Most annoying terminology used by audiophile today?

[Maxvla]

Pacing, rhythm and timing are all describing the same thing more or less. The accuracy of the beat, clarity of rhythm, and timing of the attack of each note.

 

[HaroldLand]

Here's one from the 70's
"Musicality"
Pete

 

[hembergler]

Quote:

Pacing, rhythm and timing are all describing the same thing more or less. The accuracy of the beat, clarity of rhythm, and timing of the attack of each note.

Right, so it seems unnecessary to use three words for the same idea, and that idea still makes no sense to me

 

[Maxvla]

It's not exactly the same idea though. As I mentioned above they are very closely related but slightly different. The attack of each note is related to rhythm and beat, but it isn't one of those other two. The same goes for the other pair.
 
For lack of a better example, you can view those three terms with associated meanings (entirely my thoughts): Pacing is accuracy, rhythm is the feel, and timing is the binder of the two.

 

[patalp]

I never understand why people describe things with contradicting statements.

 

[hodgjy]

I'm finding out more and more that people don't really understand what midrange is.  I'll read posts where people say something has a recessed midrange, or that a particular tube gives midrange bloom.  I think they are mistaking midrange with soundstage, personally.
 
I also think that many people misunderstand "bass" vs. "bass extension."  Most cans go as low as 5-10 hz, but the difference in most cans is the bass between 60-150 hz.  If a set of cans has more bass at 60-150, this is not extension.  I consider extension to be reaching really low to hear tones at the threshold of human hearing ability, which is about 19 hz.

 

[FallenAngel]

"Sound Quality" - worst generalization ever invented.

 

[hodgjy]

Exactly, along with "tonal balance."
 
Quote:

"Sound Quality" - worst generalization ever invented.

 

[Landis]

Quote:

"Sound Quality" - worst generalization ever invented.

Hmmm, I beg to differ! I see a lot of "They sound (really) good" and then I punch a gorilla every time. I mean, I've probably said it in the spontaneity of being overly exciting with a headphone that I have the new-toy sensation for, but it's like posting drunk, it doesn't count.

 

[Jack C]

With me it's "veils". I swear that with the number of "veils" that apparently gets lifted each time a system improvement is made, a pedestrian system like mine must be the equivalent of listening behind 10 layers of hotel curtains. 
 
Jack

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

With me it's "veils". I swear that with the number of "veils" that apparently gets lifted each time a system improvement is made, a pedestrian system like mine must be the equivalent of listening behind 10 layers of hotel curtains. 
 
Jack

Veil is a real thing with Sennhesier headphones tbh. You dunno what it is until you've experienced it. I tried 3 Sennheiser headphones (HD600, HD650, HD555) at the same time on the same setup tbh. Only the HD600 didn't have the 'Sennhesier veil'. It has an element of truth and non-vagueness unlike other terms. It's nothing to do with the quality of your system, it's to do with the synergy of the system to the headphones = important tbh. A Lehmann Linear amp and a Rotel CD player I tested with = more than decent tbh.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

I'm finding out more and more that people don't really understand what midrange is.  I'll read posts where people say something has a recessed midrange, or that a particular tube gives midrange bloom.  I think they are mistaking midrange with soundstage, personally.
 
I also think that many people misunderstand "bass" vs. "bass extension."  Most cans go as low as 5-10 hz, but the difference in most cans is the bass between 60-150 hz.  If a set of cans has more bass at 60-150, this is not extension.  I consider extension to be reaching really low to hear tones at the threshold of human hearing ability, which is about 19 hz.

This. This is (I hate to sound elitist but) 'Average Joe' thinking. Lots of headphones have massive mid-bass humps. Of course bass extension and a large quantity of bass is not mutually exclusive, see the JVC FX500, FX700 earphones for strong evidence of this. I detest the 'Head-fi sound signature', that being the thinking that a recessed (sub) bass region means it's 'neutral' or 'balanced' sounding (see K701 fanbois). There is a thing called bass people.

 

[hodgjy]

I'm not sure if you were disputing my statement or agreeing with it, but you actually described what I was trying to originally.  Maybe I should have worded it better?
 
Quote:

This. This is (I hate to sound elitist but) 'Average Joe' thinking. Lots of headphones have massive mid-bass humps. Of course bass extension and a large quantity of bass is not mutually exclusive, see the JVC FX500, FX700 earphones for strong evidence of this. I detest the 'Head-fi sound signature', that being the thinking that a recessed (sub) bass region means it's 'neutral' or 'balanced' sounding (see K701 fanbois). There is a thing called bass people.

 

[Jack C]

Quote:

Veil is a real thing with Sennhesier headphones tbh. You dunno what it is until you've experienced it. I tried 3 Sennheiser headphones (HD600, HD650, HD555) at the same time on the same setup tbh. Only the HD600 didn't have the 'Sennhesier veil'. It has an element of truth and non-vagueness unlike other terms. It's nothing to do with the quality of your system, it's to do with the synergy of the system to the headphones = important tbh. A Lehmann Linear amp and a Rotel CD player I tested with = more than decent tbh.

 
My beef is with the usage of "veil", not that it does or does not exist. "A veil has been lifted" has been used to describe a variety of audible system changes, which has rendered the word one of those go-to words when the writer has run out of normal adjectives to describe the sound; another such word is synergy. I think synergy means something specific but cannot venture to guess what a hi-fi author means when using this word.
 
Jack

 

[hodgjy]

I can't add anything to the discussion about the supposed Sennheiser veil, because I've never listened the Senn HD series, but I can say veil does exist.  On my Woo amp, I can change the power triode tube.  One particular tube, the Svetlana 6H13C sounds a bit off.  The best way to describe it is "veiled."  The midranges and mid-to low ranges just seem cramped and veiled.  Rolling in other power triodes does open up the sound considerably.  So, while the term "veil" might be horrid, it can be used to describe general phenomena when the soundstage gets a bit cramped and wooly.
 
Yes, I intentionally used audiophile cliches in this post