Does your system's sound change with the weather?


This maybe a crazy post but here goes. I have been noticing this with every decent pair of speakers I've owned for a while now. The sound of the system seems to change with the weather. This used to drive me nuts. One day things sounded great. The next day I would either hear a slight dullness or it would be more emphasis on the highs.

I would swap gear and unplug the power conditioner.None of this ever helped.Then I remeber reading one of Roy Johnson's post that mentioned air pressure and the differences in spl depending on the elevation.

Over a year ago I started paying closer attention to the weather but specifically low pressure and high pressure weather systems. Sure enough when ever there was an eratic pressure change, the sound would change in my system. Could this be the speakers ..my ears or both that allow me to hear these changes in air pressure? Is there anyone else that notices this? All comments or theories welcomed!
gmood1
Slipknot you need to go a head and send me those Magnepan 3.6Rs the next time the weather changes! LOL
Geoff,Newbee,Blueswan and Onhighway61 you make some good points. It's pretty humid down here in the south most of the year. I haven't noticed any changes with this ..probably because it's humid most of the time.
I suppose it maybe only noticeable with drastic changes in the weather. If the changes are sutle it's not very noticeable.
If it starts raining before I can put plastic over everything, the amp shorts out, sparks everywhere. If we get a lot of snow, I can't hardly find the components, but the speakers are towers and more readily recognized as large white lumps. On sunny days, I can't read the LED info on the faceplates. I suppose I should just move everything inside........
If you would like a visual indication of Slipknot's comment, check your stylus tracking pressure after a week of cool dry weather vs. a week of hot humid weather. It's the most amazing thing.

Here in Ct. the differential between winter and summer has been as much as 3/10s gram. But then again, Ct. will see changes in ambient of 90 degrees @ 85% relative humidity to -15 degrees @ 30% humidity. Even indoors, the effects are dramatic.

I would have to say that my system is actually quieter in the summer. I would also have to assume it is directly related to the elevated static levels in the dry, cold, winter.

Static fields are extremely detrimental to sonic quality.
I've noticed this many, many times. Without a doubt, air pressure/ humidity affect sound. Given the fact that air is the avenue through which sound travels, this relation only makes sense.

It's no wonder that some of us audiophiles (well, I suppose I can only speak for myself) go kinda nuts because of the variations in sound quality as a result of external factors (power grid fluctuation, power usage(time of day), air pressure, mood etc etc). :P~~~

I know I, without a doubt, require some SERIOUS mental help with regard to my audionervosa!!!

Steve
Well, I guess if sound is affected by ambient conditions outside, it would only make sense, it would be affected inside also. Make Sense? Of course to a lesser degree.

The following is an excerpt from a "pro sound" publication:

"With outdoor sound systems, not only are there different acoustic issues to design for and overcome, but there are more demanding physical and mechanical conditions. There are many immediate acoustic problems. With spherical divergence (spreading), the inverse square law rules, and there is no reverberant field to help fill in the coverage cracks or sweeten the sound. Temperature and humidity change the received frequency response, speed of sound and linearity of propagation. Ground plane impedance effects can lead to frequency-selective attenuation of the sound. Wind direction and gradients can lead to sound hopping and formation of shadow zones. Local temperature fluctuations can create local velocity changes and phasing or time-alignment effects. With long path reflections, the lack of a reverberant or a defined reflected sound field can again lead to long path reflections from local buildings, walls and similar structures, thereby becoming audible."

Interesting?