Typical listeners are unable to detect sound quality differences between luxury and value headphones

Authors

Alexander M. O’Brien*, Jaime L. Schmidt

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States of America

Abstract

Human sensory systems are capable of detecting impressively small differences in stimulus energy under well controlled conditions, but these abilities often fail to generalize to noisier applied settings. This discrepancy is an important consideration when assessing sensory-based products, such as audio equipment, display screens, and food and drink products – many of which make extraordinary claims about perceptual experiences, but provide little or no supporting evidence for such claims. The current study measured participant ratings of headphones categorized as either value or luxury. Tests included overall sound quality, auditory sensitivity, difference threshold, and comfort. Results indicate that ratings of overall sound quality do not differ significantly between luxury and value headphones. On measures in which luxury headphones did outperform value headphones, the performance advantage was not proportional to differences in price. These results provide an empirical framework for developing evidence-based decision-making practices when assessing claims of enhanced perceptual experiences associated with myriad sensory-based products.

Keywords: auditory perception, auditory discrimination, difference threshold, sound quality, pseudoscience

PAGES:57-74

doi:10.24193/cbb.2020.24.04

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