Tks
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I don't listen to music loud. For my continuous listening, the levels are quite low. It is usually -20 to -40 dB on DX3 Pro. I do occasionally turn up the volume on a track or two but that is not my normal listening.
These are very difficult tests to pass. They require extreme attention to what could be distorted and focusing on them after some trial and error. Once there though, you can see extremely good success rate.
Bottom line: I have training that allows me to listen through the music and focus on different aspects of it. If such issues are at very high frequencies, then yes, you can't rely on me. Otherwise, my skill levels are well above average not because I was born with it, but because I have spent hundreds of hours testing for artifacts in audio in controlled listening tests (where one would know if the answer is right or wrong).
No offense. I think it is best to ask me about such things rather than reading the tea leaves.
For many audiophiles that are as old as me and older, it is good news that one can be a critical listener, able to hear small impairments well above general public despite losing high frequency hearing.
Few things, -20db would be torture for me. -60db to -50db is what I normally listen to on headphones/IEMs. On speakers, I could approach -40db and it not be an issue depending on seating positions and such.
The tests that are difficult to pass, pertaining to 128kbps vs uncompressed is an overstatement (if that was the tests you are referring to). creating a diff of uncompressed vs 128kbps reveals essentially so much chopped out data, you can basically easily identify a song and even hear most lyrics even if it's your first time listening to it.
On the topic of training, I spoke favorably for your stance on that metric, you've got the experience especially after training yourself on what to watch out for, allowing you better ability to pick out undesired portions in audio much easier than many of us.
As for asking instead of reading tea leaves, asking what exactly? Age? Also, what tea leaves? Nothing about my statements are false (aside from the endless discussion as to what could be technically "too loud"), and I'm not reading into anything without deduction.
And finally, there was never doubt you could not pickout artifacts at your age, but as I said prior - it has to do with the extensive training. Music would be like gymnastics otherwise - once a certain ages hits, audio engineers and mastering folks would be out of the job if the case to the contrary was true, which of course it isn't as you know (and live as).