Can someone explain what this means?

searay40dad
searay40dad Posts: 82
edited May 2010 in Speakers
I'm relatively new to this but am learning. Old dogs can learn new tricks. Could someone explain some of the terms I've been hearing when sound is being described, such as: warm, harsh, muddy, colored...probably others but those are the one's that come to mind.

I've seen the terms used to describe amps & speakers mainly.
Thanks!
Searay40dad

Family Room HT/2 CH
NAD T765hd AV Receiver
NAD T550 CD/DVD
NAD C270 Amp (L Ch/HF bridged)
NAD C270 Amp (R Ch/HF bridged)
Polk Rti12 mains
Polk CSi5 center
Polk PSW505 & PSW303 subs
Polk FXi A6 surrounds
Dish 722HD/DVR
Samsung 50" plasma
Sony Blu-Ray

Weight Room (aka vintage sound rm)
NAD 3130 Int Amp
Denon DCD-810
NAD 4150 Tuner
Polk 10B monitors (still sound amazing)
Post edited by searay40dad on
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  • wayne3burk
    wayne3burk Posts: 939
    edited May 2010
    don't forget - neutral, bright, & forward leaning
    Yamaha RX-V2700, EMI 711As (front), RCA K-16 (rear), Magnavox Console (Center & TV Stand), Sony SMP-N200 media streamer, Dual 1249 TT =--- Sharp Aquas 60" LCD tellie
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  • lanion
    lanion Posts: 843
    edited May 2010
    warm typically softer (maybe less high frequency if you did a freq sweep) higher end. bright is a more pronounced high end. One mans bright and clear is another man's harsh.

    Colored just means an component is obviously changed the sound a bit. This could be bad in any case if your a purist, or could be good or bad depending on your tastes.

    Muddy... well... that is bad. Not clear at all.
    My Iron Man training/charity blog.

    HT:
    32" Sharp LCD. H/K dpr 1001 to Outlaw Audio 7900 to Polk LSi + Paradigm Studio center. Hsu DualDrive ULS-15. PS3/Wii. Outlaw 7900.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,474
    edited May 2010
    Seeking answers to these questions is just the beginning of a futile effort of trying to find Audio Perfection. While the journey is worth the effort, it always comes with a significantly lighter wallet. Tread lightly padawan as the rabbit hole knows no bottom.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • searay40dad
    searay40dad Posts: 82
    edited May 2010
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Seeking answers to these questions is just the beginning of a futile effort of trying to find Audio Perfection. While the journey is worth the effort, it always comes with a significantly lighter wallet. Tread lightly padawan as the rabbit hole knows no bottom.

    yep, I'm definitely finding that one out the hard way. boiler country here too btw...

    thanks for the explanations...makes sense. but "forward-leaning" ?? really??
    Thanks!
    Searay40dad

    Family Room HT/2 CH
    NAD T765hd AV Receiver
    NAD T550 CD/DVD
    NAD C270 Amp (L Ch/HF bridged)
    NAD C270 Amp (R Ch/HF bridged)
    Polk Rti12 mains
    Polk CSi5 center
    Polk PSW505 & PSW303 subs
    Polk FXi A6 surrounds
    Dish 722HD/DVR
    Samsung 50" plasma
    Sony Blu-Ray

    Weight Room (aka vintage sound rm)
    NAD 3130 Int Amp
    Denon DCD-810
    NAD 4150 Tuner
    Polk 10B monitors (still sound amazing)
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  • wayne3burk
    wayne3burk Posts: 939
    edited May 2010
    searay40dad wrote: »

    thanks for the explanations...makes sense. but "forward-leaning" ?? really??


    I think I made forward leaning up....

    cheers,
    wayne
    Yamaha RX-V2700, EMI 711As (front), RCA K-16 (rear), Magnavox Console (Center & TV Stand), Sony SMP-N200 media streamer, Dual 1249 TT =--- Sharp Aquas 60" LCD tellie
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  • PerfectCreature
    PerfectCreature Posts: 1,456
    edited May 2010
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Seeking answers to these questions is just the beginning of a futile effort of trying to find Audio Perfection. While the journey is worth the effort, it always comes with a significantly lighter wallet. Tread lightly padawan as the rabbit hole knows no bottom.

    I have to agree.... I am now $900 poorer than when I signed up to this forum....
    haha, wow.
    Receiver
    Harman Kardon HK 3490
    Speakers
    Polk Audio Monitor 50s
    Subwoofer
    Klipsch KSW-100
    Cables
    AudioQuest Rocket 33s 10ft
    AudioQuest Optilink1 2m
    AudioQuest Alpha-Snake 25ft Interconnect
    AudioQuest HDMI-1 2m

    Alienware X51 R2
    PS4
    Samsung Smart TV 40" 1080p 3D
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  • Amherst
    Amherst Posts: 695
    edited May 2010
    $900???

    You seem to be gett'in away cheap!
    Parasound C1, T3, HCA-3500, HCA-2205A, P/DD1550, Pioneer DV-79avi, Oppo BDP-83, WD Media Server W/HDD,
    Dynaudio Contour 3.3, Dynaudio Contour T2.1, Polk OWM3, Polk DSW micropro 1000 (x2),
    Pioneer Kuro 50" Plasma, Phillips Pronto Control w/Niles HT-MSU.
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited May 2010
    There was a reviewer for Stereophile(?) that put together a glossary of audiophile terms. maybe your public library has a copy. I will try to find the name of the book and author. I only glossed over this quickly;

    http://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/index1.html
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • Hawkeye
    Hawkeye Posts: 1,313
    edited May 2010
    Here's a link I've had on the computer for a long time that might be of interest to you and others. It may have been posted here before but here goes:
    http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/bbs/stereophile_audio-glossary.html

    Gordon
    2 Channel -
    Martin Logan Spire, 2 JL Audio F112 subs
    McIntosh C1000 Controller with Tube pre amp, 2 MC501 amplifiers, MD1K Transport & DAC, MR-88 Tuner
    WireWorld Eclipse 6.0 speaker wire and jumpers, Eclipse 5^2 Squared Balanced IC's. Silver Eclipse PCs (5)
    Symposium Rollerblocks 2+ (16)Black Diamond Racing Mk 3 pits (8)
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  • searay40dad
    searay40dad Posts: 82
    edited May 2010
    very helpful. thanks. wow...now thats alot of stuff to pick up.

    wayne3burk wrote: »
    I think I made forward leaning up....

    cheers,
    wayne


    forward, forwardness: A quality of reproduction which seems to place sound sources closer than they were recorded. Usually the result of a humped midrange, plus a narrow horizontal dispersion pattern from the loudspeaker.

    hmmmm....a humped midrange...ok, i won't go there:eek:
    Thanks!
    Searay40dad

    Family Room HT/2 CH
    NAD T765hd AV Receiver
    NAD T550 CD/DVD
    NAD C270 Amp (L Ch/HF bridged)
    NAD C270 Amp (R Ch/HF bridged)
    Polk Rti12 mains
    Polk CSi5 center
    Polk PSW505 & PSW303 subs
    Polk FXi A6 surrounds
    Dish 722HD/DVR
    Samsung 50" plasma
    Sony Blu-Ray

    Weight Room (aka vintage sound rm)
    NAD 3130 Int Amp
    Denon DCD-810
    NAD 4150 Tuner
    Polk 10B monitors (still sound amazing)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Vette C6.r
    Vette C6.r Posts: 1,560
    edited May 2010
    Amherst wrote: »
    $900???

    You seem to be gett'in away cheap!

    Good one Stu !!!!!!!!!

    That is on the lower end.

    But it is fun.
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  • HB27
    HB27 Posts: 1,518
    edited May 2010
    To quote an old friend (RIP)...
    "I never knew my system sucked 'til I joined this forum"
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  • Amherst
    Amherst Posts: 695
    edited May 2010
    Vette C6.r wrote: »
    Good one Stu !!!!!!!!!

    That is on the lower end.

    But it is fun.

    I think my wabbit hole just got much deeper today. Processor went down and going into protection mode.

    Uggh!
    Parasound C1, T3, HCA-3500, HCA-2205A, P/DD1550, Pioneer DV-79avi, Oppo BDP-83, WD Media Server W/HDD,
    Dynaudio Contour 3.3, Dynaudio Contour T2.1, Polk OWM3, Polk DSW micropro 1000 (x2),
    Pioneer Kuro 50" Plasma, Phillips Pronto Control w/Niles HT-MSU.
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  • polkfarmboy
    polkfarmboy Posts: 5,703
    edited May 2010
    Hawkeye wrote: »
    Here's a link I've had on the computer for a long time that might be of interest to you and others. It may have been posted here before but here goes:
    http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/bbs/stereophile_audio-glossary.html

    Gordon

    This is an awesome link ........thanks
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