I'm with Zaikesman. Clinical/Analytical means you are hearing an X-ray of the music: the information is all there, just not the depth of emotion/soul. Similar to a mechanical performance. Warm, lush sound is a good thing, at least up to the point where you (the listener) find the loss of accuracy, clarity and detail to be fatiguing. Too much warmth in the sound is comparable to an overly finessed performance.
Warm vs. Analytical
The subject is SS integrated amps. Some integrateds, like Audiolab and Krell, are often labeled "analytical." Others, like Arcam, are called "warm." I'm trying to get a grip on what these terms really mean. I understand they can be subjective.
To my own ears, Cambridge Audio sounds soft and dulled down at the edges. Musical Fidelity (the A3.2 integrated) sounds to me clean, precise, and detailed; it's the kind of sound I prefer. Is Cambridge Audio "warm"? Is MF more "analytical"? I'm not trying to start a flame war hear; I just want to know how my perceptions of sound fit into the terminology that people use to describe it.
Thanks for your insights
To my own ears, Cambridge Audio sounds soft and dulled down at the edges. Musical Fidelity (the A3.2 integrated) sounds to me clean, precise, and detailed; it's the kind of sound I prefer. Is Cambridge Audio "warm"? Is MF more "analytical"? I'm not trying to start a flame war hear; I just want to know how my perceptions of sound fit into the terminology that people use to describe it.
Thanks for your insights