Wavelength of 20 Hz
- Input
- 20 Hz
- Expected output
- 17.2 m
343 / 20 = 17.15, rounded to 17.2.
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20 hz bass test
In the Single tone tab, pick 20 in the frequency list and raise the volume gradually. It is the lowest step of the tool and the hardest: few devices play it and the ear barely notices it.
343 / 20 = 17.15, rounded to 17.2.
1000 / 20 = 50.
ISO 226:2003, table 1.
The difference equals about 398 times the sound pressure.
Going one step down in the test, from 25 to 20 Hz, takes almost 10 dB more.
Open Guided mode and answer 9 tones from 125 Hz down to 20 Hz. The result shows the lowest frequency the subwoofer played cleanly. To hear what happens in the middle of the range, use the 20 to 200 Hz Sweep and tap mark when the sound changes. Put the subwoofer where it will really sit, because its position in the room changes the result.
It is not recommended. At high volume the cone travels a lot and may hit the end of its stroke, which distorts and can damage small speakers and headphones. Start with the device volume at about 30%, raise it slowly, and stop on hearing crackling. The tool's continuous tone stops by itself after 60 seconds.
Some play it well, others do not. What the spec sheet lists does not always say with what tolerance. With headphones sealed to the ear, low bass appears at much lower volume than from a speaker, because the air is trapped. Test in Guided mode and keep the volume low, since the headphones sit millimeters from the eardrum.
Because you are probably hearing harmonics. The speaker cannot reproduce 20 Hz and generates multiples of that frequency, such as 40, 60 and 80 Hz, which are far easier to hear. It is a clear sign that the device reached its limit, and the guided test treats it as Distorted.
Start with the volume low. Loud bass can damage speakers and headphones and tire your hearing. Set the device volume to about 30%, raise it gradually and stop if you hear crackling, hissing or the cone bottoming out. With headphones, keep the volume lower still.
This control only sets the signal. Your device volume matters more: start low and raise it gradually. When you press play, the sound starts at a reduced level and rises over 2.5 seconds (in the guided test, only the first tone).
There are 9 tones, from 125 Hz down to 20 Hz. For each one, say what you heard or felt. At the end the result shows how low your device responded.
Wavelength 8.6 m and period 25.0 ms. A normal ear needs about 51.1 dB SPL to hear this tone (ISO 226:2003 threshold).
The tone stops by itself after 60 seconds. Change the frequency while it plays to find the point where it fades.
Tap the mark button the moment the sound changes. The frequency at that instant is recorded.
The sweep is logarithmic: it takes the same time for each octave. Sudden buzzing or vibration is usually a loose part or the subwoofer port, not the speaker's limit.
Wavelength 8.6 m and period 25.0 ms. A normal ear needs about 51.1 dB SPL to hear this tone (ISO 226:2003 threshold).
Pulses make it easier to notice bass near the limit of the device and expose loose parts and port noise.