watchnerd
Grand Contributor
An interesting history of the evolution from hi-fidelity to euphonic high end sound written by the departed J. Gordon Holt:
http://www.westlakeaudio.com/Speakers/Reviews/absolutesound-lc81_81sw.html
"No reviewer ever judged a system to be too rich or too warm or too smooth or too laid-back, and manufacturers have continued to make their designs ever richer and warmer and sweeter and more laid-back until, today, some systems sound as if their midrange drivers are disconnected. On the other hand, speakers that dare to be truthful are routinely abused for “aggressiveness,” “harshness” and “shrillness,” even though real music often sounds aggressive, harsh, and shrill. Reviewers sometimes characterize these differences as “accuracy” versus “musicality,” when it should be obvious to anyone that the real (accurate) sound of musical instruments is by definition “musical.” "
http://www.westlakeaudio.com/Speakers/Reviews/absolutesound-lc81_81sw.html
"No reviewer ever judged a system to be too rich or too warm or too smooth or too laid-back, and manufacturers have continued to make their designs ever richer and warmer and sweeter and more laid-back until, today, some systems sound as if their midrange drivers are disconnected. On the other hand, speakers that dare to be truthful are routinely abused for “aggressiveness,” “harshness” and “shrillness,” even though real music often sounds aggressive, harsh, and shrill. Reviewers sometimes characterize these differences as “accuracy” versus “musicality,” when it should be obvious to anyone that the real (accurate) sound of musical instruments is by definition “musical.” "