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What does 1,700 Hz sound like?
1,700 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 1,700 Hz sound wave completes 1,700 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 588 µs. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 20.2 cm (7.94 in) long; in water it stretches to 87.1 cm because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 1,700 Hz is 40 cents above G♯6 (1.661 kHz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 3,400 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 850 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 1,700 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 20.2 cm |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 87.1 cm |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 88.2 cm |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 59.2 cm |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 3.51 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 3.32 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 1,700 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 1,700 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 1,700 Hz
Frequently asked questions
What does 1,700 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 1,700 Hz?
Yes. 1,700 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 1,700 Hz?
1,700 Hz is 40 cents above G♯6, which is 1.661 kHz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 1,700 Hz?
About 20.2 cm in air at 20 °C and 87.1 cm in water.
Can dogs hear 1,700 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.