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My pet peeve: "revealing" speakers

The one word that bugs me the most in all of the audiophile world is "revealing." 

It's plenty descriptive but it's also biased.  What I mean is that speakers that are revealing are also usually quite colored. They don't unveil a recording, they focus your attention by suppressing some tones and enhancing others. The reviewer who suddenly discovers hearing things he has never heard before and now goes through his entire library has fallen for this trap hook line and sinker.

This is not always true, as some speakers are revealing by ignoring the room.  They can remain tonally neutral but give you a headphone like experience.  I'm not talking about them.  I'm talking about the others.  I  wish we had a better word for it.

Mind you, I believe you should buy speakers based on your personal preferences.  Revealing, warm, neutral, whatever.  I'm just saying this word is deceptive, as if there were no down side when there is. 

Best,

Erik
erik_squires
electroslacker
375 posts
 
Perhaps fluorescent conveys the feeling, Erik.  Some systems are like a room lit by fluorescent tubes.  You can really spot things, but it isn't natural or nourishing--it's why you don't light a church sanctuary with fluorescent lights.

I have a Chauncey Gardener relationship to sound-- like to listen...or not.  Part of what I like to listen to is the poetry of the lyrics, so the system has to reveal the words and how they are expressed without going fluorescent. A clearly heard whisper in candlelight
Post removed 
p05129
501 posts
 
Excuse millercarbon, he gets paid by how many threads/posts he can answer/start about Tekton speakers. Tekton are anything but revealing. They have a mediocre tweeter as their tweeter and midrange drivers.

Everybody has a preference of what speaker sound they like. I like to say that each speaker manufacturer has their own type of sound and if you like their cheaper models, you will probably love their reference speakers. For example: B&W has a certain sound that shows up in all of their speakers except for their top of the line. Same goes for Focal, Totem, Revel, Raidho, and many others.

daj
87 posts
 
Much ado about nothing, really, no, really.
kenjit
1,771 posts
 
For example: B&W has a certain sound that shows up in all of their speakers except for their top of the line.
How do you know that? 
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