Neutral, transparent, warm


I’m wondering if any of you could help me understand better some terms that are often used in trying to describe the sound of a speaker. And, I guess instead of trying to describe these terms which are themselves a description, can you give me some specific examples. First, is there a difference between “neutral” speaker, and one that is considered “transparent”? Second, is it that a speaker is labeled “warm” if the high frequencies are more rolled off than neutral or transparent speakers. Sorry. Too many questions, but I’d be interested in hearing from some of veteran audiophiles. If you don’t want to address that, then how about this. Let’s confine ourselves to floor standing speakers costing up to $3000. New or used. Give me one or two examples that in your opinion epitomizes “Transparent”, one or  two that are good examples of “neutral”, and a couple that are usually described as being “warm”. Thanks.

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Showing 1 response by musicaddict

bdp24, Nice post explaining terms in easy to understand ways.

These are simply a few opinions after hearing the brands over the years:

Sonus Faber, usually warmer, good resolving power.

B&Ws, Focal, Dynaudio brighter with good resolution.

Golden Ear, more neutral, good resolution.

  Your ears may not agree. Me, I love transparency that is not harsh but rich with tonality. I'd lean to Sonus Faber these days, not B&W (although I own a little pair).