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Why is bass sometimes the loudest? (kbin.social)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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So you know when it's quiet and your neighbor is playing loud music, but you can only hear the bass? Why is it like that?

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[–] quixotic120 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Scatter/dissipation (or a lack of it I suppose) and resonance

If the wavelength is smaller than the particle it will scatter, if the wavelength is larger than the particle it will travel through. Bass waves are larger so they are not scattered apart as easily by small gypsum particles in your walls (assuming typical USA modern drywall construction) and will typically travel through

In addition to this your indoor walls, like all things, have what are called resonant frequencies. These frequencies are lower because the walls are large. These trigger resonance in the walls which makes the sound louder

[–] adinfinitum 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

The frequency of acoustic resonances/standing waves are more of a function of distances between reflective surfaces rather than their size.

It probably makes more sense to talk about particle size with EMF since wavelengths of visible light are in the nanometer range while wavelengths of audible sound will be measured in cm at high frequencies and m at low frequencies.

The amount of sound that is converted to heat has a lot to do with material properties like hardness and surface texture. Something that is an effective insulator of heat will also typically be an effective insulator or sound, hence why you see double-paned glass with an air gap used for both applications.