432 Hz vs. 440 Hz frequencies: health and psychological effects? Search for “432 Hz” in YouTube and you’ll find plenty of examples where people have applied a pitch shifter to alter music ranging from a Mozart Requiem to Oasis’ Wonderwall.

But some claim that there is more to this than just preference. There are several blogs that claim that using a normal concert tuning of 440 Hz is bad for our health, but then what do you expect from something first promoted by the Nazis?


  The recent rediscoveries of the vibratory / oscillatory nature of the universe indicate that this contemporary international concert pitch standard may generate an unhealthy effect or anti-social behavior in the consciousness of human beings … There is a theory that the change from 432 Hz to 440 Hz was dictated by Nazi propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels. [Source: Zen Gardner.]


Also,

432 Hz is said to be mathematically consistent with the patterns of the universe. Studies reveal that 432hz tuning vibrates with the universe’s golden mean PHI and unifies the properties of light, time, space, matter, gravity and magnetism with biology, the DNA code and consciousness. When our atoms and DNA start to resonate in harmony with the spiraling pattern of nature, our sense of connection to nature is said to be magnified. The number 432 is also reflected in ratios of the Sun, Earth, and the moon as well as the precession of the equinoxes, the Great Pyramid of Egypt, Stonehenge, the Sri Yantra among many other sacred sites. 


  “From my own observations, some of the harmonic overtone partials of
  A=432hz 12T5 appear to line up to natural patterns and also the
  resonance of solitons. Solitons need a specific range to form into the
  realm of density and span from the micro to the macro cosmos. Solitons
  are not only found in water mechanics, but also in the ion-acoustic
  breath between electrons and protons.”


– Brian T. Collins 

Another blog wrote that,


  The noticeable difference music lovers and musicians have noticed with
  music tuned in A=432 Hz is that it is not only more beautiful and
  harmonious to the ears, but it also induces a more inward experience
  that is felt inside the body at the spine and heart. Music tuned in
  A=440 Hz was felt as a more outward and mental experience, and was
  felt at the side of the head which projected outwards. Audiophiles
  have also stated that A=432hz music seems to be non-local and can fill
  an entire room, whereas A=440hz can be perceived as directional or
  linear in sound propagation.


Also, there is a group on SoundCloud where people everyday shares different sound tracks based on 432 Hz frequencies. 

It is still kind of ambiguous and unclear to me. Does it really work to tune your music to 432 Hz, or it is just a hoax? Does it really effect your sub-conscious state and your health?
One of the claims that is somewhat easy to validate empirically is that "432 Hz sounds better than 440 Hz." This informal experiment tests this in a straightforward way. People listen to pitch-shifted versions of songs at a variety of different frequencies and rate their preference for the song. Importantly, they don't know which frequency the song has been shifted to.

The results pretty clearly debunk the claim that 432 "sounds better" than 440:



The preference ratings were highest at 440, and there was no statistical difference between 432 and 440.