Sound is DARK / FORWARD / TRANSPARENT?

These terms are relative to ones experience. If you visit an audio shop or a friend’s house and hear their systems you will form an opinion of the sonic characteristics of that particular system and hopefully retain a sonic memory of that system. When you return home and listen to your system you will immediately notice the difference for better or worse of how your system sounds. One will most likely want to describe those differences between one system and another. I think is one way these types of terms come about. Musicians and audio engineers are very used to talking in these terms especially if you work in recording studios.

I notice a certain darkness and recessed sound quality with my speakers that is well documented by others. It is especially noticeable after returning from listening to another system. But when sitting at home listen to music these characteristics dont draw attention to themselves.

However, should there not be standard definitions for the terminology? Would you not prefer to actually communicate? God forbid that audiophiledom succumb to an absolute. Cut the elitist crap! This is why I never liked being pigeon-holed as an audiophile. Nor do I describe myself as such.

Csontos: "This is why I never liked being pigeon-holed as an audiophile. Nor do I describe myself as such."

And yet you hand around here.
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"Sound is DARK / FORWARD / TRANSPARENT?
Please help define above terms... And others like BASS IS TIGHT"

These terms are fairly common and accepted.
Dark--seriously...the opposite of bright, which means too much treble energy. So 'dark' is not enough treble energy.

Forward--the opposite of recessed, describing the relative front/backness of the music. I find that most folk who love pop music like it sort of 'in their face', which is forward. Most folk who like Classical music hate that in-your-faceness and prefer the sound a bit recessed so that they don't feel as if they're sitting atop the conductor.

Transparent--this one is more difficult. One reason for that is that transparency varies hugely from system to system and recording to recording. I perceive it as the ability to 'see' into the orchestra without 'veils' in the way. A highly transparent recording played on a highly transparent system sounds as if there's NOTHING but air between you and the musicians and recording venue. I feel as if I'm sitting on a stepladder, on the stage, behind the conductor, and all these excellent musicians are playing for ME. It's taken me decades to achieve that feeling, and it doesn't happen very often and NEVER while playing CDs. It happens only while playing the best SACDs and DVD-As. IME, it takes listening to LOTS of good hi-fi systems before you can hear small differences in transparency.
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Ironic how insufficient the internet truly is as a medium for understanding hi fi or high end sound. Words will always fall short. Yet its all we got to communicate to others what we hear. HElp me please!