Is "detailed" audiophile code for too much treble?

Increased detail can be nothing more than dropping the noise floor with better components or better room absorbing/dispersion control.

Brightness can usually be traced to the high frequency transducer, offen experienced with metallic tweeters like beryllium, but not all metallic tweeters sound bright- depends on the execution.

Another way to look at this, does “reality” have too much detail? Barring the use of excess hallucinogenic drugs, the answer is “no”.
High-end audio is simply a facsimile of reality, so you can have detail without the shrillness - it all depends on the execution

Another way to look at this, does “reality” have too much detail? Barring the use of excess hallucinogenic drugs, the answer is “no”.

But in music, what is reality?

Just one example that we’ve probably all heard.

When I listen to my system, I often hear a piano miced so that I can hear the action/thump of the pedals and sometimes even the hammers retracting.

I don’t think I’ve ever listened to someone play a song on the piano where I had my head in there and could hear this stuff.

So this IS reality, but who’s reality?

The best test is a symphony orchestra.

+1 Many audiophiles will shake in their pants before they touch the orchestra though ....because that’s when their million dollar rigs fall apart (all gear sold by the emperors with no clothes shall get exposed).

I define detailed not by amount of treble but rather when attack and decay are correct and not smeared in time. So sound is not muddied by the fact that notes sound longer than they should be and do not start overlaping with other.

One person's 'too much' can be another person's 'not enough'.....