[Joakcbasse]

It may be my relative inexperience with headphone characteristics, but it appears to me that warm/laidback are often associated with each other, and forward/bright are as well.
 
Do we know of any warm/forward headphones? Bright/laidback? Are these terms synonyms?

 

[TMRaven]

Laid back of forward is relative to soundstage I feel.  I always thought the Audio Technica M50 was warm but engaging and forward as well-- I didn't find its soundstage too big.  The Audio Technica AD700 is on the brighter side of things but laid back.  I think in general those terms are used a bit too much to describe the headphone, I feel those terms are moreso influenced by the recording itself than the actual headphone.  I've experienced headphones with a supposedly small soundstage sound relatively large with the right type of recording, and the opposite.  Also since headphones can't properly blend their two audio channels because each channel sits right on your ears, often times recordings where there's a certain instrument that's almost entirely on one channel alone, that song will most definitely sound 'in your face'

 

[TheMiddleSky]

well, looks like it's suppose to be dark instead of warm?
 
Dark + Forward = LCD2
 
Bright + Laidback = K701

 

[BotByte]

Bright = more highs
 
Dark =  more lows
 
But this can differ
 
Laid back =  more soundstage, making the music less noticeable
 
Forward = less soundstage but more separation and makes music more dominant.