From Stereophile July 1993 - 25 years ago
J Gordon Holt's: Sounds Like? An Audio Glossary
You don't have to use Holt's definitions but its good to know what you're talking about and its helpful if you're somewhat consistent.
"Subjective audio is the evaluation of reproduced sound quality by ear. It is based on the novel idea that, since audio equipment is made to be listened to, what it sounds like is more important than how it measures."
The Reverse Glossary at the end is worth a read. "The discussion which follows assumes that the listener is familiar with the sound of live music as performed in a real acoustical space. Without that familiarity, there can be no basis for judging the quality of the reproduction of that sound."
A slight variation on one of my favorite Holt observations: An opinion giver unsure of his or her reputation for acuity will often inflate the audibility of something in order to demonstrate how extraordinarily perceptive he or she is.
Comment