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As the other poster mentioned, the characteristics of sound matter. That’s why the report of a firearm is a bad example.

But there are more commonplace examples. Older phone ringtones are often hard for people to locate, but nearly everybody can pinpoint the sound of a dropped coin. Sound perception is more complex than just perception of pressure levels. To the point above, you wouldn’t confuse a car honking in front of you with one behind you even in the presence of ambiguous ambient noise.



I'm not talking about the report of a firearm. I'm talking about the physical impact of the bullet on the armored vehicle you are in.

Also I have no idea what you mean by "but nearly everybody can pinpoint the sound of a dropped coin". What sound does a coin make when it is dropped on a busy street?




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