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
For an antithetical response, I think the term 'Je ne sais quoi' would be the bee's knees in describing a system's pleasing sound. A term I find useless is 'at a fraction of the cost'. OF COURSE it's at a fraction of the cost. Unless you're selling it at your exact purchase price, it's at a fraction of the cost. So, knock it off....!
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Did anyone mention "inner detail" yet? As opposed to "outer detail"? Guys, it's "low-level detail" O.K.?
Another is saying your collection of interconnects and speaker wire is a "loom" (gags). A "loom" is something to make cloth. Now a "harness" is used to focus power into something useful.

"Get off my lawn!".