We asked a master CBC audio tech: Do you hear Laurel or Yanny?

It's a debate that's been tearing the internet apart, at least this week: A piece of audio posted across social media sounds like "Laurel" to some people, and "Yanny" to others.

We also asked Ottawans what they hear in latest online debate

CBC News ·
Ottawa weighs in on the great Yanny versus Laurel debate. 1:18

It's a debate that's been tearing the internet apart, at least this week: A piece of audio posted across social media sounds like "Laurel" to some people, and "Yanny" to others.

Kind of like that dress that looked blue and black to some folks, and white and gold to other folks.

To settle this latest online debacle we consulted CBC master audio technician J.S. Villeneuve, who took the sound apart to show that it's really about the different frequencies people hear.

Those who hear lower frequencies more clearly are probably going to hear "Laurel," while those who hear higher frequencies better will likely hear "Yanny."

You can watch a video of his explanation in the player below.

We also took to the streets to find out what Ottawans heard, and you can check out the responses in the video above.

CBC master audio technician J.S. Villeneuve shows how shifting the pitch and frequency of a piece of audio can turn 'Laurel' into 'Yanny.' 2:15