Cupping Hands Behind Ears

[southall-1998]

Have some of you members on here tried this? Whilst sitting in front of your Hi-Fi with music playing. You certainly hear more upfront detail, and the imaging improves. The music just instantly becomes more tight and focused.

But, after listening this way for a while, especially with certain music. The sound then now becomes a bit tiring etc. It's a bit like, if there is an EQ with the treble turned up a bit more....crap analogy, but it's hard for me to explain.

Anyway remove your hands away, and the sound now becomes more flat/dull sounding. Then after listening in ''normal mode'' for a few minutes you just couldn't give a damn anymore. The brain/ears is simply adjusting to the older sound.

I've experienced this with many systems, and outside noise as well.

It is indeed very true though. We all hear differently!

S.

[Simon_Nottingham]

Just recently I've found that sticking my fingers in my ears whilst simultaneously putting my hands over my eyes works best.

Hi-fi is a great hobby. You can put a record on and turn off for 40 minutes, then turn over to the B side.

Rinse & repeat.

[Barry]

Do you cup your ears when you attend concerts? Do you cup your ears when talking to friends? I don't, so why should I want to do so when listening to my system. :scratch:

[jandl100]

It works, though, just as Shane describes - I've tried this and pondered it many times.

Unlike Shane I've never tried perservering with it.

[jandl100]

... decades ago someone sold accessory leather ear flaps/extensions to do the job.

Can't find a pic of them, though.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

Just sitting down and listening to music without pissing about is more normal, ok I have been know to pick my snout at times but the music still sounds the same

[Virkon]

It's because of your elbows.

[danilo]

Likely Why God gave us hearing aids.

[struth]

It improves amplification especially around the 1/3 khz areas apparently where up to 10db worth of improvements can be found depending on how you do it

[Rothchild]

Get yerself a pair of these:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/99/d7/02/99d7021ebd2a06004b8805e372982deb.jpg

There's also a 'low WAF' version:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2122/2244136934_d404cae3d1_o.jpg

[jandl100]

The Ferengi had the right idea :thumbsup:

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/19000000/Little-Green-Men-ferengi-19047739-692-530.jpg

[hifi_dave]

Back in the 80's, one of our regular customers made himself a pair of large polystyrene ear flaps attached to his head with elastic. He thought it the best way to listen.

[Ammonite Audio]

The outer ear is primarily an acoustic impedance matching device, which is naturally aligned to the responses of the various other bits of the auditory system (not least the brain). So, mess with the first part of the hearing chain and you will get a significantly altered frequency response, rather like listening via an ear trumpet. Fine if you like that, but it won't ever be correct.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

At one time i used to listern to my speaker sat in another room with the door open.

[jandl100]

At one time i used to listern to my speaker sat in another room with the door open.

:thumbsup:

That can sound amazingly good.

My dear old mum used to have a very cheap and cheerful system, sounded proper crappy in the same room - but go into the next room and it transmogfrified into a seriously realistic sound.

Go figure.

[Ammonite Audio]

At one time i used to listern to my speaker sat in another room with the door open.

Now that's something completely different. Depending on the size and arrangement of rooms, coupled acoustic spaces can result in rather lovely sounds in adjoining rooms. There's also the psychologically beneficial effect of being disconnected from the 'system', of course.

[danilo]

Big Volume does have pleasing effects.
My main setup is in a room on the main floor ..open to the 2 floors above it.
Sounds on the balcony rooms on either of the upper floors is at least equal to that in the system's own room.
Pure serendipity though, No planning whatsoever.

[spendorman]

No need here:

http://www.plasticsurgeryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Prince-Charles-26781.jpg

[southall-1998]

No need here:

http://www.plasticsurgeryblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Prince-Charles-26781.jpg


According to him. Cables do indeed make a HUGE difference.

S.

[spendorman]

I'm wondering, as I'm getting older my ears are getting bigger, if this is a built in correction system for ageing hearing.

[struth]

Tis your head getting smaller actually., or so im told:)

[Macca]

or a bit of both.

[Rothchild]

I'm wondering, as I'm getting older my ears are getting bigger, if this is a built in correction system for ageing hearing.

I was wondering, between this and what Hugo pointed out about the 'corrective' function of the ear, if there's some feedback / self correction between what the brain expects it's frequency response to be and the way the body grows the ear - that would be pretty intense to find the the body was able to adjust itself in flesh to adjust what goes on in perception.

[spendorman]

How does one explain the hair that appears in the ears, extra damping!

[struth]

How does one explain the hair that appears in the ears, extra damping!


Folk often blame testosterone, but Hairy people have more DHT ( Dihydrotestosterone) not more testosterone. As men age, we produce more 5- alpha reductase, which converts more of our testosterone into dht making us hairier. The reduction in testosterone level by conversion makes it more difficult to build muscle too.
Incidentally, DHT also regulates the prostate, and too much can cause unhealthy enlargement.

[Martyn Miles]

:thumbsup:

That can sound amazingly good.

My dear old mum used to have a very cheap and cheerful system, sounded proper crappy in the same room - but go into the next room and it transmogfrified into a seriously realistic sound.

Go figure.

Some relatives of my Wife used their stereo system ( as they that called it ) with one speaker in the dining room
and the other in the front room.
I recall hearing an early 'stereo record' on the system.
Voices in one room.
Instruments in the other room.

Happy days...

[spendorman]

Some relatives of my Wife used their stereo system ( as they that called it ) with one speaker in the dining room
and the other in the front room.
I recall hearing an early 'stereo record' on the system.
Voices in one room.
Instruments in the other room.

Happy days...

Remember the Simulcast Stereo, before the days of Multiplex FM. One channel of the stereo broadcast on mono FM, the other channel broadcast on AM. One needed two radios to hear the stereo.

[struth]

Was that subcarrier multiplexing? Think they switched to using both channels on fm.

[walpurgis]

Some relatives of my Wife used their stereo system ( as they that called it ) with one speaker in the dining room
and the other in the front room.
I recall hearing an early 'stereo record' on the system.
Voices in one room.
Instruments in the other room.

Happy days...

Yes. I've seen that done too.

It also makes me laugh when I see people with their little speakers sat tightly side by side on a bookshelf.

[struth]

A very narrow sweet spot ;)

[Barry]

My GF's micro-system (a Hitachi) has the speakers (each about the size of an LS3/5a) spaced only about two foot apart 'firing' forwards. Yet the sound field extends noticably beyond the outer edges of the speakers. Curious.