Forking from the cables thread to a discussion of whether hi-res is audible.....


While on the subject of embarrassing testing...

Let me preface this by saying I have invested in hi-res audio tracks, both on my server and in my Qobuz subscription. I've always felt I could tell the difference, although there are duds in hi-res just like redbook. And some great redbook recordings.

Going through this test, particularly looking at the control groups, is certainly humbling.  I particularly like the "hardware reviewers" group.

http://archimago.blogspot.com/2014/06/24-bit-vs-16-bit-audio-test-part-ii.html
ahofer
And yet blind listening tests consistently reveal we hear less than we think we hear when sighted.  Complex indeed, but perhaps not due to the biomechanical sensitivity in the ear so much as interactions between parts of the brain.
There it is! I wuz wondering how long it would take for blind testing to raise its semi handsome head. As per usual it’s in the form of a challenge - Betcha can’t hear it in a blind test! Biomechanical sensitivity? Whoa! What?
”the human ear is the highest resolution device known to humanity for hearing discernment.”

of course not, most animals have better hearing.  

why not take the test non anonymously and publish the results here, by contacting the blogger?
You could make the case that hearing is more acute than sight. Before the discovery of fire, humans would rely on hearing to keep them safe at night. Good hearing would have been an evolutionary advantage.
Human hearing is at its most sensitive somewhere around 2-5kHz and for most of us tails off around 18kHz if not earlier. 

Whereas a dog whistle is pitched usually from 23kHz - 54kHz. Shades of Sgt Pepper.