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General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

RE: Wouldn’t it be great to measure overall system improvement?

Don’t feel bad, it is frustrating but the problem is your talking about engineering, how the products are designed and built and what governs how they all work which is at the opposite end of things from the buying and selling of finished goods.

The issue is that our sensory system is a “system” but since we have experienced nothing else but that system, we are unaware how the senses are tied together.
When presented with examples, many audiophiles coil in anger as it suggests their sense are not perfect or “golden”.

For instance, if you have cable TV, look for “brain games” which tonight deals with some of the auditory weirdness including how what you know effects what your senses present to you.
If you don’t have cable TV, here are a couple examples, the first a well known auditory phenomena where what you see over rides what reaches your ears. Wear headphones and concentrate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UzWeZZ9XeQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lN8vWm3m0

The next one goes a step further, what you hear is not only what you see but also what you know.

Poppy from Dolby labs has a demonstration using song lyrics just a few min into the video but the lead in is interesting too at least for people working in audio like these folks.

With the “knowledge” based hearing demo, this ONLY WORKS ONCE because once you know, you have that knowledge.
Again focus and use headphones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYTlN6wjcvQ

Now keep in mind, the demonstrations often make people angry and yet it is at least partly this gap between how our “system” works and how physics work that is why blind tests (comparing two cases without knowing which was which) often gives bewildering results.

Blind testing in audio means only using your ears, an audiology or hearing test only involves only using your ears, any really nearly every kind of testing involves you not knowing what the answer is.

The sales and appreciation of hifi gear by non-engineering people involves knowing the answer is before the question is asked which makes things pretty squishy as the first presenter mentioned.
This is a fascinating area if your keen to look into it.



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