Fatiguing, jaw dropping, and neutral are all in the spirit of things!
Though fatiguing has become more than ubiquitous, it's true, a shrill or bright system doesn't leave anyone I know fatigued. Annoyed, irritated, or wincing, yes. Fatiguied, no.
Grant, you really hit the nail on the head. I've heard a lot of systems like so many of us. Never has my jaw ever dropped. I've been suprised or impressed, and sometimes, incredibly so, but never to the point where I was 1% close to jaw dropping. I find tracking those who tend to use it to demonstrate over time why I need to take their opinion with a grain of sale. My favorite is when someone makes what many would deem a small change, and then uses the term jaw dropping. Reviewers are probably more guilty of this than anyone, which is why reviews have become so utterly worthless. This phrase should hereby be outlawed, and I say we get involved whenever we see someone use it here.
Neutral, should be relegated to a term like accurate; something I always feel the need to challenge. I have no idea how accurate or inaccurate a component is, and I've never met anyone who had any competence in doing so, despite their confidence in being able to. Likewise, the more I think about it, as much as the term neutral is used, the less I feel any component could be described as neutral. Even the so called straight wire with gain component to impart some identifiable sonic signature. Well, perhaps a passive preamplifier comes closest to being deserving...
Bill, is a hot stamper worse than a box mover?
