Why do two speakers that measure the same sound different? Science.
Take it on faith: A cease-and-desist letter to those who only believe in measurements
Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith). Faith is often considered to be distinct from and even contrary to science. I argue science is based on faith. Specifically, it is faith in the belief that measurements are always correct, and they alone can reveal the world around us. However, there is no evidence that this approach will always provide a correct and complete depiction of our environment.
I am not anti-science. In fact, I am all about science. I was a science major in college. I taught high school biology and chemistry. I employ science every day in my current career. I also use it to make decisions when it comes to audio, and I can point to a scientific basis behind my equipment decisions, speaker/listener locations and room treatment. I believe John Locke’s scientific method is a wonderful boon to mankind. But although data may rule my life, I know that science has its limitations.
The scientific method is an empirical approach and relies on our eight senses or extensions thereof to measure phenomena, enabling us to better understand and control our environment. People who embrace this approach believe if something cannot be measured, it cannot exist. They have total faith in this approach and deny the credibility of others whose senses do not or cannot yield something in units. In essence, these disciples take it on faith that measurements are the only true way to make sense of the world. However, we just may not have developed the instrument that enables us to measure the event. Early digital is a good example of our senses superseding the limitations of our understanding of the technology and hence, our measurements. Other examples of this include our past beliefs that we could destroy mass, that the earth is flat, and the universe is not expanding. And cables and amplifiers all sound the same.
Others find their senses can reveal events that are not apparent to some and may not even be measurable. Some people can smell faint odors or feel a slight breeze that others cannot. My wife can find a Petoskey stone on a beach out of thousands of rocks; I cannot see it even when I am standing over it. Different cables, fuses, amplifier topology, or cartridge design may or may not result in the same or even any data points and may or may not sound alike. But just because you cannot hear a difference nor measure a difference does not mean there is no difference. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, just as good sound may be in their ear.
Some of us have at least as much faith in our ears as we do in our REW software and associated hardware. I start room setup with acoustic theory and then confirm with measurements, but the final placement is always a result of what sounds most pleasing. I would not know how to determine speaker toe-in using a microphone.
While I will always have to trust my senses, I am not handicapped by relying solely on those that are associated with a number.
“…not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” William Bruce Cameron, 1963
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This is somewhat off topic but I haven't seen it discussed here previously so my apologies if this ground has been covered before. How much does our own physiology impact the way we perceive sound? We all have differently shaped ears, different size and shape of the ear canal, skull density, etc. Wouldn't this explain why one person can hear the difference in speaker cables and another can't? One listener hears the depth of the soundstage and another doesn't even realize a speaker is out. I contend that some folks are born with tin ears and aren't physically able to listen critically. |
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Perfect pitch is not necessarily a boon. What is far more important is the ability to recognise the various degrees of the scale relative to the root note in any key. This is something that most people can learn with practice. Hence the Do, Ri, Me, etc. solfege thing. Whereas the ability to discern the absolute pitch, middle C, etc. is possessed only by a minority as you say. |
My referencing the Amygdala as a substantial influence on how an individual is unique in their assessing sound. In the past has got me into a few exchanges as a counter that were antithetical and quite unsupportive of the notion. Hey Ho, when it comes to assessing an Audio Experience using End Sound, this is now a wanted to be created stimulus to be encountered in the local environment. Humans have a host of survival mechanisms that are totally at their full function when processing stimuli attained from the local environment. An individual is totally shaped by how they have developed in their local environments. Each individual is totally unique in how their bodies have recorded data to create responses that are survival related. As an extremely layman description, chemical reactions produced within the body, shapes the behaviour of an individual when receiving sensory information from their local environment. In relation to the Sensory Transmission of sound, the first reception of the sound is the Ear in which the Cochlea is found. It is near impossible for two individuals to be aligned in how they are able to describe how they feel about sound being transmitted / volume of sound being transmitted. It is most likely there are Sounds produced as a whole that are collectively compatible to a large range of Humans exposed to certain environmental influences and conditioning, but not all Humans are going to be accepting of all Sounds able to be produced, avoidance will take place. An individual after their having a few alcohol beverages on a night out with friends, is exposed to high Volume Levels and Distortions produced from a PA system from the local clubs live music night. Is the same individual willing to tolerate the same Volume Levels, Distortion, the following morning at a local coffee bar having a Latte. Individual through their interactions in the local environment develop Sensitivities / Prejudices to local stimuli that impact on the senses. How individuals develop tolerances for exposure to sound are associated with other Sensory Stimuli that is looked upon as being desirable to be near. This same sensitivity / prejudice does extend to solely Audio Experiences as well, especially where the produced End Sound is designed to be encountered in the local environment. The question being is the Cochlea's processing of received sound and the Amygdala's subsequent producing chemical activity that influences emotional responses and behaviour, as a combined function, responsible for the individual giving Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down to a Audio Experience. When using an Audio System there is the need to convert a source energy into a electrical energy, ultimately with the electrical energy being converted into a kinetic energy, being the End Sound transmitted on the local environment. What is also interesting and not typically spoken about, is that the Kinetic Energy when received by the Ear, is immediately converted back to electricity, as electrical impulses for the body to process. It is those electrical impulses that shape the individual to become totally unique in how they are to respond to the stimuli. The individual is left with an emotion, which is better described as wanting to be maintained (Pleasant) or not wanted to be maintained (Unpleasant). The cochlea, an integral component of the inner ear, plays a vital role in our ability to hear and process sound. By converting sound waves into electrical impulses, the cochlea allows the brain to interpret different frequencies of sound. This process occurs through the stimulation of specific areas within the cochlea, triggered by vibrations carried through a fluid called endolymph. These vibrations are then transformed into electrical impulses in the cochlear duct through hair cells in the organ of Corti. The resulting impulses are carried by the vestibulocochlear nerve to the brain’s auditory cortex for further interpretation. The amygdala is essential for processing emotional reactions and attaching emotional significance to experiences, playing a central role in various aspects of behavior and cognition. The amygdala primarily regulates emotional responses. The amygdala has widespread connections to various parts of the brain, allowing it to receive sensory information and influence responses. Its key connections include:
Faith, Science, what is known today is a scratch of the surface, where decade after decade, discoveries made means rewriting becomes a requirement. For the Cochlea and Amygdala, the scientific understanding of their function is pretty much running Parallel with the modern usage of Audio Equipment as a form of entertainment within the home. I'm sure as better education is more widespread, there will be a time when Audio will be sold with Marketing Spiel that makes claims for the Product having the potential to generate Pleasant Stimuli. |
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