@bruce19 -
Some of us have had the blessing/experience of being heavily involved with the production and recording of live sound, in a multitude of venues, over decades.
Having recordings that one has personally made, can generate high confidence in one's reference materials.
I've never been able to abide audible distortion*, in any system I'm responsible for, or: listen to.
PLEASE: save me the, "auditory sensory memory" rhetoric, as that (as regards EVERY OTHER of the human senses) varies greatly between individuals. ie: how hard is it for you, when you answer the phone, to recognize the voice at the other end, even if you haven't heard it in years?
*ie: "warmth/musicality", colorations, added pleasant harmonics, etc