"We know that our neighbors' lawn mower sounds very different when it's mowing on the near side or the far side of the neighbor's house, it is still the sound of the neighbor's lawn mower. The sounds are different, but the name of the sounds is not (Metz). Systematically, the name of a sound refers to the production of sound and not to its consumption, to the object making the sound rather than the person perceiving it.
Having learned to distinguish between various versions of the 'same' sound, our ears tell us how to react not on the basis of the sound event alone, but also according to our perceived relation to that sound event."

Altman, R. (1992), Sound Theory, Sound Practice, Routledge