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Of course we have good auditory memory, otherwise how would we be able to make any judgements at all regarding the sound quality of anything?
For me, the more interesting question would be whether it is possible to devise a test or an experiment that would shed light on the effectiveness of auditory memory.Chad
whether it is possible to devise a test or an experiment that would shed light on the effectiveness of auditory memory.
Listen to the dialogue for 30 seconds. Turn it off. Now repeat what the folks on TV said word for word.
Sure. A test could be devised. Possibly a modified audiological test with variations in volume, pitch, etc., with the baseline sound provided at various intervals for various durations. The tests for recollection could be completed at various periods from listening from the baseline sound and the volume, pitch, etc., could be adjusted. Everyone's hearing is different, and the test group would need to be fairly large.
Quote from: chadh on 30 Jun 2009, 12:02 amListen to the dialogue for 30 seconds. Turn it off. Now repeat what the folks on TV said word for word.This might involve more than hearing, however, and might be influenced by attentional issues and verbal comprehension issues. This is also similar to one of the verbal tests that neurologists give to patients to rule out significant memory loss from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, often repeating a story several times then asking the patient, after one minute, five minutes, etc., to repeat the story.
Time to have adult beverage and simply enjoy the system I love. George
I think many people do not understand what is meant when it is claimed that people have poor auditory memory. Go to any music theory or musicianship class and take some elementary dictation tests and you will instantly grasp the problem, barring you have some genius musical ear like Mozart or are otherwise in the top 3% of the class. A test like that will quickly reveal whether you can remember what you heard or not. Let's say you reject that anecdote when it applies to things you hear with a lot of repetition, that with enough repetition, you will remember it perfectly. Ever write a paper dissecting performance practice and comparing different performances of the same piece? Again, in the event you are not a musical genius, I think you will find yourself "going back to the well" again...and again...and again...Just because you have heard the performance say 50 times for each version by no means indicates you will remember what it sounds like when you get down to all the fine little details. Nevermind the fact that the last thing you want to do is listen to the damn thing again. The fine details of auditory memory are very elusive and the deeper you delve, the more you realize how limited our auditory memory is in so many respects. Ever judge recital/ensemble competitions? Better hope you take some darn good notes, and compare them to the other judges'.Having done these things, I can personally attest that my auditory memory is quite bad indeed, and that it is also considerably above average. The golden ear audiophiles must be that top 3% or better "cream of the crop." There are certainly those people out there who are essentially geniuses when it comes down to these kinds of things. But the average joe? No way, I can't imagine it in a million years. They have no idea what it even means to remember what something sounds like. This is not to say I only believe in strict double blind instant A/B switch tests, but I do have my doubts. I can easily concede that there are some differences that only become obvious over time, and that these differences, once identified, can be more easily and quickly found thereafter. Just don't...never mind.
BTW, when I am seriously comparing gear in my system, I take notes about what I hear and what I feel. Geeky? Absolutely!Helpful? You bet!I feel that it allows me to more accurately compare things.As others have stated, I am not so concerned with my auditory memory, as I am with my general memory. aaFWIW, I am a very big note taker in the work place. This ensures that I don't miss things and allows me to more effectively do my job.George
+1I find diligent note taking to be extremely helpful and a nice reminder if it has been awhile. Plus the look on my wife's face when she finds note comparing different tubes is pretty priceless
For example, suppose I listen to two systems side-by-side, and form my impressions of the two without any reliance on auditory memory. The two differ only in one dimension (e.g. a pair of interconnects).