Otoohot, I think of "laid back" and "forward" as terms relating to whether your system plays the music so that you get the sense of being seated further away or closer to the musicians you're listening to. In this sense, it is purely a matter of taste. I happen to prefer "laid back."
Obviously, different folks can and do assign other meanings to "laid back" (but I think in those cases the term becomes rather vague and redundant with other terms that are commonly used to describe audio system performance). Like Jtinn said, you'd have to know more about what people meant by "laid back" before you could make use of those comments you've heard.
Obviously, different folks can and do assign other meanings to "laid back" (but I think in those cases the term becomes rather vague and redundant with other terms that are commonly used to describe audio system performance). Like Jtinn said, you'd have to know more about what people meant by "laid back" before you could make use of those comments you've heard.