Next time your dog startles in response to the stereo, there's no need to blame your taste in music. The sound system itself could be the problem, according to the maker of a pet-friendly music player.
The good news, says Pet Acoustics, is that they've created a sound system designed with the hearing sensitivities of dogs and cats in mind. On the downside, My Pet Speaker, which ships this month, costs $250, and it has a frequency that could very well make you just as upset as your pet.
Human hearing generally ranges between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, though that range tends to narrow as people age and their hearing degrades. Most speakers don't exceed that frequency response on either end, though audiophiles claim they can hear higher frequencies. In any case, dogs and cats have a wider range of hearing, and they're more sensitive to those extremely low frequency rumbles and stinging high frequencies.
My Pet Speaker takes this concept to the extreme, limiting frequency response to between 200 Hz and 12,000 Hz. I can't imagine that sounds great to humans, but anyone who spends $250 on an intentionally bad speaker is clearly putting their pets' interests first. My Pet Speaker also disburses sound in 360 degrees, supposedly recreating the way animals hear in nature, and it has a wide base to prevent pets from knocking it over. There appears to be an iPod dock, and you can also connect any music source through a 3.5 mm jack.
For additional pet service, there's also the Pet Acoustics iPhone app, which plays tunes specifically designed to soothe your dog, cat or horse. No word on how the music affects humans, but as with the speaker, it's all about sacrifice.
