What is the best air density for sound quality.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between air density and sound quality, exploring whether there is an optimal air density for sound propagation and listening experiences. Participants examine theoretical implications, practical applications, and the physiological aspects of human hearing in different media.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that higher density, such as that found in water, results in poor sound quality for human ears, questioning if the optimal density is that of the lower atmosphere.
  • Others argue that sound propagates better in water than in air, citing its effectiveness in naval applications.
  • A participant challenges the assumption that higher density leads to worse sound quality, asking for experimental evidence to support this claim.
  • It is noted that the interface between water and air affects sound transmission to the ear, with the ear membrane designed to function in air.
  • One participant mentions that sound quality can be good when using appropriate transducers for underwater sound transmission, highlighting the role of the receiver in sound quality.
  • Another point raised is that air pressure allowing for human survival should not adversely affect sound quality, as it maintains consistent pressure in the ear.
  • A humorous suggestion is made about a potential product that could adjust air pressure to optimize listening quality, leading to a technical inquiry about how lower air density impacts loudspeaker performance.
  • It is indicated that the efficiency of a loudspeaker's diaphragm is affected by air density, with references to specific literature on the topic, noting that the impact may vary based on the design of the drive unit.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effects of air density on sound quality, with no consensus reached regarding the optimal density or the implications of density changes on sound propagation and listening experiences.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge various factors influencing sound quality, including the design of audio equipment and the physiological characteristics of human hearing, but do not resolve the complexities involved in these interactions.

jaydnul
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Because obviously too much density gives terrible sound quality, like in water. So is the answer simply the density of our lower atmosphere because that is where our ears evolved? Or has this been tested and found to be a specific density?
 
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Sound propagates very well in water, far better than in air. War ships rely on this.
 
lundyjb said:
Because obviously too much density gives terrible sound quality, like in water.
It's not so obvious. What experiment do you have in mind when you say this?
Listening to music with your head under water?
 
Sorry, i mean according to OUR ears. In general. I mean you wouldn't prefer to listen to a stereo underwater would you? sounds muffled
 
Yes, according to our ears, but it's important how do you transfer the sound from water to ears. It usually goes from water to the air in the ear channel. This interface is a major factor.
And the ear membrane is supposed to work in air.

If you send the sound with an underwater transducer and and receive it with a hydrophone, you may have very good quality sound (little distortion, if the devices are good).
So it's more a problem of receiver not matching the medium. Of course, part of the problem is due to the density difference between water and air so you are right, on some level.
 
Every air pressure which allows you to live in should work. With air, you get the same pressure everywhere in your ear and no sudden density drops where they are not intended.
 
Greate idea for a new hifi product. Once the market is saturated with gold plated Oxygen free homeopathic audio cables perhaps you could sell a special extractor fan that "slightly reduces/increases the air pressure in your house to optimise listening quality" :-)

http://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/590awsi

So, how does lower air density affect a loudspeaker's high-frequency behavior?

Primarily, it lowers the efficiency of any pistonic diaphragm. According to the third edition of Martin Colloms's High Performance Loudspeakers (Pentech Press, 1985), the reference efficiency of a pistonic diaphragm (p.27) is directly proportional to the air density and inversely proportional to the square of the moving mass, which includes that of the drive-unit (diaphragm and coil) and the reactive mass of the air load on its diaphragm. The effect of the air density will therefore depend on the drive-unit's design: if it has a high-mass diaphragm, any changes in the air load due to the lower density will be negligible, and the change in efficiency will be directly related to the change in air density. Continues...
 
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