Does your system's sound change with the weather?


This maybe a crazy post but here goes. I have been noticing this with every decent pair of speakers I've owned for a while now. The sound of the system seems to change with the weather. This used to drive me nuts. One day things sounded great. The next day I would either hear a slight dullness or it would be more emphasis on the highs.

I would swap gear and unplug the power conditioner.None of this ever helped.Then I remeber reading one of Roy Johnson's post that mentioned air pressure and the differences in spl depending on the elevation.

Over a year ago I started paying closer attention to the weather but specifically low pressure and high pressure weather systems. Sure enough when ever there was an eratic pressure change, the sound would change in my system. Could this be the speakers ..my ears or both that allow me to hear these changes in air pressure? Is there anyone else that notices this? All comments or theories welcomed!
gmood1
I find if the humidity is thicK(more than usuaL) then the music sounds thick. Just my observation.
Weather changes affects a lot of factors causing the sound you hear to alter. Moist which your paper speaker cone (vintage speakers) has absorbed will cause the bass quality to change. The moist will also affect the moisture level of your wooden speaker cabinet which also affects the sound. The speed of the sound you hear changes with the humidity and temperature too! The humidity will also affect the contact condition of both your tube/tube sockets and cable plugs/jacks. Many many effects by the weather... and one day when you think your system sounds the worse... the ligthening might have done some cruelties....
Glad to see that your getting out of snow country Busics2!
I agree that does sucks not being able to get her to ride around with her top down. Man some of you guys need to do stand up comedy shows. I am glad I finished my coffee before I read that ..it would have really hurt!!!
Gmood, Let me see if I can find any more open wounds for you to rub some salt in. Actually after 45 years here in CT, I have finally had enough. The house goes on the market in May, and I'm moving out to southern Cal in July.

We had two 60 degree days a couple of weeks ago. I had my shorts and t-shirt on. But I still couldn't get Lisa to ride around with her top down.

That really sucks.
Philojet I am glad I don't live in Michigan or CT! You guys live in winter wonder land.Folks down here are in shorts and t-shirts. It's warm enough to ride around with the top down. Ah nothing like 75/80 degrees in March.LOL!!! Sorry Buscis2 ...I know you guys in CT were in the 20s today with a snow storm..HeheheHaha
try living in Michigan! The weather changes as much as I change the channel on TV!

Interesting thread.... I notice my stereo listening enjoyment goes up and down like a barameter so, I will note the weather on especially good stereo listening days, remember the glass is half full :)
I am sure glad others notice these changes as well.
Boy Oh Boy.. some of you guys post are HILARIOUS!!!!!
I needed a good laugh.
I am sure some of you also notice that sounds in the winter seem amplified..like train horns for example.

Happy Listening!
Maybe those rainy days are when people decide to upgrade...eh? That might be why they say that it is good to save for a rainy day...lol.
I have not noticed this effect, but this discussion came up on a DIY speaker site. It had to do with sealed cabinet speakers. If a cabinet is really "air -tight" then simple science suggests that changes in outside air pressure could result in either positive or negative pressure on the back of the woofer in this extremely tight cabinet. This pressure would of course affect woofer excursion. It would only last until the pressure equalizes over time. Some posters to that sight blew the entire idea off saying that slow rises in atmospheric pressure would equalize almost immediately, others considered it at least possible but obviously only with an extremely tight cabinet. Just a thought. As I said, I have not experienced this.
Well, I guess if sound is affected by ambient conditions outside, it would only make sense, it would be affected inside also. Make Sense? Of course to a lesser degree.

The following is an excerpt from a "pro sound" publication:

"With outdoor sound systems, not only are there different acoustic issues to design for and overcome, but there are more demanding physical and mechanical conditions. There are many immediate acoustic problems. With spherical divergence (spreading), the inverse square law rules, and there is no reverberant field to help fill in the coverage cracks or sweeten the sound. Temperature and humidity change the received frequency response, speed of sound and linearity of propagation. Ground plane impedance effects can lead to frequency-selective attenuation of the sound. Wind direction and gradients can lead to sound hopping and formation of shadow zones. Local temperature fluctuations can create local velocity changes and phasing or time-alignment effects. With long path reflections, the lack of a reverberant or a defined reflected sound field can again lead to long path reflections from local buildings, walls and similar structures, thereby becoming audible."

Interesting?

I've noticed this many, many times. Without a doubt, air pressure/ humidity affect sound. Given the fact that air is the avenue through which sound travels, this relation only makes sense.

It's no wonder that some of us audiophiles (well, I suppose I can only speak for myself) go kinda nuts because of the variations in sound quality as a result of external factors (power grid fluctuation, power usage(time of day), air pressure, mood etc etc). :P~~~

I know I, without a doubt, require some SERIOUS mental help with regard to my audionervosa!!!

Steve
If you would like a visual indication of Slipknot's comment, check your stylus tracking pressure after a week of cool dry weather vs. a week of hot humid weather. It's the most amazing thing.

Here in Ct. the differential between winter and summer has been as much as 3/10s gram. But then again, Ct. will see changes in ambient of 90 degrees @ 85% relative humidity to -15 degrees @ 30% humidity. Even indoors, the effects are dramatic.

I would have to say that my system is actually quieter in the summer. I would also have to assume it is directly related to the elevated static levels in the dry, cold, winter.

Static fields are extremely detrimental to sonic quality.
If it starts raining before I can put plastic over everything, the amp shorts out, sparks everywhere. If we get a lot of snow, I can't hardly find the components, but the speakers are towers and more readily recognized as large white lumps. On sunny days, I can't read the LED info on the faceplates. I suppose I should just move everything inside........
Slipknot you need to go a head and send me those Magnepan 3.6Rs the next time the weather changes! LOL
Geoff,Newbee,Blueswan and Onhighway61 you make some good points. It's pretty humid down here in the south most of the year. I haven't noticed any changes with this ..probably because it's humid most of the time.
I suppose it maybe only noticeable with drastic changes in the weather. If the changes are sutle it's not very noticeable.
I dont know Mark but there seems to be more to it than just mood swings. If that's the case I may need a pyschiatrist.LOL!! Seriously though... I thought at first it could be mood swings but sometimes it sounds great on cloudy days.
The speed of sound is slower in denser/colder air than in thinner/warmer air; the relationship of temperature, pressure and volume is of course PV= nRT. Why sound might be perceived differently for different ambient air conditions, esp. when change is not so drastic, is not really all that clear, if you ask me...
Air pressure, temperature and humidity all affect the density of air. The density of air affects the speed of sound and the sound pressure level. I don't recall the equations, but I remember they are not trivial, because all 4 factors are inter-related. For example, humidity is related to the partial pressure of water in the air, which changes with temperature, which changes the pressure, which changes the density. Bottom line... yes weather can affect the sound, and I have noticed this as well.
I think Mark is on the right track. The weather is a major influence on moods which in turn would effect your sonic acuity. That said, some speakers are sensitive to humidity levels.
speed of sound in air changes with temperature and/or humidity; that might be responsible for perceived changes in sound; but lots of things affect sound and hard to prove something else not responsible if you ask me...
It is more to do with your mood because of the weather. I always seem to think my ssytem sounded better on clear nights, rather than cloudy and rainy nights.
Can't testify as to the effects of air pressure, but I have noticed a difference due to humidity/temperature, especially in the bass. Hot/humid = an apparent increase in lows.