Follow-Up Question: What Audio Reviewing Term Makes You See Red?

[MylesBAstor]

Here's followup to the black background thread.

Which of the many audio terms bandied about by reviewers, makes you see red? This term can fall under the category of most overused, least understood, bad choice of terms, don't understand what they're talking about, etc.

 

[Bruce B]

Warm or Transparent... They can mean many things, especially to me. If a client wants his music to sound "warm" or "warm it up", do I bring down the top end, take out some of the presence range, add third order harmonics, round out the transients, run it through an analog console or tape machine or..?? Where the heck did the old cliche' come from that tubes are "warm" and transistors are "transparent"?

 

[Jay_S]

1. Musical. The term is ambiguous and doesn't convey anything specific to the reader other than "I enjoyed listening to music through this thing."

2. Timing. I think I know what the reviewer is describing but I have doubts as to whether the term applies in a literal sense.

 

[audioguy]

Ying and Yang !

I believe they are referring to dark or light or??

 

[JackD201]

Neutral

For some reason the general population has come to equate this with analytical, sterile, dry or bleached. It get's tiresome having to read the follow up qualifier after it's used as in "not neutral as in ****** or ***** but rather as true to the source o".

I've often wondered how this came to be and who the reviewer was that warped the true meaning. I'd love to know. It's like an itch I can't reach.

 

[jadis]

PRAT. I have come to know this term in our local forum in Manila. Prior to that, I had never encountered the term in my readings of TAS, Stereophile, IAR, etc.

As for yin and yang, warm and transparent, I tend to understand them as 'extremes'. Like on a scale of 1 to 10, if 1 is warm, and 10 is transparent, then probably 5 will be 'neutral'. (There you are Jack, the terms comes back again) lol. The yin and yang sign has a curvy line that divides the 2 sides, and I would like to believe that the line is what is called neutral, as it is neither dark nor white. Audio, or music, is best appreciated by listening, not in words, and as reviewers that is the task on hand to convey what is heard into words. No small task. It is very logical to have terms quoted out of context or have a funny and even controversial meaning. So my candidate here is still 'PRAT'. lol

 

[soundofvoid]

"Hairaising"! You are sitting near an open window, you morron!

 

[marty]

This is unbelievable

Sorry, gentlemen, this one's got you all beat.

I opened the TAS editorlal blog in anticipation of reading Valin's comments on the Nola Baby Grand system. I figured, so what if Jon's over the top as he usually is? I still like him, I'll read what he has to say.

And there, to my drop dead astonishment and amazement was the banner that said:

"TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE GOLDEN EAR CLUB".

Well, FK YOU TAS, I have no intention of reading any blog you think I should pay for. Print copy, that's another thing. But to read Jon's occassionally good and occassional rants? Thanks but I'll pass and I hope you do as well. The High End is in enough trouble without this new liability. "The Golden Ear Club"? More like the "Only an idiot would join" club.

 

[Steve Williams]

"The Golden Ear Club"? More like the "Only an idiot would join" club.

He does have a lot of followers over there

 

[RBFC]

People trip over themselves to have someone else tell them what to think and do.

Lee

 

[kach22i]

People trip over themselves to have someone else tell them what to think and do.

Lee

I suggest you make this your signature, it speaks volumes.

........and I agree.

 

[Albertporter]

Well, FK YOU TAS, I have no intention of reading any blog you think I should pay for. Print copy, that's another thing. But to read the Jon's occassionally good and occassional rants? Thanks but I'll pass and I hope you do as well. The High End is in enough trouble without this new liability. . "The Golden Ear Club"? More like the "Only an idiot would join" club.

It sounds more like it's the golden shower club

 

[kach22i]

Like Nil Lara said in a song; Money makes the monkey dance, the monkey don't dance for free.

http://mog.com/music/Nil_Lara/Nil_Lara

 

[hifitommy]

Gec

was there a charge for the golden ear club?

 

[marty]

Golden Shower Club (love that descriptor- thanks Albert!)

Yes, its about $40. That buys about 4-6 used CDs. A much better investment IMHO.

Not that I want to send people to another forum, but this is worth it. Somebody tears Valin a new asshole for his Technical Brain amp review, and Jon gets so annoyed he tells the author to basically F-off. A classic, high-powered, "intellectual" Valin exchange that is a must read:.
http://www.avguide.com/blog/high-resolution-incarnate-technical-brain-electronics

You gotta love Valin's balls. He says he won't review the amps because they are unreliable and have no US distributor, but that doesn't stop him from reviewing them anyway and giving them golden accolades (i.e. resolution that make the Solution and BALabo amps, his former favs, pale by comparison). It's too bad because I truly like Jon and he has a lot to offer. But his credibility has gone down the toilet once he was elevated to be Harry's replacement as the hi end guru at TAS. What Valin has really become, is the "Spinal Tap" of audio reviewers ("these amps go to 11").

 

[MylesBAstor]

People trip over themselves to have someone else tell them what to think and do.

Lee

I think there's people in my gym who'd pay someone else to do their cardio workouts too

 

[MylesBAstor]

Yes, its about $40. That buys about 4-6 used CDs. A much better investment IMHO.

Not that I want to send people to another forum, but this is worth it. Somebody tears Valin a new asshole for his Technical Brain amp review, and Jon gets so annoyed he tells the author to basically F-off. A classic, high-powered, "intellectual" Valin exchange that is a must read:.
http://www.avguide.com/blog/high-resolution-incarnate-technical-brain-electronics

You gotta love Valin's balls. He says he won't review the amps because they are unreliable and have no US distributor, but that doesn't stop him from reviewing them anyway and giving them golden accolades (i.e. resolution that make the Solution and BALabo amps, his former favs, pale by comparison). It's too bad because I truly like Jon and he has a lot to offer. But his credibility has gone down the toilet once he was elevated to be Harry's replacement as the hi end guru at TAS. What Valin has really become, is the "Spinal Tap" of audio reviewers ("these amps go to 11").

You forget the exchange between Valin and another avguide forum member. Valin rearranges the person name to give it a new meaning and then the person does the same thing to Valin telling him to leave out the "l"

 

[es347]

I got into a whizzing contest with JV on his Magico M5 blog. You simply can't be an objective reviewer when you have a room full of exotic gear on semi-permanent loan from mfrs. His reviews are utter nonsense. And then there's the story of the 20 ft +/- Nordost ICs JV had on loan that magically appeared on A'gon as several separate reterminated 3 footers. JV said he loaned them to a friend who cut them up and sold them. Yeah, that friend must have been the same dog that ate my grade school homework.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Macro and Micro acoustics...drives me freagin' insane.

John

 

[MylesBAstor]

Macro and Micro acoustics...drives me freagin' insane.

John

John: Do you mean micro and macro dynamics?