I'm wondering something, but to pose the question, I first need to set the stage:
Say that your best case hearing threshold is 0dB. Iin case anyone's wondering, 0dB isn't zero energy, it's sound at 1/10th the power of the ultra-quiet level of 10dB.
Now say that you're listening to some music that peaks at 80dB
If THD+n / IMD in the source signal is lower than -80dB, with its peaks at 0dB (the same difference as between your hearing threshold and the loudest reproduced sound),
in the very best case (your hearing is juuust able discern a 0dB pin drop 40m away during the 80dB peak, and all noise and harmonics and intermodulation distortion is at -1dB (sound level, not signal level) or lower,
your ears are now the limit, no question about it: all distortion coming through is below your ability to hear it.
Correct?
Obviously I'm not counting room interactions, wave propagation, and coloration from loudspeaker frequency response variations in this, or anything else. Imagine everything else is perfect for this hypothetical
Say that your best case hearing threshold is 0dB. Iin case anyone's wondering, 0dB isn't zero energy, it's sound at 1/10th the power of the ultra-quiet level of 10dB.
Now say that you're listening to some music that peaks at 80dB
If THD+n / IMD in the source signal is lower than -80dB, with its peaks at 0dB (the same difference as between your hearing threshold and the loudest reproduced sound),
in the very best case (your hearing is juuust able discern a 0dB pin drop 40m away during the 80dB peak, and all noise and harmonics and intermodulation distortion is at -1dB (sound level, not signal level) or lower,
your ears are now the limit, no question about it: all distortion coming through is below your ability to hear it.
Correct?
Obviously I'm not counting room interactions, wave propagation, and coloration from loudspeaker frequency response variations in this, or anything else. Imagine everything else is perfect for this hypothetical