Audio language
by Paul McGowan
When we talk about sound, what do adjectives like, dark, wooly, bright, spacious, or edgy sound like on our stereo systems? Hard to say, because words build pictures in our heads that have no literal equivalent in sound. "Wooly" forms an image of "thick", but how can sound be thick?
Just today I was trying to describe the sound of two products and used the same words to describe both: full, rich, solid, and musical, but different words to describe the differences between the two: dark, wooly and somewhat blurred, relative to the brighter, thinner, more focused sound of the other.
Auditioned in a vacuum, I use nearly the exact same terminology to describe both. Compared to each other, a new vocabulary arises.
The lexicon changes depending on what we are trying to show. Broad relationships to real events, or minute differences between units.
I don't envy reviewers their task.
Paul McGowan
Founder & CEO
Never miss a post
SubscribeRelated Posts
-
Simple solutions
Paul McGowan -
Critics
Paul McGowan -
Bye, bye, amping
Paul McGowan -
Favorite music
Paul McGowan
Keep reading
View all-
The Evolution of the Loudspeaker: From Horns to...
Loudspeakers have come a long way since their inception. From the early days of horn speakers (and yes, there are still horn speakers in use today, but this is a...
-
T.H.E. Show 2024: 28 Years of High-End Audio…an...
When I first attended a T.H.E. Show in Las Vegas, it was the 5th anniversary of this event. Their June 2024 show in Costa Mesa was their 28th. Time flies....
- Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
- Opens in a new window.