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What does 320 Hz sound like?
320 Hz is a low midrange frequency. It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
A 320 Hz sound wave completes 320 cycles every second, so one cycle lasts 3.12 ms. In air at 20 °C, where sound travels at about 343 m/s, each wave is 1.07 m (3.52 ft) long; in water it stretches to 4.63 m because sound moves about 4.3 times faster there.
Musically, 320 Hz is 49 cents above D♯4 (311.13 Hz) in standard A440 tuning. Doubling it to 640 Hz raises the pitch by one octave; halving it to 160 Hz lowers it by one.
Wavelength of 320 Hz in different materials
| Medium | Speed of sound | Wavelength |
|---|---|---|
| Air (20 °C) | 343 m/s | 1.07 m |
| Fresh water | 1,481 m/s | 4.63 m |
| Seawater | 1,500 m/s | 4.69 m |
| Helium | 1,007 m/s | 3.15 m |
| Steel | 5,960 m/s | 18.62 m |
| Glass | 5,640 m/s | 17.62 m |
Harmonics and octaves
Real instruments playing 320 Hz also produce harmonics at whole-number multiples of the fundamental. Their relative strength gives each instrument its timbre.
Which animals can hear 320 Hz?
Can hear it
Humans, Dogs, Cats, Horses, Cows, Sheep, Pigs, Goats, Rats, Gerbils, Guinea pigs, Hedgehogs, Raccoons, Ferrets, Chinchillas, Elephants, Bottlenose dolphins, Chickens, Canaries, Budgerigars (parakeets), Cockatiels, Owls, Bullfrogs, Tree frogs, Goldfish, Catfish, Tuna
Cannot hear it
Rabbits, Mice, Opossums, Bats, Beluga whales, Greater wax moths
Instruments and voices that can play 320 Hz
- Piano (88 keys)
- Guitar (standard tuning)
- Bass guitar (4-string)
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
- Double bass
- Harp
- Flute
- Clarinet (B♭, sounding)
- Oboe
- Bassoon
- Alto saxophone (sounding)
- Tenor saxophone (sounding)
- Trumpet (B♭, sounding)
- French horn (sounding)
- Trombone
- Tuba
- Bass voice
- Baritone voice
- Tenor voice
- Alto voice
- Mezzo-soprano voice
- Soprano voice
Frequently asked questions
What does 320 Hz sound like?
It sits in the low midrange: a rounded, full tone in the region of male and female speaking voices and the lower notes of a piano.
Can humans hear 320 Hz?
Yes. 320 Hz is inside the typical human hearing range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
What musical note is 320 Hz?
320 Hz is 49 cents above D♯4, which is 311.13 Hz in standard A440 tuning.
What is the wavelength of 320 Hz?
About 1.07 m in air at 20 °C and 4.63 m in water.
Can dogs hear 320 Hz?
Yes – dogs hear roughly 67 Hz to 45,000 Hz.