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Warm vs. Analytical

The subject is SS integrated amps. Some integrateds, like Audiolab and Krell, are often labeled "analytical." Others, like Arcam, are called "warm." I'm trying to get a grip on what these terms really mean. I understand they can be subjective.

To my own ears, Cambridge Audio sounds soft and dulled down at the edges. Musical Fidelity (the A3.2 integrated) sounds to me clean, precise, and detailed; it's the kind of sound I prefer. Is Cambridge Audio "warm"? Is MF more "analytical"? I'm not trying to start a flame war hear; I just want to know how my perceptions of sound fit into the terminology that people use to describe it.

Thanks for your insights
jverona

Showing 1 response by ozfly

ozfly
887 posts
 
Buckingham was kind enough to share the address of the stereophile guide to audio terms the other day:

http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?50:0

To me, warm means that the music is not detailed enough (i.e., a bit muffled and overly emphasizing the lower midrange) and analytical means that the music is too detailed (i.e., harsh with no life -- probably too much emphasis on the upper midrange). So, warm is too dull to be live and analytical is too crisp to be live. That's just me though. The link is a lot of fun and can really help isolate the nuances of listening.
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