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Help me clarify, is there a difference between 'forward' and 'bright'?

Previously I posted about my Acoustic Energy AE500s that had a loose connection, now all taken care of and sounding fabulous. I was, at one point, considering selling due purely to sudden financial surprises, but as of now hope to keep enjoying and keep them. Purveying a few reviews out of curiosity, I read some that note a slight ’forward’ quality, others elsewhere observe a ’warm and musical’ presentation. (Funny how different reviewers can hear opposing sonic qualities). Others heard a touch of brightness due to extended high frequencies. Got me thinking where is the line between ’bright’ and ’forward’? aren’t splashy 1980s JBL L100s both forward, as in immediate in the presence range, but also ’hot’ or bright with snare and cymbals? Are there forward speakers that are rather warm or rolled off? Just trying to understand a bit better. Anyone care to opine?

sifter
larryi
4,570 posts
 

Forward suggests a slightly elevated midrange around the frequency of a female vocalist. Bright usually means a prominence higher in frequency.  

rick_n's avatar
rick_n
476 posts
 

I think that most seasoned listeners will say that forward is not necessarily bright or vice versa.  Forward refers to where and how the virtual soundstage is presented in the room.  A forward soundstage will have the center image well out in front of the plane of the two speakers and then go deeper from there.  Speakers that are not forward begin the soundstage closer to the plane that the mains are on and go back from there.  How the speakers differ is in design and is largely a result of dispersion characteristics of the drivers.  Speakers that are forward can be either bright or not.  Speaker setup and room acoustics can greatly affect everything just mentioned.  

sifter OP
100 posts
 

so, if i understand correctly, for  example, a Triangle Comete model, known for its 'in the room' lively horn, could be perceived as forward due to aforementioned nearer-sounding midrange, yet not necessarily bright, or vica versa.

xmbw4
36 posts
 

These are subjective terms so you're never going to get a perfect answer. The other 2 posts besides mine look pretty good. I would explain it the same way. One thing you can do to make it easier, is compare. When listening, think about what the reviewer said and compare that to what you are hearing. This works really well for specific pieces of equipment. When you listen to a component you read a review on, it gives you the opportunity to see how the reviewer thinks relative to you. Even if you have completely different tastes in gear, knowing how a reviewer thinks can tell you a lot about a component. That said, reviews are meant to be used as aids when selecting new gear. They should never replace an actual demo. You still have to listen for yourself. We all make mistakes when buying gear. That's just the way it goes. However, when you make a mistake, it usually doesn't hurt that bad. When you let someone, like a reviewer, make a mistake for you, that really sucks.  

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