My wife's hearing is much keener than mine at lower SPL's. I do have some hearing damage but it only effects me at extremely low listening levels (I have had it tested off and on since my teens). My wife is not into this hobby but will sometimes complain about changes that I make to the system (cabling, etc.) and ask what "that noise" is. As far as I understand (that noise) only happens when the music is playing and has been generally present to her when I have been auditioning brighter more detailed cables. For example she hated the Illumination D60 digital cable in the system (PBJ's as well), which I actually liked until I turned up the volume well past our normal listening level and also heard some type of high frequency noise (whatever it was it was a sound that seemed to be "behind" or in addition but still accompanying the notes, if this makes any sense, it's a CD based system), she was right there was a "funny" noise. I had always thought that acute female hearing was due to the inner workings of the ear being scaled down and more delicate/sensative (I doubt if KD Lang would fill the bill, but you know what I mean). I have also noticed that generally speaking the women in my life have preferred more bass and less treble in regard to what I feel is a nice balance. I wonder if I hear more of the bass and less of the highs in comparison?
Amps and Women
I have been happily married for over 20 years now. I am the supposed audiophile, yet my wife ,god bless her, can pick out the differences in amplifiers in about two seconds. I change over from my Spectral stuff to my Classe stuff,"Honey did you change the system again?" She was not even listening seriously, she was doing something totally different. So the question I pose, and my wife is not the only one I have noticed this with, do women in general possess better listening/hearing capabilties then men?? That is why I take her(and usually with great resentment on her part.) to audition audio equipment. In fact, in all fairness, she narrows the choices pretty quickly.