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
hi detlpf:

you have factually described your listening experience, assuming that your observed frequences and spl are correct. you have also compared a cd to a recording. you have made no statement about a stereo system.

you have not used the word "bright", nor has it been defined.

as far as the words quantitative, qualitative, ambiguous and stylistically, they have a specific definition.

whereas words like hot, cold, sweet, sour do not have specific definitions.

i may consider hot any temperature exceeding 80 degrees, while you could consider hot as temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. if you use the word hot in a sentence, i am not sure what you mean, unless you posit a threshold temperature.

thus you could say the temerature is 90 degrees. it would not matter uf that was a designation of hot. all i need to know is the temperature.

audio communication could specify frequencies and sound pressure levels, without any adjectives. let the reader decide the significance of the numbers.
>>10-26-08: Mrtennis
detlof
I don't know what you mean........<<

Now you know how we feel.
"affordable".

funny how a room full of "affordable" stuff can be worth more than your car...