Warm/cold, bright/dark. The real issue with all of this terminology is that it is relative in nature. Warm compared to what? Cold compared to what? That's why I always say my reference is an HD 650 running a Q1.41 3.5k -2 dB EQ. Any reviewer not mentioning their specific reference tone relative to a known headphone is going to mislead at least somebody.
I have to say listening with a set of Studio monitors that are quite literally "flat" helps define a lot of this terminology, but your right about having a SET DEFINE reference. It's something I need to put more focus on, but I've always understood real music to also be the/a reference
I still have the opportunity to hear a real guitar, a real drum kit and real violin, real vocalists and most often in a more or less open space so for a long time for ME reality was my reference, that said when listening via playback an SDR HD800 is my reference but even then I understand it to be "brighter" than reality
That said even generally speaking most regular people can understand an identify basic coloration and apparent emphasis, so the terms try to ground that some what basic understanding. If I let a friend hear my EMU Purple Heart and then an MDR V6 even they grasp the basic idea of "warm" vs "cold"
That doesn't mean having a set reference clearly stated isn't important but I still think the terminology has merit, the problem is the details or small changes between how each reviewer uses certain terms.
Warm in reference to what, I personally find the HD 800 to be ever so slightly warm and slower than fast, others think I'm insane? But after living with an HE 4 for years I find the HD 800 with SDR mod to be as such! Slower and warmer relative to what I'm used to, so in that case stating my preference as Metal suggests is the best practice for any and all of my viewers/readers
Though these days I would position that statement differently, the HE 4 is more excessively fast and cold than the HD 800 is warm/slow
Even though I still dislike people who describe the HD 800 as being Fast and Cold as from my perspective it's not. I would only really say it's bright, an again another example my HE 560 V1 with BrainWavz Angled Velours and a Solid Silver Cable is Fast/Lean or Cold but it's dark, where as the HD 800 is Not fast nor lean or cold and is bright, I'm using Lean/Cold to reference the envelope or presentation of harmonics relative to fundamentals alongside things like attack decay how apparent are things like sustain an release where as "bright" is in reference to frequency response only, bright being a term I reserve for anything with obvious top end emphasis
So forth and so on
