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Your vote: Most Useless Audio Adjective

From what I've seen in online audio discussion forums such as Audiogon, words like warm, taut, wooly, and forward can upset even died in the wool audiophiles. While some may have a hard time getting their arms around them, most of the terms seem quite appropriate to me. You have to develop some list of terms in order to convey a description of a component's sonics, or to delineate it from another component.

However, I have noticed the description "self effacing" creeping into more and more reviews, and it flat out boggles my mind. Initially, it seemed to fit into the context it was being used - affordable or downright cheap gear, that was fun and lively. However, now that I've read the term being used to describe quite a serious piece of high end kit, the time has come to point out how ridiculous things are getting.

I had to laugh out loud thinking of the snootiest, most condescending audio dealer I know who was carrying this brand. Using the term "self effacing" with anything had to do with this guy was akin to describing Phyllis Diller a young, hot sex symbol.

What is your most useless audio adjective???
trelja
lachobba
26 posts
 
“Blacker than black background!”

(Huh? Did Newton miss something?)

Rufus
trelja OP
3,215 posts
 
Howard, that list brought back a memory that had long since been buried in the deepest recesses of my mind - Marilyn Lange, May of 1974. Though she probably isn't remembered by anyone else here, allow me to assure you she was one healthy young woman. Thank God Uncle Walter was careless with those magazines!

If I could get 1/100 of what Hef gets, I'd gladly go with a big time pipe and slippers rig (Quad ESL63, CJ PV10 preamp, Adcom 555 amplifier, Rega Planet CDP) evermore.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
06-17-06: Trelja
Howard, that list brought back a memory that had long since been buried in the deepest recesses of my mind - Marilyn Lange, May of 1974. Though she probably isn't remembered by anyone else here, allow me to assure you she was one healthy young woman.
Joe, you and I must have a beer together one day. Marilyn Lange is one of the most amazing Playmates in the history of Playboy magazine.

By the way, Hef and his girlfriends frequent the trendiest Hollywood clubs at least twice a week. He's more up to date on the latest music than any of us, I can assure you.
mechans
2,999 posts
 
I was with Trelja when we auditioned the newer Quads that won the Stereophile product of the year. In fact Joe you used Pipe and Slippers as well as very "Polite", and we did hear it with A CJ pre which we kept adjusting much to the salesmans annoyance ( or was it the new LS-17?0 . I would add velvet Smoking Jacket to the pipe and slipper as well as fireplace burning away while reading some endless russian novel.
trelja OP
3,215 posts
 
Ah, if we keep this up, we will be the bane of the audiophile community. I mean, how will reviewers cope with no longer being able to use the terms tubelike and electrostatic-like to convey describing amps that sound slow, dark, and easy or speakers that sound fast and revealing???

Yes, Doctor, your memory is correct. It was CJ gear with the Quad ESL988. We listened with CJ Premier 140 monos and CJ ART II. Then, we later tried a big Classe power amp. Neither would allow one to us to remove our smoking jackets or put down the Dostoevksky, "I say, old Rex, be a good dog and fetch daddy's slippers."

No worries Grant, I'm buying...
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