Crazy? or Temperature, Humidity, and Speaker Sound Matter

[watchnerd]

I swear, sometimes, I'll have a few days in a row where my speaker just don't sound right.

And then a few days later, things sound fine.

This has happened with every speaker I've owned.

Are these atmospheric effects?

Higher / lower humidity?

Warmer / colder air?

Or is it all in my mind....which somehow fixes itself...?

 

[alanca3]

The environment does impact the performance of a speaker. This review goes into a bit.

Not sure if thats the cause of your problems though

 

[North_Sky]

Drinking beer, altitude, high, low humidity, dry climate, extreme temperatures ...they all affect sounds. ... Rain, on a plane, boat, water, ... natural elements and transportation all affect sound.

Beer most probably the most.

 

[Soniclife]

Buy something that logs temp and humidity, then after you have been through a few events where things seem off look at the readings, and see if it correlates, or it's in your head.

 

[whazzup]

This helps? Jump to the part where he starts lighting candles.

 

[Thomas savage]

Iv found the same , I put it down to me and my brain/mood etc being the likely variable.

Beer seems to help and then there's good company and dancing about , iv never done that and wondered why things ' just don't sound quite right ' .

 

[DonH56]

Whilst sound waves do change with temperature and humidity (among other things, but those two have first-order effects), my vote is on mental/physical state (mood). There are days when nothing sounds good and days when it all sounds great irrespective of the weather. Although thunderstorms booming and tripping off power does tend to detract from the music...

 

[Inner Space]

I swear, sometimes, I'll have a few days in a row where my speaker just don't sound right.

And then a few days later, things sound fine.

This has happened with every speaker I've owned.

Are these atmospheric effects?

Higher / lower humidity?

Warmer / colder air?

Or is it all in my mind....which somehow fixes itself...?

Honestly, I think it's mood ... and I think we hugely, vastly, enormously underestimate mood as a factor. We talk about the speaker/room interface being paramount, but I think it's dwarfed by our mood. It's really the only plausible explanation for what can be big variations in satisfaction.

 

[RayDunzl]

Higher / lower humidity?

Very high humidity dulls my electrostats a bit.

Noticed when the windows were open on a cool foggy morning.

AC keeps it about 50%.

Or maybe the mic was having trouble?

https://mojaveaudio.com/faq/what-ef...studios are air,humidifier in the vocal booth!

 

[RayDunzl]

There are days when nothing sounds good and days when it all sounds great irrespective of the weather. Although thunderstorms booming and tripping off power does tend to detract from the music...

I played my Tropical Thunderstorm CD one time during a thunderstorm, to judge my ability to reproduce thunder and rain.

 

[DonH56]

IME, ESLs are more sensitive to humidity, and dust (or smoke), than conventional drivers. It's a thin panel so more sensitive to density (and of course they might arc).

 

[Soniclife]

Beer seems to help and then there's good company and dancing about , iv never done that and wondered why things ' just don't sound quite right ' .

Every time a friend is over to listen to music my hi-fi sounds amazing to me, we get into our heads far too much with this stuff.

 

[amirm]

It is "normal." I go through the same. It is all in our mind....

 

[McFly]

Its definitely mood, and as a science forum this needs to be explored more. Obviously alcohol and drugs (weed number 3, mdma number 2 and lsd number 1) will change the sound but you needn't have to go there... My system sounds amazing after the gym. (And not going to the gym and rolling around on a mat or doing f all on a cross trainer, that don't work, you gotta be sweating and exhausted). It's like - I have a new set of ears amazing. Having the blood pumping gets all the senses heightened. One of my favourite things is to go to the gym then just melt away in the music afterward. Vocals and layer/instrument seperation are way clearer. It keeps me going to the gym.

 

[watchnerd]

IME, ESLs are more sensitive to humidity, and dust (or smoke), than conventional drivers. It's a thin panel so more sensitive to density (and of course they might arc).

I have a suspicion tweeter drivers (soft vs hard) may have differences, too.

 

[Thomas savage]

Its definitely mood, and as a science forum this needs to be explored more. Obviously alcohol and drugs (weed number 3, mdma number 2 and lsd number 1) will change the sound but you needn't have to go there... My system sounds amazing after the gym. (And not going to the gym and rolling around on a mat or doing f all on a cross trainer, that don't work, you gotta be sweating and exhausted). It's like - I have a new set of ears amazing. Having the blood pumping gets all the senses heightened. One of my favourite things is to go to the gym then just melt away in the music afterward. Vocals and layer/instrument seperation are way clearer. It keeps me going to the gym.

Exercise produces some feel good chemicals, I expect that's what helps .

I find equalising my ears ( hold nose and blow followed by a yawn or two ) enhances my listing experience.

 

[North_Sky]

It is "normal." I go through the same. It is all in our mind....

Amir, did you ever measure @ different altitudes; say sea level and 20,000 feet high?
Ok, 10,000 feet...we are not accustomed like Tibet people.

I'm serious; sea level and between 5,000 and 10,000 feet.
Measuring not only audio gear but also loudspeakers and subwoofers.

...Also, from very dry climates to extremely humid temperatures.

I asked because I noticed subjective differences between sea level and 5,000 feet high.
And it's not in my brain...it's from my ears.
I'm not talking between fully dressed and totally nude on how clothing and skin can affect the sound how minuscule that might be, but extreme changes in temperatures and climates and altitudes. Can the differences be measured?

 

[DonH56]

I have a suspicion tweeter drivers (soft vs hard) may have differences, too.

Maybe, possibly measurable, doubt it is audible. Drive strength too high and impedances too low. Vastly different than driving an ESL diaphragm.

 

[North_Sky]

Don, the only way for sure to know is to experience it.
I live @ sea level for 25 years now, before that I lived @ approximately 5,000 feet above sea level. I couldn't do a blind test just an observation within the time I moved and setup my system again to my new place.
Also I moved from a very dry area to a humid place.

I asked Amir because measurements are scientifically sound.
My ears, yours, Amir's ears they are all different.

Another observation; @ sea level near the Pacific Ocean (approx 150 feet), I had to change my speaker cables within only few years. Guess why.

So from my moving experience and also from what my ears told me quite clearly, in particular from the low frequencies (subwoofers), I observed differences in tightness and in volume too.

 

[North_Sky]

Is there an absolute audio bible on different environments having a variable influence on sounds. Are there scientific audio papers on the subject?