Have the years been kind to your ears?
My esteemed colleague across the water Dr. James Frankel, flagged up an interesting story from the NY Times which featured a mobile with a ring tone of such high frequency that people over the age of 30 were unlikely to hear it. This way young owners of the phone could get away with having their phone on in class or way past their bedtime.
As I was reading the article, a colleague, sitting near me but facing another direction asked, “can you hear a high pitched noise?” I’m too much of a gentleman to reveal her age. Suffice it to say I was impressed by her range!
See how you get on: ringtone
I was surprised that I could hear it as I tend to use the car as my main hi-fi and pump up the volume.
Couldn’t hear thing - must be getting old!!
Comment by Don Ledingham — December 18, 2007 @ 11:26 pm
Yup- I could hear that. Though give me another 11 Months and I might not
Similar to leaving a Televison on the old channel 8.
I think I might thave to link this.
Comment by Tess Watson — December 19, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
Are you sure the frequency is right? I don’t mean to depress Don, but I drummed and played guitar in loud bands, went to clubs for years, am 42 now and I could hear it very clearly.
Comment by Robert Jones — December 19, 2007 @ 10:19 pm
Robert,
I don’t think anything untoward could have happened to change the frequency but I did notice a difference in volume depending on where you listen to the file. From a feed reader Windows Media Player opened up and the sound was extremely quiet. Using the link above, it seems to be louder. Could it be that it is somehow amplified in the Wordpress technology? Perhaps following the link to the mp3 in the original article is the purest route.
Comment by Alan Coady — December 19, 2007 @ 11:45 pm
I could just hear it with the volume turned up full blast. I’m definitely over 30… but how much, I’m not saying. And I have remembered to turn the volume down again.
Comment by guineapigmum — December 20, 2007 @ 12:09 pm
I could hear it in isolation - I’m not sure what I would pick up if I were meant to hear it while life went on around me, though.
John
ps I’m 50
Comment by John Connell — December 20, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
I could hear it…along with my 5 year old grand daughter. So this grandma feels less decrepit today!
Comment by Dorothea Orme — December 27, 2007 @ 10:29 am
Tried this again today, this time with my family.
My brother (25) could hear it as could the family dog (must be something quite rude in dog language!)
Everyone else looked a little vacant.
Comment by Tess Watson — December 27, 2007 @ 8:18 pm
My nine year old daughter and her pal could hear it fine. I could hear it but I needed to crank up the volume.
Comment by Drew Binnie — December 30, 2007 @ 1:00 pm
Yes me (39) phew and dog (20 months) passed the test
Comment by Lynne — January 6, 2008 @ 9:49 pm
Great I can hear it there is hope for my 40 something year old ears. Tried it with telly on loud and it still came through. woof.
Comment by Bill Stephen — January 9, 2008 @ 9:24 pm