What do you hear above 21Khz?

[Netlist]

My soundcard permits to record up to 96Khz so I made a test record of a few minutes from an LP (Art Farmer & Slide Hampton – In Concert / Enja 4088 Direct Metal Mastering).
I converted to 41Khz and deducted the two wave files from each other. The result is shown in the picture below.
Obviously, everything below 21Khz is completely black.
I have been uploading a full minute (45Mb) so everyone – not on a 56k, sorry guys- can have a listen to instruments above 21Khz. I would appreciate honest feedback from those who can truly hear something.

Difference

Edit: The Rapishare download doesn't seem to work well and defect9 was kind enough to host the 16-bit file over here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/153949-what-do-you-hear-above-21khz.html#post1961649

/Hugo

 

[Netlist]

You can find a 16-bit file (the one above is 32-bit float) here which is half the size (22,5Mb) of the one in the above post.

/Hugo

 

[defect9]

man, I hate rapidshare. only so many free downloads at a time per file. if I had this already, I'd be uploading it to my server as a mirror so others didnt have to keep refreshing hoping for a download

*edit* even better. now it's telling me the ONLY way to get it is to become a premium member.

 

[Netlist]

I'll upload to anywhere you think is better.

 

[jcx]

a caution - some "ultrasonic hearing" results have been shown to be the result of IMD downconversion - a distorting amplifier or driver can give lower frequnecy IMD products when excited with higher frequency content

some evidence for response to classically ultrasonic frequencies exist but I haven't seen a demonstration that there is any appreciable "information" content other than a slow awareness of presence or absence

 

[jazz]

Hi,

Unfortunately i can't test the signal for lack of an appropriate driver. I do know that i might not hear much or anything directly but i shure as hell get a terrible headache if i'm in a room with a constant tone somewhere between 20 and 30khz.

grtz
joris

 

[nigelwright7557]

I cant hear above 10KHz !

Tried it with a signal generator and a hi fi speaker system.

 

[defect9]

filehosting.org - free unlimited filehosting is a place worth using, but I forgot if there was a max filesize.

I recommend you create a specific spam email for using with them. They make their money by passing along "special offers" to your email. In this way, you get free file hosting and all their spam is contained and doesnt muddy up your normal email

I'm also willing to host files for anyone, as I've got about 3-4gb or so of space left on my personal server that I'm not likely to use

 

[defect9]

mirrored the 16bit version here: http://www.defect9.com/audio/Difference16_bit.wav

i couldn't hear anything. Tinnitis, tube headphone amp, headphones not known for high-end detail all add up to "it wasnt gonna happen anyway" for me. Plus, I imagine that my soundcard ALSO isn't helping, no matter how good it is (Auzentech Forte)

 

[aerius]

I hear nothing. My hearing is good to about 18.5kHz and after that it falls off a cliff.

 

[MJL21193]

I would appreciate honest feedback from those who can truly hear something.

I downloaded the clip and played it over my main speakers (active 3-ways, DCX2496 and my 6 channel amp) and with the volume turned quite loud I heard what sounded like hisses and clicks - faintly though. I then plugged my headphones in and heard pretty much the same thing. I couldn't distinguish any instrument but the tempo of the music was clear.

 

[derwhalfisch]

I played the 16bit through my 4-ways, and then through my AKG K701's, both have nice clean amps behind them. I couldn't hear a damn thing either way, though i never turned it up higher than i would normal music. My friend, not realising how my volume pot works, cranked the headphones up to like 100000000dB and still couldnt hear anything but gave himself a mean headache, it looked painful.

 

[Richard Ellis]

f

I can barely make out the horizontal oscillator from the TV these days!
So...21K is too far out for me.

_________________________________________________________Rick...

 

[wwenze]

a caution - some "ultrasonic hearing" results have been shown to be the result of IMD downconversion - a distorting amplifier or driver can give lower frequnecy IMD products when excited with higher frequency content

some evidence for response to classically ultrasonic frequencies exist but I haven't seen a demonstration that there is any appreciable "information" content other than a slow awareness of presence or absence

Some OSs' (e.g. Windows) and programs' mixers also introduce that. I can actually hear "22kHz" with a signal generator software but on Audacity, nothing.

I doubt I can hear over 16kHz, with the ear damage and tinnitus and such...

Beware though, even if you can't hear the high frequency sounds, they're still present and can kill you or your ears, so don't blast.

 

[defect9]

I wonder if I can play that file over a PA on halloween and get all the dogs in the neighborhood going off at once

 

[Netlist]

Hi,

Unfortunately i can't test the signal for lack of an appropriate driver.
grtz
joris

Joris, the file is a normal Windows PCM format (wav). It should play with every mainstream audio player. Did you try the 16-bit file?

/Hugo

 

[Netlist]

defect9, thanks for mirroring the file. Be nice to animals, though 🙂

John, interesting. That is what I think should be heard with VERY good ears. I'm in Richard Ellis' state having trouble with the TV horizontal osc.

 

[Netlist]

Some OSs' (e.g. Windows) and programs' mixers also introduce that. I can actually hear "22kHz" with a signal generator software but on Audacity, nothing.

I don't understand what you mean. What's the difference between 'a signal generator software' and Audacity?

 

[wwenze]

I don't understand what you mean. What's the difference between 'a signal generator software' and Audacity?

There was this free software that I downloaded which sole purpose was to generate sine/square/etc waves with knobs to select frequency and amplitude. Definitely sounded different from the waveforms generated in Audacity. I'm thinking that some of the sound I hear above 16kHz might be distortion, since I can't hear it in Audicity. But then, Windows KMixer + Creative drivers + Audigy might have distorted the sound further I won't know which is right anymore. 😀

I think what jazz meant by lack of appropriate driver might be lack of speakers/headphones that can do 21kHz?

 

[Netlist]

I see. What you heard was perhaps harmonics or indeed distortion. What you see in the picture in the first post ain't much music either but rather higher harmonics. This can be seen when looking at the full spectrum. There's not much info left above 20k.

/Hugo