Why can your hearing focus on one especific sound (barely listening to the rest) when you are in an open space but is unable to if you are hearing a recording?

Question

I get that the sound get plastered on a track by the recording device but, why can’t the ear pick out just one part of it?

In: Biology

Answer 1

This is very basic and has been addressed in more detail already but think of how a cat turns their ears depending on where they focus. We do this to a lesser degree and mostly through a type of subconscious filtering/focus as compared to physical like a cat. If a cat hears a radio and wants to focus on it, their ears will turn toward the sound but that turning/focusing doesn’t provide the ability to separate the individual parts of the single compiled source if that makes sense.