What covid research can teach us about audio measurements.

@prof

There was a post here a while ago from a psychologist/researcher who aptly collected what I keep trying to say.

A measurement of THD is a measurement of THD. A measurement of frequency response is a measurement of frequency response. To extend those measurements beyond that is not science, it is pseudo science. To take those measurements and discuss "ideal" or the end of all things that can be heard is not science. It is also not science to repeat measurements and rank equipment based on them. That is quality assurance.

It is also not science to lump average human perceptions and claim this is how 1 individual hears.

There is no scientifically agreed to set of measurements which together describe all the human ear/brain is capable of hearing. All we have is a minor number of measurements which are in popular (well, as popular as audio is) culture.  I doubt those measurements which Stereophile publishes, are even close to all that is used in modern engineering and development.

As for the rest, caveat emptor, but I won’t hide under the umbrella of science when I’m actually ignorant.

Best,

Erik

@ebm

Single line replies are sad.

Our brains do a lot of correction, making sound into what we expect to hear, given our experiences.  Some day we'll see how hard it works via brain scan.  That could be a key measurement in ear fatigue vs relaxation.  

My analogy is another sense - Vision.  I wear a not unsubstantial prescription that includes near sightedness and astigmatism.  With a new prescription or a change in lens material or even just a regrind, first tryout is always disorientation.  Peripheral vision is warped with straight lines noticeably curved.  After a few days everything appears normal again.  That's my brain at work "getting used to it".  Tests say I'm 20/20 corrected (or so).  That's the measurement standard all prescriptions are judged by.  No test measures how hard my brain works to "get used to it" or why everything looks more natural, atmospheric and relaxing when I take off my glasses.  

Like others have said, I do not see the relevance at least to the arguments in audio. Few if any of the scientific community doubt the existence of long Covid, and physiological and psychological testing confirms it exists. Knowing it exists, they went looking for the cause. You will have to provide strong proof of something in audio that contradicts current scientific understanding in order to get them to chase the cause. I am sure we could come up with 5 or 10 things, medical related, that many people are convinced are true, that the medical community is not chasing, or has chased and debunked. Are not most measurements in audio a simple electrical signal, no matter the source?  How much more complicated does it have to get than X = A-B. A = input, B = output. Hardly as complicated as the human body. The other measurements in audio are speakers, and microphones. No one considers those settled science. If they did I would be out of a job. Fortunately I will retire before we have direct brain plug in.