So you see a much better definition of analytical is everything there, nice and neutral, only sterile, lifeless.
See how much better that is?
millercarbon, I still like Stereophile's definition best.
If something is neutral (which really doesn't exist) it can't also be sterile & lifeless.
There are of course sterile sounding amplifiers, but that doesn't mean that they have to be excessively detailed.
For example, a lack of the second harmonic and a distortion profile dominated by small amounts of intermodulation distortion can create a sterile sound...without excess detail.