When my kitchen is quiet (rarely) I can hear the water boiling on the stove top from across the room. More often than not I hear it when begins to boil over onto the burner. There is an advantage to having a stainless steel cookware set with glass lids.
Even visibly looking into the oven to see if the casserole is bubbling is easier when I don’t have to open the door and lift the lid. I love to smell what’s cooking but that always draws me to inspect it visually. The watched pot may never boil, but I’ll still be watching.