Rushfan - yes, this goes to the heart of the matter.
How an ear receives sound is measurable. Model it like a microphone. It reacts to air pressure variations pretty much like a mic does. A mechanical matter. The signal is precisely measurable and what hits an ear is the same for everyone. This is what measurement in audio is useful for - you can accurately and objectively measure what is hitting an ear.
After the signal hits the ear there is capture. Some ears are damaged goods and like a poor or dropped microphone some ears can’t respond to inputs as well as other do. This can be measured quite well through listening tests by audiologists. We all out to know our physical ear quality.
And then there is interpretation of what does manage to get through. The brain gets involved. This is the bit which can not be measured. Although a person can try and describe what they perceive they are hearing, they usually do so using wholly unmeasurable terms. And because the brain is involved, all kinds of biases - especially unconscious biases - selections (preferences), perceptions, subjective descriptions, pleasures, and illusions happen.
But it is indeed useful to distinguish the two components.
How an ear receives sound is measurable. Model it like a microphone. It reacts to air pressure variations pretty much like a mic does. A mechanical matter. The signal is precisely measurable and what hits an ear is the same for everyone. This is what measurement in audio is useful for - you can accurately and objectively measure what is hitting an ear.
After the signal hits the ear there is capture. Some ears are damaged goods and like a poor or dropped microphone some ears can’t respond to inputs as well as other do. This can be measured quite well through listening tests by audiologists. We all out to know our physical ear quality.
And then there is interpretation of what does manage to get through. The brain gets involved. This is the bit which can not be measured. Although a person can try and describe what they perceive they are hearing, they usually do so using wholly unmeasurable terms. And because the brain is involved, all kinds of biases - especially unconscious biases - selections (preferences), perceptions, subjective descriptions, pleasures, and illusions happen.
But it is indeed useful to distinguish the two components.