Subject: [AUDITORY] speakers at ear level From: Samuel Mehr <sam@xxxxxxxx> Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2025 22:07:17 +1200----==_mimepart_6853e155464db_32204b86377f Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi all, I was moving offices, set up speakers at my desk and was reminded of the quite striking difference in sound quality when speakers are at ear level vs below (even if angled up toward the ears).=C2=A0 I was just wondering if anyone has resources explaining why this phenomenon occurs =E2=80=94=C2=A0has this been studied in any depth? I im= agine the physics of it are plain enough to model, but one also wonders about the psychology of it, which probably is less straightforward. thanks, Sam =E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94 Samuel Mehr School of Psychology, University of Auckland and Child Study Center, Yale University Be a citizen scientist at themusiclab.org <https://themusiclab.org/>! ----==_mimepart_6853e155464db_32204b86377f Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> <meta charset=3D"utf-8"> <meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf= -8" /> <meta name=3D"viewport" id=3D"viewport" content=3D"width=3Ddevice-wid= th,minimum-scale=3D1.0,maximum-scale=3D10.0,initial-scale=3D1.0" /> <style> html { -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; } h1 { font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0; } ul, ol { margin: 0; padding: 0; } ul li, ol li, li li { margin: 0 0 0 36px; } [dir=3Drtl] li { margin: 0 18px 0 0; } blockquote { border-color: #dfdee1; /* --color--border */ border-style: solid; border-width: 0 0 0 1px; margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 1em; } [dir=3Drtl] blockquote, blockquote[dir=3Drtl] { border-width: 0 1px 0 0; padding: 0 1em 0 0; } pre { font-family: "SFMono-Regular", Consolas, "Liberation Mono", Menlo, Cour= ier, monospace; /* --font-family--mono */ font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0; padding: 1rem; background-color: #f3f1ef; /* --color-bg--surface */ white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word; overflow: visible; } .message-content { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Aptos, Roboto, "Segoe U= I", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", = "Segoe UI Symbol"; /* --font-family */ line-height: 1.4; } .attachment { display: inline-block; margin: 0; padding: 0; } .attachment__caption { padding: 0; text-align: center; } .attachment__caption a[href] { text-decoration: none; color: #333333; } .attachment--preview { width: 100%; text-align: center; margin: 0.625em 0; } .attachment--preview img { border: 1px solid #dfdee1; /* --color--border */ vertical-align: middle; width: auto; max-width: 100%; max-height: 640px; } .attachment--preview .attachment__caption { color: #716d7b; /* --color-txt--subtle */ font-size: 0.85em; margin-top: 0.625em; } .attachment--file { color: #282138; /* --color-txt */ line-height: 1; margin: 0 2px 2px 0; padding: 0.4em 1em; border: 1px solid #dfdee1; /* --color--border */ border-radius: 5px; } .permalink { color: inherit; } .txt--subtle { color: #716d7b; /* --color-txt--subtle */ } .txt--xx-small { font-size: 14px; } .flush { margin: 0; padding: 0; } .push--bottom { margin-bottom: 8px; } .border--top { border-top: 1px solid #ECE9E6; /* --color-border--solid */ } .btn { padding: 0.2em 0.4em; font-weight: 500; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 3rem; white-space: nowrap; background: #5522FA; /* --color-tertiary */ border-color: #5522FA; color: #ffffff; } .btn--email { display: inline-block; text-align: center; font-weight: 500; font-size: 1em; text-decoration: none; border-radius: 2em; white-space: nowrap; background: #5522FA; /* --color-tertiary */ border-color: #5522FA; color: #ffffff; border-top: 0.3em solid #5522FA; border-left: 1em solid #5522FA; border-bottom: 0.3em solid #5522FA; border-right: 1em solid #5522FA; } .shaded { padding: 1em; border-radius: 4px; background-color: #f6f5f3; /* --color-bg--surface */ border: 1px solid #dfdee1; /* --color--border */ } .shaded--blue { background-color: rgba(80, 162, 255, 0.2); /* --rgb-blue 0.2 */ } .shaded--red { background-color: rgba(255, 120, 120, 0.2); /* --rgb-red 0.2 */ } .strikethrough { text-decoration: line-through; } </style> </head> <body> <div class=3D"message-content"> <div class=3D"trix-content"> <div>Hi all, I was moving offices, set up speakers at my desk and was r= eminded of the quite striking difference in sound quality when speakers a= re at ear level vs below (even if angled up toward the ears).=C2=A0<br><b= r>I was just wondering if anyone has resources explaining why this phenom= enon occurs =E2=80=94=C2=A0has this been studied in any depth? I imagine = the physics of it are plain enough to model, but one also wonders about t= he psychology of it, which probably is less straightforward.<br><br>thank= s,<br>Sam<br><br></div><div>=E2=80=94=E2=80=94=E2=80=94<br>Samuel Mehr<br= >School of Psychology, University of Auckland<br>and Child Study Center, = Yale University<br><strong>Be a citizen scientist at </strong><a href=3D"= https://themusiclab.org/"><strong>themusiclab.org</strong></a><strong>!</= strong></div> </div> </div> </body> </html> ----==_mimepart_6853e155464db_32204b86377f--