Your ears are only as good as you hear.

[Kymano54]

Technically there isn't an ear that has the consistency of any refined stereo. I have a pair of ears that are 65 years of age. Every year I get them examined and plotted by frequency/level. Compared to any stereo they are only as good as a home made pair of headphones. I am at an advantage compared to most people, I know what to do with that information. Regardless though, as I said, about  hearing consistency, those little auditory canals are no better than the drain on your sink. They are a closed end system. They are as responsive as you take care of them.  If you've never seen your hearing chart you don't know squat. First of all your hearing response is typical from 250 hz to 8 khz. So all this mumbo-jumbo about 20 to 20khz is a figment of imagination so to speak. Your hearing levels of 250 to 8000 hx can range from 0-110 db. So rather than flap your jaws, use your brain and learn a spell.The best speakers are a set of headphones and a small precise sound replicator. They don't cost no 60,000 dollars. maybe a good set cost 500.  Ask your audiologist what happens to your ears when you attend a George Thorogood concert and stand only 20 feet from the grandstand or even Transiberian.    ps: (here is an example of you ears hearing chart)   http://www.earinfo.com/how-to-read-a-hearing-aid-test/

[DizRotus]

Perhaps the word order in the subject could be reversed.  Your hearing is only as good as your ears.

 

At 70, my high frequency hearing is severely limited above 6kHz.  Nevertheless, I still enjoy the treble content of music, the cymbals in Take Five for example.  When playing test tones through my DIY Super Heresys and four DIY tapped horn subs, I can hear content at 25Hz, more important, I can feel the bass.  My best IEMS or cans can’t replicate the bass pressure experienced in my small listening space.

[Dave1290]

1 hour ago, DizRotus said:

My best IEMS or cans can’t replicate the bass pressure experienced in my small listening space.

Truth!  Amazed me!  You've got it workin in there with what you have.   

[joessportster]

5 hours ago, Kymano54 said:

Technically there isn't an ear that has the consistency of any refined stereo. I have a pair of ears that are 65 years of age. Every year I get them examined and plotted by frequency/level. Compared to any stereo they are only as good as a home made pair of headphones. I am at an advantage compared to most people, I know what to do with that information. Regardless though, as I said, about  hearing consistency, those little auditory canals are no better than the drain on your sink. They are a closed end system. They are as responsive as you take care of them.  If you've never seen your hearing chart you don't know squat. First of all your hearing response is typical from 250 hz to 8 khz. So all this mumbo-jumbo about 20 to 20khz is a figment of imagination so to speak. Your hearing levels of 250 to 8000 hx can range from 0-110 db. So rather than flap your jaws, use your brain and learn a spell.The best speakers are a set of headphones and a small precise sound replicator. They don't cost no 60,000 dollars. maybe a good set cost 500.  Ask your audiologist what happens to your ears when you attend a George Thorogood concert and stand only 20 feet from the grandstand or even Transiberian.    ps: (here is an example of you ears hearing chart)   http://www.earinfo.com/how-to-read-a-hearing-aid-test/

Personally I dont care what some chart says I can, or can not hear.  I listen to what I like. If I cant hear it I cant miss it !!!!! I may not know squat in your scenario but I know 100% what sounds good to me.  I have both Headphones Sennheiser HD800, And Open Baffle speakers DIY. Both have there strengths, & weakness.  No Headphone even the HD800 can image like a speaker properly set up.  I have heard all the BS & People swearing they can get imagery BLAH...BLAH...BLAH What they get is an imaginary image. My speakers cover the wall 14 ft wide and 7 feet deep.  That said Headphones generally offer better detail retrieval more of the inner detail, they also offer intimacy (Though the right source on speakers can offer another form of intimacy) It all boils sown to what one PREFERS I like both at times. No chart can tell me that

[JohnA]

Actually, no.  Audiologists only TEST from 250 to 8k Hz. If you can hear a bass guitar or double bass you are hearing 41 to 160 Hz with overtones mostly to 4x those frequencies.

 

In college, after years of riding motorcycles without ear plugs (found where?) and a handful of extreme rock concerts, like Grand Funk, I could hear as high as 18,500 Hz and zero at 18,600.  Ten, or more, years ago the limit was 14,400.  Surely lower now.  The bottom limit of *really* hearing is about 25 Hz.  At 25 and below it is more like feeling pressure or weight, especially at 16 Hz. 

[MechEngVic]

I've never heard a set of headphones that matched the sound of a good set of speakers, regardless of the room. Even the best headphones lack the physical impact.

[mark1101]

All you need to do is use REM or RTA and generate tones of various frequencies from your stereo.  Test yourself.  So simple.