Laid Back Speakers amps, players etc

Atmasphere - agree that "laid back" is not necessarily a coloration, although some would say it is, which gets back to the argument that more detail must therefore = more accuracy, which is silly, but whatever...

I respectfully dissent as to the characterization of Avalons (at least the most recent incarnation of the Ascendants) as "laid back." I'd call them "fun", but also leaning in the "too much information" catagory.

I'm inclined to put the Vandersteens in that catagory as well, but I admit that it really depends upon how you run them. They don't have the magic midrange of the Harbeths, however, and I've fallen for that, so I'm not the most objective, perhaps.

Shoe, I auditioned the Sonus Faber Cremonas and whatever the monitors were called, and noticed the same edge or bite that you describe. For that reason, I didn't buy them. I heard some very recently, however, that sounded more relaxed, and was told that the tweeters are new. Don't know much about them, though.

if a presentation always sounds "laid back", and all recordings are not recorded that way, then "laid back", is a coloration.

incidentally, the connotation of "laid back" is usually, recessed treble response, or artificial depth.

"incidentally, the connotation of "laid back" is usually, recessed treble response, or artificial depth."

I totally agree with that statement.

"Laid back"... to me, I always took as a reflection of a personality. Not calling attention to oneself, in the background, polite not exciteable.

Take a Spendor for instance, to me that is a nice example.
Audition one, and the first thing that comes to mind is a recessed treble and a music presentation that is behind the plane of the speakers.

Hmmmm, I equate 'laid back' with 'relaxed', 'easy', 'non-fatiguing'... so to have a meaningful conversation the difference in meaning attached to the phrase would have to be overcome first.

To me, 'laid back' has nothing to do with a lack of highs or speed. It has to do with a lack of artificially-generated loudness cues that the human ear perceives as brightness. How you would differentiate this from a tilted up tonal anomaly is that 'laid back' measures flat on the bench and the tonal anomaly does not.

Thus, 'laid back' is a lack of coloration of the odd-ordered harmonic type (you could listen to a laid back system, get the full range of frequencies, and not be oppressed by the volume, with no sense of having to turn it down). I often perceive transistor amplifiers as not being very 'laid back'; not very relaxed.

So- if this is not an acceptable meaning for this phrase, then we need to sort out what this thread is about, right?

Hey Atmasphere, I agree with the phrase you wrote.

"""Hmmmm, I equate 'laid back' with 'relaxed', 'easy', 'non-fatiguing'..."""

I would agree as well that it has nothing to do with speed.
Though Dynamics...yes. IMO.

For me, I was just using the actual general definition of the term "laid back" as it pertains to speaker presentation.
It does not draw attention too itself, the speaker does not highlight(is that the term, with respect to color?) anything. The presentation is recessed, where yes, you always feel you can turn the volume up.

I think we are in agreement over the term, we are just using different examples of words.... I think :0)

I think some Transistor Amps can be defined as "laid back"
Ayre comes to mind that I have heard.