Scientists are investigating the claim from a veteran sound engineer that his hearing is better than a null test.

Michael Arnold, a 67-year-old veteran sound engineer from Surrey, UK, who has worked on many top albums, is claiming that his hearing is more reliable.

It has been a long-held belief, based on science that a null test is a reliable way to check for differences in two pieces of audio. If the audio is identical when one signal is flipped out of phase, then silence is the result.

However, during a recent listening test of sound engineers and producers in London, Arnold claimed that his hearing is more reliable than science even after hearing two tracks that passed the null test. He claimed the two audio examples were different despite this saying, "I've been making records for 40 years, and so I know what I know and if people want to trust the science then that's their lookout!"

He went on to say, "I've been sitting in studios and at live gigs listening to bands at high volumes for 18 hours a day, that counts for a lot. It means my hearing is better than it was when I started - it's called experience and younger engineers who want to quote science at me all the time need to wise up."

Arnolds claim that his hearing is improving with age would suggest he has the ears of Benjamin Button, despite the rest of his body ageing normally.

Other engineers attending the listening session were at a loss at the claim but said it wasn't the first time Arnold had been at odds with the group. One group member said; “He also thinks recording in Pro Tools at twice the tempo gives a better top end. I suppose old habits die hard for someone who has used tape for so many years.”

Scientists at the University of Cardiff will be conducting tests on Arnold to see if his claim is true. Professor Sheena Pitt, Head of Auditory and Neurological Research will be conducting the tests. When asked what tests they could do on his ears she replied: "We are more interested to see what we will find between them."