Eli5 Why is it so easy for us to tell the difference between a real voice and a recording of a voice?

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For example, how do our ears easily discern that someone talking in a room is actually there vs the dialogue coming from a television is not physically there?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Dunno why nobody has mentioned the reverb yet. Your brain is also surprisingly good at picking up if the reverb of the space the speaker is talking from doesnt match your own environment. Obviously this only works with significant differences, but if youre in a small room listening to a soeaker broadcasting to a speaker in that room, but theyve been recorded outside, its not going to sound like theyre in the room with you at all.

Large hall vs small room, definitely noticeable.
Perfectly clear sound recording booth with no noticeable reverb at all vs small room, also very noticeable.

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