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How does relative humidity affect our music?


Winter is here in the Northern Hemisphere, so things are changing both outside and in.

Last week I posted a thread because I cleaned my current CD player for the first time using an old Milty CD Lens Cleaner that I found when I rearranged my CD rack. I thought, and still think, that perhaps one or more pieces of the brushes broke off and were still on the lens. The music wasn't a precise as it was before, and I was fearful that I'd damaged the laser with the cleaning.

Another thing that was noticeable was a very significant amount of excess bass. That didn't make any sense to me because I couldn't see how anything like a laser misreading would increase the bass like that.

Now I'm wondering if the excess bass might be a result of low relative humidity in my room. I checked it and it was 30%. I pulled the humidifier off of the shelf in the garage and set it up between the living room and dining room but couldn't even get the humidity up to 40%, so I went and bought a second one for the back part of the house. Now I have the relative humidity up between 40%-50% and the bass sounds fine.

My question is: was it the lack of humidity that caused this problem and if so, why? Did it affect the sound waves traveling through the air? Did it in someway dry out the absorption panels, making them more reflective instead of absorbing as they normally do? I also noticed that my sinuses were congested due to the change in the weather, so was it just my hearing?

Has anyone else noticed this, or have any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Chuck
krell_man
krell_man OP
827 posts
 

Andrew,

This is what I don't understand, nothing changed in the room. I also have a humidistat like David.

All I did was:

Use the CD Lens Cleaner
Turn on the furnace because the temperature dropped

Chuck
krell_man OP
827 posts
 

David,

Thanks, I didn't know about the possible mold if the humidity rises above 40%.

Chuck
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
5,417 posts
 
Chuck, maybe after using the cleaning disk and the compressed air, you now have a clean lens and are hearing the true sound of your system. Just a theory.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,205 posts
 
Krell,

Tweaking speaker location even just slightly, or even possibly toeing in tweets towards listening position, might be easy ways to adjust the tonal balance as needed if not spot on as desired normally for whatever reason, humidity or otherwise.

That's normally what I end up doing if things sound off over time for whatever reason. Nothing stays exactly the same for long usually. Too many things can change. Humidity, barometric pressure, temperature, state of mind, acuity of hearing, which is often related to ability to focus. There are many reasons that might account for why ones ability to focus the same way is not a constant day in and day out.

Unfortunately, its not possible to control everything, but not so hard to make certain minor tweaks like adjusting speaker location/orientation if needed.

If things then head or remain south for an extended period of time, then perhaps more serious corrective actions may be in order. Electronic devices are like people, they do not always perform consistently day in and day out or over teh very long term.

"Happy Thanksgiving to all. Given we can enjoy this hobby as we do, we have much to be thankful for."

Amen to that, brother!
bjesien
1,294 posts
 
My wife and I built the most energy efficient home we could build in 2000. It is sealed and well insulated and need an air exchange system to remove moisture. We built with the intention of being as close to net zero as possible and worked with firms that had energy and health in mind. I prefer our home at 50-60 percent humidity.

Mold is a result of a leaky or less than well insulated envelope. If the building is tight and properly insulated, there will be no condensation in walls, around windows, etc. Mold loves air flow and condensation. Most states, and I am in MA, have contracted firms that conduct energy audits, paid for by a small tax in your gas or oil bill. These audits are free and cheap and will provide, at least in MA, something like $2000 per year in insulation and envelope tightening.

Krell_man, I like listening in the winter because I find all the windows to be closed and any street or wildlife noise to be gone. That's as far as I've gone and don't think I recognize a difference based on humidity. That said we stay between 50 and 60 percent year round.

I agree with both Lowrider57 and Mapman.
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