Have you tried matching a stereo to your hearing?

Al - I wouldn't have come up with the Fletcher-Munson Effect specifically, and I'm not sure that it's exactly what I was thinking. Let me propose an option (4) and see if it is different from the option (1) you describe.

(1) adjusting the system so that the audible frequency response curve matches that of a particular listener. There isn't an audio system that produces a perfectly smooth frequency response, especially when room accoustics are introduced. Ideally, one could adjust the nearly infinite EQ to allow the complete system to have a response that would match the hearing response curve for the listener. The goal would be to eliminate "loud" or "soft" areas in the two curves compounding.

This is similar to what the room optimization software doesn't now to match a system to a particular room, this would just be the next step requiring specific user input. Essentially, the user would provide the "goal" for the system to match rather than whatever baseline Audyssey or other company used.

Bad idea in my opinion.With the system equalized to your hearing,that is going to be your reference for everything.You will adapt to it and call it normal.Then if you listen to anything live,it will sound wrong.Even live unplugged music. We all hear live music and sounds with these flaws.Our body is used to it.Keep the live music as a reference,not a adjusted audio system.Nature takes care of this for us.

but what about other factors...such as the mood we are in when listening at any particular moment and how that will affect our listening experience..or changes in the atmospheric pressure, or changes in our hearing...why not just put together a staireo and enjoy playing music over it. why complicated a very simple thing...maybe.

i understand this is all just acedimic.

Mceljo, your option (4) is expressed a little differently than what I was addressing as option (1), but I think that similar reasoning applies in both cases.

My thought was essentially that an electronic correction for the response curves of a particular listener will cause him or her to perceive an accurate reproduction of an original performance differently than that same listener would have perceived the original performance. Which would seem to be contrary to what we try to accomplish in striving for high quality music reproduction.

Of course, use of electronic equalization, digital room correction, etc., may be called for in many cases in order to make the reproduced sound as neutral and accurate as possible, or as subjectively pleasing as possible to the
particular listener, or to compensate for particular hearing deficiences, or to compensate for having to listen at low volume levels. But those are separate issues.

Some of the others who responded above appear to me to have expressed essentially the same thought.

You raise an interesting question, though.

Best regards,
-- Al