I read a lot about audio equipment and some descriptions come up occasionally about the components sound qualities that to me are confusing. Most of the time I regard these descriptions as by someone with little knowledge about audio equipment that are trying to sound impressive.
Yes. Add in other terms besides sound qualities into the mix and you just covered most of the so-called "information" out there. Add in grandstanding and clever by half dopey comments and its surprising how little is left.
Most of these terms are used in describing speakers but I have also seen them used on cables, amps , electronics of all sorts etc..
Well this for the most part actually does make sense. Sound qualities are sound qualities, regardless of where they come from. For years you would have been hard pressed to have me believe an electronic component like a phono stage could have anything resembling a boxy or woody quality. Until I got the Herron, and all of a sudden realized compared to that the ARC PH3SE was boxy and woody. Read my review, pretty sure that’s what I said. So the universality of acoustic terminology does make sense.
So, can someone help define these common descriptive terms?
For the best organized most thorough and most easily understandable description please read Robert Harley’s The Complete Guide to High End Audio. Indispensable.
1. Treble/ bass is dry- Huh? What does this mean?
2. Treble/bass is wet.- Huh? Again, what does this mean?
That’s the problem with dopey language, nobody knows what it means. Including whoever wrote it. This is what is really at the root of so much anger and argument. People write stuff they never really understood, then when challenged get all defensive instead of trying to think things through.
In fairness all these descriptors are metaphorical and imprecise. Still, most people, if you say the bass is tubby they get your drift. Whether the tub is one of those galvanized livestock tubs that makes a sound when you hit it, or a cast iron bathtub that takes the sound of your voice and emphasizes it all out of proportion, everyone gets tubby.
Wet might be related to liquid. Liquid is water- smooth and seamless and natural. Could be syrupy, could gloss over details, which is too smooth. Or could be dry, not quite grainy but not quite liquid either.
Either way these are usually used to describe midrange and treble. Hard to imagine dry bass. Lean, sure. Taut, of course. Dry? Odds-on bet they are parroting more than describing. Not quite word salad but getting there.
3. Organic sounding- Huh, huh?
4. Musical sounding.- What? Compared to non musical sounding?
Organic I can get if used in the sense of the timing and balance of attack, fundamental, harmonic overtones and timbre is organic and whole. When this happens the result is palpable presence, which is a whole lot clearer and easier to understand.
The last one can be used with just about any description of any component or speaker performance.
Exactly. Which is why regurgitating and mimicking is such a waste of time. Harley, again, indispensable.
There may be more...
Infinitely. Stay tuned. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
