Violins sound different under the ear than from a distance

January 31, 2026, 8:48 PM · I think you need both good sound under your ear and in the room, which is why it helps to have another player or teacher help you test instruments.

Edited: January 31, 2026, 9:46 PM · You're not going to want to practice on something that sounds like war under your ear. So Ben's got a point. On the other hand probably you should be practicing with a "musician's earplug" in at least your left ear and maybe both ears, so that you don't suffer the same hearing damage that many violinists do, including yours truly. When my daughter was choosing a cello, we were glad that she had the opportunity to play and listen to the last few finalists in a performance hall at her conservatory. I believe that's important.

As for "why," it's the same with any sort of energy radiating from a particular source. The near-field spectrum will be influenced much more by relative distances from the different parts of the radiating body, in this case the violin. This is how you can have poor reception on your TV when the broadcast antenna is right behind your house.

January 31, 2026, 10:30 PM · No idea why, but it is true. Some fiddles sound great to the player and say nothing to the hall. Others speak to the audience but take a lot of getting used to for the player.

Edited: February 1, 2026, 12:50 AM · Trebles get lost - they travel in straight lines and all that energy that isn't travelling towards the audience isn't heard by the audience - think of a rave at a distance - all you can hear is the bass because bass diffuses and goes around corners and permeates. In your ear are all the hisses and scratches, but the audience can't hear them. If you hear sweet sound, the audience just hears blandness.

You remind me that I need to get my teacher to play both our violins for me so that I can compare them.

February 1, 2026, 1:45 AM · As far as hearing protection goes, during practice I often use noise canceling earbuds since I can adjust the transparency. They’re also great for listening to a metronome or playing along with MyPianist accompaniment. At other times, I use a Menuhin mute.

But yeah… for regular performance earplugs are a godsend.

Edited: February 1, 2026, 5:22 AM · I frequently compare recordings of myself on three or more violins taken at a distance of about 2 metres. Sonic differences between them are definitely harder to identify on playback and I don't think it's due to any deficiency in the microphone, speakers or headphones. So unless it's important that your violin should carry to the furthermost corners of a hall and/or over an orchestra I'd suggest you go for the one you enjoy playing the most.

Edited: February 1, 2026, 9:27 AM · A player's ears are located toward the lower bout of the instrument, slightly on the bass side. The higher frequencies of the instrument are predominantly radiated by the upper bout, farthest from the player's ears, and don't radiate well toward the player.

At anything above 1 kHz, the violin plates vibrate with multiple active patches, with those patches varying in pattern as the frequency changes. Where those patches are relative to the player make a difference that is not the same elsewhere.

That is all in addition to room acoustics and air absorbtion effects.

February 1, 2026, 9:31 AM · There is also the aspect that your jawbone, as well as possibly your collarbone, are directly touching the violin, so it works a little bit like these bone conductance headphones.

I really like playing with as much of the violin on directly on my collarbone as possible, with no shoulder rest or pad or shirt or anything in between. It's not the most comfortable, and I don't do it often, but it's fun feeling the vibrations of the violin back through your bones.

February 1, 2026, 9:46 AM · Here is a neat video where they play with a room mic and microphones right at the violinist’s ears. It’s a striking difference.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhdpm2oFjKE

February 1, 2026, 10:40 AM · Dimitri, it would be nice if they had equalized the loudness, so one could better hear the spectral differences.

Edited: February 1, 2026, 10:52 AM · This is a dilemma that comes up repeatedly: student falls in love with warm sound under the ear, others, including teacher, prefer brighter, louder violins during comparisons.

This is why violins that “have it all”—sound great under the ear AND project—cost a fortune. There are always compromises in violins and bows, and you have to figure out what you can or can’t live with.

Personally, I’d be careful not to be pushed into buying whatever the loudest, brightest violin is. That’s what listeners tend to be drawn toward initially, but it might not be musically satisfying/inspiring to the player. This is why I’ve always been skeptical about these supposed “experiments” where listeners preferred modern instruments over old Italians. Did they have to listen for a minute—or an entire recital?

I might prioritize the violin’s ability to produce the most vibrato with the least effort. Violins differ widely in this respect: for some, you have to work very hard to get the vibrato you want. That can be exhausting.

I once passed up an old Klotz that made me —my vibrato—sound like an entirely different player, and with very little effort. It had kind of a weaker D/G, which is why these aren’t considered first-rank soloist instruments. But, the A/E were magical. As I said, it’s all about compromise.

February 1, 2026, 2:27 PM · I see this all the time. Students show up with a nice, warm, "dark," sounding fiddle that they picked out, that is marginally better than their previous one, and it has no projection whatsoever. It sounded great in the shop with all the other violins hanging on the walls, and is just fine when they sit in their 20+ member violin section in orchestra, but it gets buried in chamber music, and can barely be heard above the piano accompanist in a decent concert space. Then they start investing in expensive string sets, soundpost adjustments, etc. to try and "fix" the issue.

I always stress that balance is the key, for any instrument. Anything that pulls excessively towards any extreme is probably not going to be workable in the long term.

February 1, 2026, 10:01 PM · I would never buy a violin or viola that I had not had someone play for me so I could hear how it sounded to others. That's why, when I respond to posts about choosing an instrument, I always counsel the importance of having someone play for you the ones of interest that sound good under the ear. That way you can make the best choice. Also, taking an instrument of interest for a trial period can allow you to see how it plays/responds in various environments. You cannot be too careful when you are planning to spend serious money.

February 1, 2026, 11:34 PM · Gene, it doesn’t surprise me that playing in an orchestra can make a violin sound better.
But do you think that playing in a shop full of violins will? Is it possible that there would be some resonance from the other violins that our ears can’t pick out?