Your vote: Most Useless Audio Adjective


From what I've seen in online audio discussion forums such as Audiogon, words like warm, taut, wooly, and forward can upset even died in the wool audiophiles. While some may have a hard time getting their arms around them, most of the terms seem quite appropriate to me. You have to develop some list of terms in order to convey a description of a component's sonics, or to delineate it from another component.

However, I have noticed the description "self effacing" creeping into more and more reviews, and it flat out boggles my mind. Initially, it seemed to fit into the context it was being used - affordable or downright cheap gear, that was fun and lively. However, now that I've read the term being used to describe quite a serious piece of high end kit, the time has come to point out how ridiculous things are getting.

I had to laugh out loud thinking of the snootiest, most condescending audio dealer I know who was carrying this brand. Using the term "self effacing" with anything had to do with this guy was akin to describing Phyllis Diller a young, hot sex symbol.

What is your most useless audio adjective???
trelja
"Liquid" and "organic" are equally bad offenders for me, but I absolutely don't get the tube gear I've heard so that is not a big surprise.

On the other hand, I know what I mean when I use the term PRaT, though it has a dodgy marketing background from what I gather and so I understand the visceral response in brings out in some.
Palpable. That word should get you kicked off the island immediately. The Whizbang 5000 presented Diana Krall with such palpable presense that I was convinced she was standing in front of me.

The tribe has spoken. Extenguish your torch and leave immediately.
How's a feller s'posed to talk audio if'n he ain't got no more fluffy words in his toolkit? Soon enough, we'll end up with the Al Swearingen version of the audio review, where "Best" is the most useless f%*$& audio adjectival, you f%&$&# c$*&sucker!

Sure, why not?