The perception of time, like audio, is subjective. Our sense of time’s passage varies dramatically throughout our lives. Think back to when you were in grade school, tossing and turning in your beds between Thanksgiving and Christmas in anticipation of Santa’s toys—that was excruciating. Now think back three years and how quickly that time has passed. And just as our perception of time shifts throughout our lives and even differs from person to person, so too does our appreciation of sound quality differ from person to person while escaping any meaningful objective unifying correlation.
In order to feel in control, we attempt to reduce subjective phenomena to objective measurements: seconds, minutes, and hours for time; frequency response, distortion figures, and signal-to-noise ratios for audio. However, these metrics ultimately serve to improve subjective outcomes rather than existing for their own sake.
It’s crucial to recognize that no two individuals perceive time or sound identically. What constitutes high-fidelity audio for one listener may be unsatisfying to another. What seems like a long time to one can seem like a brief moment to someone else. This variability in perception extends beyond personal preference. Fundamental differences in human perception are at their core subjective and so defy any objective universal definition.
In essence, both time and audio quality exist at the intersection of measurable phenomena and individual experience. The way we experience sound and time blends the objective with personal feelings which are subjective. It is the intention behind all human endeavors, especially those that center around personal enjoyment, that create the final outcome. This is what keeps scientists and thinkers locked in the never-ending dance of innovation and progress in service to human subjectivity.
In order to feel in control, we attempt to reduce subjective phenomena to objective measurements: seconds, minutes, and hours for time; frequency response, distortion figures, and signal-to-noise ratios for audio. However, these metrics ultimately serve to improve subjective outcomes rather than existing for their own sake.
It’s crucial to recognize that no two individuals perceive time or sound identically. What constitutes high-fidelity audio for one listener may be unsatisfying to another. What seems like a long time to one can seem like a brief moment to someone else. This variability in perception extends beyond personal preference. Fundamental differences in human perception are at their core subjective and so defy any objective universal definition.
In essence, both time and audio quality exist at the intersection of measurable phenomena and individual experience. The way we experience sound and time blends the objective with personal feelings which are subjective. It is the intention behind all human endeavors, especially those that center around personal enjoyment, that create the final outcome. This is what keeps scientists and thinkers locked in the never-ending dance of innovation and progress in service to human subjectivity.
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