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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
zenblaster
504 posts
 
Mold does not like air flow. Most mold found in a home is the result of improper ventilation. A bathroom that 3 people shower in that has no mechanical ventilation has mold. Add a exhaust fan of proper cfm's vented to the exterior and you will have no mold.
My biggest problem with humidity on the CT shoreline is that nothing made of metal lasts longer than 10 years. Everything pitts in this shoreline environment. I have to take extra precaution to use metal coatings to prevent pitting in even the best aluminum. One of the trade offs of living near the water. I haven't been able to detect any sound difference but the humidity changes so gradual it would be a difficult process.
bjesien
1,294 posts
 
Improper ventilation is air flow.
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Get a Venta air cleaner works great better sound.
bjesien
1,294 posts
 
I own a Venmar. I think it's a great unit.

http://www.venmar-usa.com/85-air-exchangers-duo-2-0-erv-new.html
bjesien
1,294 posts
 
To back up slightly I agree with Zenblaster that moisture without ventilation can cause mold. My point was that air leaks where condensation occurs is a major cause of mold. Also improper insulation so the dew point occurs in the building is a major cause.

Be well, and mold free.
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