How sound at sea-level is different than sound at elevation

How is sound at sea-level different than sound a mile or more above sea-level?

I’ve spent 50 years at least a mile (5280 feet) high [so many jokes, so little time]. We’ve both spent the last 25 at 7200 feet or so.

Funny, but going to shows at sea level during those years did not highlight these differences, so they are obviously more subtle than the impact of individual room acoustics and setup on the sound.

But, both when hearing things while outside and when listening to stereo systems, there are differences that helps me understand how people at sea level are hearing things differently than the people at higher elevations [few of us there are at altitude].

The short and sweet is that sound works better here at 13 feet above sea level. It travels farther, it is more solid and substantive, more dense. Sound at elevation is thinner sounding, like ‘thin sounding’ cables.

Have to say that even though I may still prefer the lighter, more airy sound that I ‘grew up’ with [Perhaps because is just feels ‘cleaner’], I am enjoying the easy gains system setup down here provides us in ‘the soup’ compared to the more laborious setup in ‘the clouds’

An unfortunate side-effect, however, is the background city noise here, which at sea level also seems to travel farther, be stronger, and permeate ev-e-ry-thing. 😉