xnor
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- May 28, 2009
- Posts
- 4,092
- Likes
- 227
Subscribed.
I think it would be useful to assemble a spec sheet for human hearing, outlining the thresholds of human perception. That way people can put published specs in context. Feel free to suggest specs and link to citations, and I'll assemble them to this top post. I'll start it out...
DYNAMIC RANGE
Peak volume 130 dB (threshold of pain)
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/earsens.html
Yes, we can hear down to the thermal noise floor of the air itself, and up to the threshold of pain at 130dB. But NOT AT THE SAME TIME.
I think it's rather misleading to think of the dynamic range of human hearing in the same way we do a piece of electronic gear.
Yes, we can hear down to the thermal noise floor of the air itself, and up to the threshold of pain at 130dB. But NOT AT THE SAME TIME.
Just being exposed to relatively low levels of ambient noise reduces our threshold of hearing. If put into an anechoic chamber, it takes time for your ears to acclimate before you can get down to the lowest threshold. Now consider what it's like when listening to music at modest levels.
Does anybody have the references on distortion audibility? These seem to be a bit over the map as well. Furthermore, under what circumstances are these tested? Some levels quoted are far below what transducers can manage. e.g. If you're using a test signal with 0.05% THD (5th harmonic only) @ 1 kHz test tone vs. 0.01% through transducers with 0.1% THD, what does that really mean?
Subtract the noise floor of a quiet room from the treshold of pain and you come up with a pretty fair maximum possible dynamic range... 100dB.
I guess Sousa bands / marches are just that unmemorable and unnoticeable.
But sounds, even noise, can be heard under a "noise floor", so there can be some argument about usable range under the noise floor.
BTW, is there any way to bargain on that 30db noise floor? Can we find out the max recommended level for a recording studio and go with that number?
"The Human Ear" is a little misleading for a title, the final limiting factor is neurological. Also, should one consider the extremes of the curve, the outliers who can hear above 20khz and have perfect pitch?
Well then, it should be pretty trivial for you to tell which of Bill's files have the Sousa band playing at just -70dB.
http://www.libinst.com/diffmaker_example_files.htm
Scroll down to "...and a listener challenge."
se
Remember, we're talking about specs for regular people playing their stereo. A whisper quiet library setting is about the best one could hope for in a normal living room with central air.
Audiophiles are faced with a million theoretical exceptions. That's what makes spec sheets so indeciferable to them. It just leads to overkill. I'd like to keep these specs reasonable and straightforward so someone can hold them up against the specs for an amp or DAC and actually be able to put them into context of what they actually might be able to hear.
Remember, we're talking about specs for regular people playing their stereo. A whisper quiet library setting is about the best one could hope for in a normal living room with central air.
Audiophiles are faced with a million theoretical exceptions. That's what makes spec sheets so indeciferable to them. It just leads to overkill. I'd like to keep these specs reasonable and straightforward so someone can hold them up against the specs for an amp or DAC and actually be able to put them into context of what they actually might be able to hear.