> An experienced engineer can look at a waveform in a DAW and identify specific consonants, vowels, specific words, etc quite fluently.
As an experienced DAW author, I very, very much doubt this.
What can be done relatively easy is to "see" or rather "follow along" in the waveform when listening to the audio. But I read your claim as being that someone could look at the waveform (which is already decimated from the original) and identify words or phonemes without hearing the associated audio. I am extremely skeptical that there is anyone anywhere in the world who can do this.
As an experienced DAW author, I very, very much doubt this.
What can be done relatively easy is to "see" or rather "follow along" in the waveform when listening to the audio. But I read your claim as being that someone could look at the waveform (which is already decimated from the original) and identify words or phonemes without hearing the associated audio. I am extremely skeptical that there is anyone anywhere in the world who can do this.