To infinity (20kHz) and beyond...

tajanes

Our ~unique speaker design and hearing preferences have been ‘developed’ over time, through trial and, and for me via many, many errors (it’s a great hobby).  And honed, by the opportunity to visit and participate in DYI events > thanks to those whom have put these on, to the sponsors, and to those whom have hauled speakers across the Midwest, and beyond...

I’ve brought up in a previous post the affect of aging on one’s hearing, and proffer that perhaps it is a shiftingly significant influence on our own speaker design preferences (along with style / choice of music,..).  Anyway, this one (age) we don’t have much say over;  ‘life’s like a box of chocolates’ and/or ‘s&@t happens’.

I came across this free little app:  Audio Signal Generator by Media Punk Studios https://apps.apple.com/us/app/audio-signal-generator/id543661843

which lets me easily comp two opposing set-ups: one for the left channel and the other on the right.  While REW and my mic can show me that my Celestion coax’s and the extended range Audio Nirvana’s both reproduce out past 20KHz, I cannot discern differences much out past 16kHz (and at 18kHz I’m foolin’ no-one).  My kids on the other hand look at me and ask ‘what you cannot hear that’?

I bring this up, as with a dsp I can readily match frequency response (measured) between speakers as a base case from which to personally audition  (in this example the coax vs. ANs) well past the point of discerning a difference on frequency extension.  Perhaps as such, my go-to preference is avoiding crossover/filter affects in the 1-5kHz highest ear sensitivity range, while not giving up anything subjectively on extension (even when turned to 11).  Maybe ‘back-in-the-day’ a super-tweeter (and dare I say fancy cables) would not be lost on me.  This also leads credence to the revisiting (aka  Infinity and JBL) of attenuators  (L-pads) for tweeters….  

The calculators and mic measuring tools gets us ‘so far’, but it’s the personal listening, and tweaking that can get us over the goal line.  But keep in mind, each of our goal lines are a bit unique.  

Anyway, try out the app through your speaker system, and if you cannot hear out beyond 16 or 18kHz, blame it on your tweeter- ha

tajanes

...and to add the age old (sorry) question

Q: If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?

A: Objectively YES

A: Subjectively No, or perhaps better N/A (as there is no one there to be the subject to discern)