Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

How and what to teach and learn.
Post Reply
timothy42b
Posts: 1617
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:51 am
Location: central Virginia

Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by timothy42b »

If you aren't aware of the latest viral internet story, google Laurel vs Yanny.

It's similar that dress that seemed to be different colors.

Apparently some people hear the recording as Laurel, others as Yanny. The "scientific" explanation is that different people attend to lower or higher frequencies when both are present.

I'm curious as to what trombone players hear. I consistently hear one, on cell phone, stereo speakers, and good quality headphones, but I won't bias you by saying, yet.
bbocaner
Posts: 282
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2018 3:14 pm
Location: Fairfax Station, VA

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by bbocaner »

I've heard both simultaneously from the first listen.
timothy42b
Posts: 1617
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:51 am
Location: central Virginia

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by timothy42b »

Well, I heard Laurel on cell phone, stereo, and Koss Pro-4A headphones. I heard Yanny in a vehicle at highway speed.

I don't hear both simultaneously.
User avatar
BGuttman
Posts: 6393
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
Location: Cow Hampshire

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by BGuttman »

Sounded like Yanny to me. Wonder which frequencies I don't hear.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
User avatar
Burgerbob
Posts: 5162
Joined: Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:10 pm
Location: LA
Contact:

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by Burgerbob »

It's not so much about what frequencies that you hear, as much as the equipment you are listening to it on. On something incapable of good low frequency reproduction (cell phone, typical earphones, laptop speakers, some car systems) it'll sound like Yanny, since that is all higher frequency information. On something better, like a pair of monitors or a good stereo, it sounds like Laurel, which is mainly lower frequencies.

I heard only Laurel until I listened to it on my phone speaker.
Aidan Ritchie, LA area player and teacher
timothy42b
Posts: 1617
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:51 am
Location: central Virginia

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by timothy42b »

I wonder what Siri or Alexa hears.
User avatar
matto
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:14 am
Location: Metro Atlanta

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by matto »

I prefer Lawler vs. Yammy.
User avatar
JohnL
Posts: 1907
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:01 am
Contact:

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by JohnL »

Most of the time I hear yanny, but I tried it last night after rehearsal and clearly heard laurel. An hour later, on the same system, I was back to hearing yanny.
User avatar
Doug Elliott
Posts: 3443
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:12 pm
Location: Maryand

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by Doug Elliott »

I hear Yammy ... not Yanny.

Nothing even resembling Laurel and i can't even imagine it.

On computer speakers or high quality earbuds, I hear the same thing.
"I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two."
User avatar
BflatBass
Posts: 171
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:44 pm
Location: Kelso WA

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by BflatBass »

Doug Elliott wrote: Fri May 18, 2018 9:26 pm I hear Yammy ... not Yanny.

Nothing even resembling Laurel and i can't even imagine it.

On computer speakers or high quality earbuds, I hear the same thing.
It's the opposite for me. I hear Laurel and can't imagine it sounding like Yanny. As Mr. Spock would've said, "fascinating".

I'm using ASUS cordless headphones on my PC. I'll try it on my phone tomorrow using my bluetooth speaker.
I dream of the day that the world will be healthy enough that I can play in a live ensemble again.
User avatar
BGuttman
Posts: 6393
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:19 am
Location: Cow Hampshire

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by BGuttman »

This morning I heard both; one superimposed on the other. First time I heard the "Laurel" or anything like it. Same computer speakers as before.
Bruce Guttman
Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra
"Almost Professional"
User avatar
ddickerson
Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:55 pm

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by ddickerson »

I heard "Laurel" while my wife heard "Yanny" on my apple phone.
Kanstul 1550
Kanstul 1606
User avatar
Matt K
Verified
Posts: 4312
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:34 pm
Contact:

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by Matt K »

I don't know how anyone hears anything useful from that video. It sounds like the Bothan bounty hunter in Return of the Jedi to me!
Kbiggs
Posts: 1306
Joined: Sat Mar 24, 2018 11:46 am
Location: Vancouver WA

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by Kbiggs »

How do I know what I hear?
It changes from ear to ear!
Is it laurel or yanny?
Is it one or too many?
It depends on the speakers, I fear!
Kenneth Biggs
I have known a great many troubles, but most of them have never happened.
—Mark Twain (attributed)
imsevimse
Posts: 1563
Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2018 10:43 am
Location: Sweden

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by imsevimse »

"Jerry" on my smart phone and the dress is "black and blue" Your president heard "covfife"😙😀
User avatar
hwlentz
Posts: 38
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:39 am
Location: Western Ky

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by hwlentz »

Me to my girlfriend: “I love you, Laurel.”

Laurel: “Who the hell is Yanni!?”
brtnats
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 7:07 am
Location: Louisville KY

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by brtnats »

NPR ran a piece on this. The word is apparently an online dictionary's recorded pronunciation for the word...."Laurel."

I hear both, but I distinctly heard Laurel first.

Is there any correlation here between higher-oriented tenor players hearing Yanny and bass players hearing Laurel? It's definitely a high-vs-low-frequency phenomenon, and I'm wondering if those of us that spend more time with lower overtones are predisposed to select one over the other.

Matt
User avatar
JohnL
Posts: 1907
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:01 am
Contact:

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by JohnL »

brtnats wrote: Thu May 24, 2018 6:23 am NPR ran a piece on this. The word is apparently an online dictionary's recorded pronunciation for the word...."Laurel."
That's what it started as, but the version that went viral is supposedly the product of someone playing the original sound through a computer speaker and recording it on a phone. What some of us hear as "yanni" is apparently mostly distortion introduced during the playback/re-recording process.
bimmerman
Posts: 183
Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:15 pm
Location: Menlo Park

Re: Laurel vs Yanny as relates to hearing

Post by bimmerman »

I came across this from Christopher Bill on YouTube:

Basically it is both, and he manipulates the frequencies to show you how it's both.
Post Reply

Return to “Teaching & Learning”