Is "detailed" audiophile code for too much treble?

I don't know whay, but I enjoy a detailed presentation.  I lucked into a slew of vintage 6SN7 pairs and I was rolling them in the balanced input sockets of my preamp, and the ones that made the biggest positive impression on me were the ones that brought out the most detail.  But that could be just a thing with me.

I always thought of "bright" as kind of a harsh treble.  Maybe a treble that is too "sparkly."

To me, "hot" kind of means an up front/in your face presentation, and for some recordings it works well for me.  But that's something that a little bit will go too far in a hurry.  I wouldn't call my own system "hot," but I certainly own at least a few recordings that I consider to be "hot."

Well, you like what you like, and that's about all to be said.  Happy listening.

Brightness is perceived from higher amplitude high frequencies, or harmonic distortion. Detail is perceived from a greater level of resolution.

As you go up in quality of components, you generally get more transparency, more finesse. It’s important to balance the system with components that compliment each other. If you have a really high quality amplifier and speakers, that combination will reveal any shortcomings upstream and that includes brightness. Good components (and cables) usually take some time to acclimate to and to really start appreciating the sound quality. Refined and not in your face. Think of walking into a store where you see a bunch of TVs on display. The ones with colors and sharpness thru the roof is what immediately strikes you and at a first glance these units impress. Spend a bit more time and you begin to realize it isn’t natural and is actually fatiguing. Same with audio. Detailed, articulate, resolving, transparent and musical doesn’t have to be bright.

@audphile1 

Detailed, articulate, resolving, transparent and musical doesn’t have to be bright.