Start with your device volume low. Very low tones may be inaudible on phone or laptop speakers; very high tones can be uncomfortable on headphones.
What does 165 Hz sound like?
165 Hz is a bass frequency. It is a low bass tone – a warm hum similar to the low strings of a cello or bass guitar. Phone speakers reproduce it weakly; headphones work much better.
A 165 Hz sound wave completes 165 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 6.06 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 2.08 m (6.82 ft) long; in water it stretches to 8.98 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 165 Hz is almost exactly E3 (164.81 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 330 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 82.5 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 165 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 2.08 m |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 8.98 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 9.09 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 6.10 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 36.12 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 34.18 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 165 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 165 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Rabbits, Rats, Mice, Hedgehogs, Opossums, Bats, Beluga whales, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Greater wax moths
Instruments and voices that can play 165 Hz
Frequently asked questions
What does 165 Hz sound like?
It is a low bass tone – a warm hum similar to the low strings of a cello or bass guitar. Phone speakers reproduce it weakly; headphones work much better.
Can humans hear 165 Hz?
Yes. 165 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 165 Hz?
165 Hz is almost exactly E3, which is 164.81 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 165 Hz?
About 2.08 m in air at 20 °C and 8.98 m in water.
Can dogs hear 165 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.