Bones]

I've used many different test tones higher than 20kHz (maybe 22 or 23 Khz) but it's very faint at the most. Most frequencies higher than that I belive your body can un-subconsciously feel (so yes, I do believe a pair of cans that reaches further into the higher frequencies might actually be worth it to some degreee) but can't "hear". Even more so for sub-bass frequencies.
 
EDIT: No, I have no science to back this up, but I 'seem' to hear a difference every time this instance occurs where I listen to the same song with a different pair of cans and 'think' I can hear a difference.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

I've used many different test tones higher than 20kHz (maybe 22 or 23 Khz) but it's very faint at the most. Most frequencies higher than that I belive your body can un-subconsciously feel (so yes, I do believe a pair of cans that reaches further into the higher frequencies might actually be worth it to some degreee) but can't "hear". Even more so for sub-bass frequencies.
 
EDIT: No, I have no science to back this up, but I 'seem' to hear a difference every time this instance occurs where I listen to the same song with a different pair of cans and 'think' I can hear a difference.

The funny part about the "feeling bit" is in reality that is how we hear is from our hairs in our ears feeling (sound vibrations) and interpreting such as sound. .

 

[jake120]

i wasn't sure so to be sure i did two tests,
 
firstly the test on here
http://www.audiocheck.net/audiotests_frequencychecklow.php
 
there is rumble through 10hz
but no sound/pitch or whatever you consider to be 'heard'
 
at 10hz
though here (test for harmonic distortion)
http://www.audiocheck.net/testtones_subwooferharmonicdistortion.php
bottom left.
nothing, null sound, null rumble
 
by 16hz there is a slight rumble but it really doesn't feel like noise again i am trying to be put it how it feels as i dont see any way of better describing it.
 
at 20hz
the rumble is more visible and noticeable but its not like a car horn visible.
 
 
Quote:

I've used many different test tones higher than 20kHz (maybe 22 or 23 Khz) but it's very faint at the most. Most frequencies higher than that I belive your body can un-subconsciously feel (so yes, I do believe a pair of cans that reaches further into the higher frequencies might actually be worth it to some degreee) but can't "hear". Even more so for sub-bass frequencies.
 
EDIT: No, I have no science to back this up, but I 'seem' to hear a difference every time this instance occurs where I listen to the same song with a different pair of cans and 'think' I can hear a difference.

 
I agree with this,
usually 17khz is visible
under right condiitons the 18khz test is visible.
but my brain recognises something is going on at 18khz whether i hear it or not makes no difference.
 
to be sure, above 18khz i cant hear anything and my brain doesnt think there is anything going on
 
Edit: for quote and response

 

[lee730]

With your second test I can hear deep, deep, deep bass at 10 htz. Almost enough to give me a headache lol. As you move higher up that flutter gets faster and the pitch goes higher and higher each step.

 

[jake120]

then i'd be inclined to agree with big shot and chewy4 on that at 10hz its likely distortion from the second test.
 
i think the first test is a bit funny at start and end at least that's my impression but the rest of the increase in hz are fairly stable and straightforward.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

then i'd be inclined to agree with big shot and chewy4 on that at 10hz its likely distortion from the second test.
 
i think the first test is a bit funny at start and end at least that's my impression but the rest of the increase in hz are fairly stable and straightforward.

Not sure what it is lol but that sound I heard made my head feel like it was gonna explode... I didn't have the volume super loud either...

 

[chewy4]

Quote:

I tested on both the DACport LX and Bladelius DAC with the Triad L3. Same results for both.
 

Try changing your sample rate settings. Are your DACs always upsampling? 
 
Or playing the files through VLC, as that seems to have the best re-sampling in my experience.

 

[lee730]

Quote:

Try changing your sample rate settings. Are your DACs always upsampling? 
 
Or playing the files through VLC, as that seems to have the best re-sampling in my experience.

Nope I have it set to 16/48 up to 24/192 on the bladelius. It does change itself on the fly though if it needs to use another sampling rate. The DACport LX ranges from 24/44 to 24/96.