I've heard that women tend to have better hearing than men, but that they aren't as picky and so can tolerate mid-fi gear.  They can hear the differences though, so if you want a good critique of some change you've made, ask your wife.

Seems like I remember an acoustics scientist saying he had done studies that indicated that.  Since I'm not sure I remember if it came from that particular scientist, I won't mention his name, but I will say he was somewhat active in the DIY world about 20 years ago.

I wonder if women's hearing is better than men's from birth or if it is a result of the loud stuff men tend to surround themselves with, like racing cars, gunshots and other high-SPL things.