Does test equipment hear the same way we do? About the only benefit of test equipment is that it has no bias or opinion. Other than that its not human so it technically can't hear things from a human perspective.
Case in point: tube designs are generally accepted as noisier than transistors (and will measure as such), yet many prefer their coloration or distortion characteristics to be more pleasing than quieter transistor designed counter parts.
Case in point: tube designs are generally accepted as noisier than transistors (and will measure as such), yet many prefer their coloration or distortion characteristics to be more pleasing than quieter transistor designed counter parts.