Flowery hi-fi speak

[Eric Shun]

I’ve been out of the UK on business for a week or so and whilst sitting in my hotel room of an evening, I’m constantly tickled by the unusual and bizarre way forum members choose to describe their listening experiences. I continually come across poster after poster who feels the need to use colourful words and phrases in an attempt to paint a picture of what a piece of kit or accessory might bring to their listening experience. I'm not entirely sure, but is there any other hobby which uses such a broad swath of words and phrases to describe what we hear?

I’m particularly drawn to a wonderfully titled and colourful post on TAS titled "The Interconnect that made my mother cry" in which the poster waxes lyrical in an effort to try and describe what £40 of DIY homebrew cables have brought to his listening experience. A taster of the classic hifi speak to which I refer is included for your enjoyment:

"Smeared mids come into focus, bass is snappy, highs are so clear and everything is distinctly placed in a gigantic soundscape"

"...changed the sound from unappealing to full of emotion, decent slam, holographic and straight up enjoyable"

http://theaudiostandard.net/thread/3477 ... z4wVGHwgR9

By coincidence, at the usual den of home brew cable hyperbollocks, AoS is currently more concerned with the aesthetic qualities of a plug, rather than how it functions. Perhaps the forum should be rebranded the Boutique of Sound, but watch them fall over themselves to try, test and wax lyrical in classic hifi mumbo jumbo about the improvements they allegedly make.

But its not just TAS and AoS who are guilty of this, examples of similar classic hifi speak can be found on every forum but members involved with making their own cables and interconnects appear to be the worst offenders, so is it simply a matter that the poster is trying to bamboozle us in an effort to get us to buy into their project or can it be plain unadulterated excitement at the thought that they reinvented the wheel?

Who was originally responsible for this becoming the epidemic it is today?
Do we really understood what the poster is telling us?
Are these words used to baffle and confuse us?
Do they show up our collective lack of understanding the English language?
Should we be that this language of ours is broad enough for us to use various ways to describe our emotions?
Which forums are the worst offenders?
Why don’t the grammar police (yes Stratmangler, I’m looking at you) pick members up on their woolly use of a language he and others of his ilk hold so dear?

Perhaps there should there be an internationally recognised standard for hifi speak?

I have a good idea what the Doc will say, but what do other members think? Overly enthusiastic expression or slurp driven hyperbollocks? The choice, should you choose to reply, is yours

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

I think wine speak beats them all.

[Geoff.R.G]

I think wine speak beats them all.

[Fretless]

I'm sure that I am regularly responsible for these sort of crimes against good taste - but it is a challenge when trying to put into words an impression received aurally which often has an emotional impact.
We are all music lovers who want to 'feel' the music in our souls (if possible) and this can result in some very convoluted use of language when you attempt to describe that experience to someone else.

Besides that it is fun to find interesting metaphors and a pain to avoid cliches.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

It is simple describe the music not the hi-fi.

[Geoff.R.G]

I have often heard of people who, due to illness, had only low quality audio sources. One thing they have in common is that the quality of the reproduction wasn't what mattered, it was the music. If you engage with the music you will cease to notice the faults in reproduction.

Not so say that quality doesn't make any difference but some people seem to listen to the equipment rather than the music. Good equipment simply makes it easier to engage.

[Ithilstone]

some people seem to listen to the equipment rather than the music. Good equipment simply makes it easier to engage.

some people and all so called reviewers

[CN211276]

This is nothing new. I recall it in magazines going back to the 70s.