Hertz or Cycles?

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Hi

I ran at test CD on my system. It tells you it's playing 60 cycles, plays, 40 cycles, plays, down to 10 cycles. Now I can hear this being played at 10 cycles, but we are only able to hear down to 20 hertz. Am I hearing 10 hertz, are hertz and cycles the same thing? Could someone explain.

Thanks
Bob2
 
Ex-Moderator
Joined 2002
Bob2 said:
Hi Paul

I guess where I am confused is if we can only hear down to 20 hertz why can I hear 10 hertz. I did find this to be audible. Or did I perceive to hear this.

Bob2

You could have been hearing harmonic distortion from your driver or amp, or you could be imagining it, or you could have hearing like a whale, take your pick:)
 
Well, this is interesting... I have played many audio test CD's and rarely do they ever make a clean sine wave bass test down to 10hz. It's often modulated with a higher frequency wave since you'll hear the modulation at 10hz. This makes the lamen think his system is really excellent since it does 10 Hz. Well, that's not a very true test in my opinion.

If there's no modulation recorded into the signal, then maybe your speakers or amplifier are introducing distortion. If the speaker box causes harmonic distortion or even vibrates in the slightest way, it can cause a very messed up wave.

You should not usually be able to hear a basic 10hz frequency, however, you can feel it easily and it's also a frequency at which a speaker box is likely to make noise.

My hearing just goes down to maybe 18hz and then it's dependant on feeling any lower frequencies with my body.

Well, hope you find out what's going on in your system, or hearing? lol
 
Hi

Could be the loudspeaker distortion you heard ?

Couple of years ago I did some tests with a signal generator
in a basement room with some actively equalized 15"ers

I didn't hear anything below about 25 Hz, or so
but I could really feel the pressure, not a nice feeling .

So my body could "hear" it , but my ears couldn't .

cheers
 
Pinkmouse

My system is not very good, so harmonic distortion could very well be it. Years ago I did have a hearing test and was told I had exceptional hearing, but even I don't think it's that good.
Is 10 hertz audible if played loud enough?
When they say we hear from 20 to 20khz, is this at a set db?

Bob2
 
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