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What does 1,550 Hz sound like?
1,550 Hz is a midrange frequency. It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.
A 1,550 Hz sound wave completes 1,550 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 645 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 22.1 cm (8.71 in) long; in water it stretches to 95.5 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 1,550 Hz is 20 cents below G6 (1.568 kHz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 3,100 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 775 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 1,550 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 22.1 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 95.5 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 96.8 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 65.0 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 3.85 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 3.64 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 1,550 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 1,550 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Opossums, Chinchillas, Elephants, Beluga whales, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Greater wax moths
Instruments and voices that can play 1,550 Hz
Frequently asked questions
What does 1,550 Hz sound like?
It is a clear midrange tone, close to where the human ear does most of its work for speech and melody.
Can humans hear 1,550 Hz?
Yes. 1,550 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 1,550 Hz?
1,550 Hz is 20 cents below G6, which is 1.568 kHz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 1,550 Hz?
About 22.1 cm in air at 20 °C and 95.5 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 1,550 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.