Non linearities in our hearing

Air · Mar 7, 2023

I am intrigued to think through the consequences and implications of the non-linearities of our hearing. Here are some of the ideas that I am trying to get my head around and think through.

There are individual differences, excluding diminishing ability as we age,
nonlinearities across the frequency range and
nonlinearities with different loudness levels?

Excluding individual differences(probably visible in the raw data where the variances are not compounded in averages), the other 2 points are well illustrated by the following well-known curves(mostly known by Fletcher-Muson curves) that have been open knowledge. Still, do we understand these in terms of how we choose our system, set it up and optimise placement and treat our rooms?

The most well-known attempts to factor these curves into the hifi world are the design of speakers according to the contentious BBC smiley profile and also loudness options in early amplifiers.

Should we factor them into our decisions, or should we ignore them? What do you think?