Mr Peabody
Well-known member
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- #1
I've been in discussions where I've been told audio memory only lasts a few seconds. This is pretty much true with a distinction and false without it.
Auditory sensory memory is short but long term durable memory can last. Especially if it's a system you've heard enough to be familiar with. I've done some reading I wondered if I had some type of freakish memory. Maybe I was an outlier being able to remember what a system sounds like for long periods. I have friends who have me come over to hear their system and evaluate changes. Sometimes the change is made before without my knowledge. I can tell blindly if you will that a change was made and what is different. We certainly have the ability to evaluate our systems, we are familiar with them, live with them, no reason you can't tell if a new cable or any other component change makes a difference and whether it's to your liking or not.
Auditory sensory memory, Echoic memory only lasts a few seconds, it's your brain's buffer for sound. We've all experienced it, ever have someone say something to you and you immediately say, what, then you realize what they said? That's what it is. Beyond that our auditory memory can be very good building stable representations of what we've heard. An experienced listener can tell tonal balance, vocal timbre, bass extension and control, sound stage width and depth, or imaging precision. These aren't stored as literal recordings in your head they are more like a learned collection of perceptual features.
You, can, literally trust your ears.
When we have listened to a system enough to be familiar with it our brain has had plenty of opportunity to build a stable internal model. When something changes in our system we are comparing the change to a well, established memory in our brain. This is a skill developed over time with attentive listening. "Attentive" being the operative word.
Auditory sensory memory is short but long term durable memory can last. Especially if it's a system you've heard enough to be familiar with. I've done some reading I wondered if I had some type of freakish memory. Maybe I was an outlier being able to remember what a system sounds like for long periods. I have friends who have me come over to hear their system and evaluate changes. Sometimes the change is made before without my knowledge. I can tell blindly if you will that a change was made and what is different. We certainly have the ability to evaluate our systems, we are familiar with them, live with them, no reason you can't tell if a new cable or any other component change makes a difference and whether it's to your liking or not.
Auditory sensory memory, Echoic memory only lasts a few seconds, it's your brain's buffer for sound. We've all experienced it, ever have someone say something to you and you immediately say, what, then you realize what they said? That's what it is. Beyond that our auditory memory can be very good building stable representations of what we've heard. An experienced listener can tell tonal balance, vocal timbre, bass extension and control, sound stage width and depth, or imaging precision. These aren't stored as literal recordings in your head they are more like a learned collection of perceptual features.
You, can, literally trust your ears.
When we have listened to a system enough to be familiar with it our brain has had plenty of opportunity to build a stable internal model. When something changes in our system we are comparing the change to a well, established memory in our brain. This is a skill developed over time with attentive listening. "Attentive" being the operative word.