Test Equipment vs The Ear

I recently had my hearing tested. One of the tests had the earphones placed on my skull above and forward of one ear and below and behind the other and it was amazing how well I could hear the test tones. 

What wasn't amazing, but rather depressing, was what I couldn't hear. 😩

There's so much reinforcement going on with more than our ears than we appreciate. Factor our brain into it and you'll find that it is highly nonlinear when deciphering sound. Test equipment, on the other hand is very linear in measuring sound. Or, used to be unless you have the money for some really serious tests.

Hearing aids have always been poor performers in restoring hearing acuity. It's down to what area do you prefer compared to what you can do without. Around the early 90s, some group came up with nonlinear signal processing to get closer to approximating what it is that we actually hear. I don't know if it actually worked or if it's  commercially available. 

Based on that, can we finally put to rest the falsehood that what we measure is what we hear, and nothing more?

All the best,
Nonoise

Measuring requires at least some knowledge/understanding of electrical engineering -- something that most audiophiles don’t have. Discussing measurements with audiophiles is a waste of time.

Discussing measurements with audiophiles is a waste of time.

Just as listening to music with an electrical engineer is a waste of time.

Just as listening to music with an electrical engineer is a waste of time.

Dear friend, that is a bold claim. Why would that be a waste of time? Have you ever listened to music with an EE?

Have you ever listened to music with an EE?

Yes, as a matter of fact, my best friend is an EE.
To him, everything sounds the same.
He is perfectly happy with his Adcom electronics and Polk speakers pointing in strange outward directions towards the side walls.

He laughs at my ARC/Pass Labs gear. Total waste of money in his opinion.
He also thinks vinyl is dumb....sigh.

I don't argue anymore, we just do other things together these days, no more listening to music together.

It's funny though how you found issue with that line, but felt no issue with your line:

Discussing measurements with audiophiles is a waste of time.

One line in no more or less foolish than the other.