How do you express yourself when judging sound? Here's a look at the terms that fly through the air when adjusting the sound of the Q113 speaker. Several of them, you can almost hear for yourself.
What words would you use to describe the sound of a saxophone? The sound of the saxophone is dry between the speakers. The sound is soft, almost introverted, and it has a plaintive and despondent expression. You hear the hissing sound of the mouthpiece in between, as the sound of the instrument grows and gradually takes on more body and fullness. Here it is. The saxophone. In the middle of the speakers and with good air around it. The reverberation reveals that this is a concert recording in an intimate and small venue, because you can hear the audience fiddling with glasses and bottles quite close by. Before long, the double bass enters with its dragging and round character. It nestles under the sound of the saxophone and slowly lulls the music into motion. Now the drummer enters and builds a rhythm that acts as a pointer, giving the music its flow. The sound of the singer is at first subtle and indistinguishable from the sound of the rest of the orchestra, but now the voice takes over the soundscape as the saxophone slips into the background.
The words give the sound meaning
To share an audio experience, you need words that make the same sense to you as they do to the person you're talking to. It certainly makes sense for Speaker Q113, where people are currently dropping by to listen to the speakers being worked on. The sound is being tweaked and the work is balancing different sonic characteristics against each other. And exchanging experiences. Many types of music and recordings are flowing into the rooms and as the adjustments are made, an impression of the speakers begins to form. It's quite common for the adjustment process to occasionally result in the sound being too bright, too dark, nasal or crisp, etc. It's wildly exciting work, and this is where the sonic personality of the speaker comes into being. At this point, when the measuring equipment can no longer keep up, it is important that the testers can share their experiences with each other. And that's where the words come in.
Try to put the sound into words yourself
Most of us are surrounded by sound that we don't always take into account. Be it the sound from the television, the computer, the stereo, the kitchen radio, the car radio, the headphones, etc. But what characterises sound? You can find out for yourself by opening your ears and assessing whether the sound might match some of the concepts listed below. Try to notice the sound that surrounds you. For example, think about whether the sound is dark, delicate, airy or perhaps blurred.
The experience gets a new layer
For many, the words give a new experience of the music. When you put words to the sound, a layer of experience opens up that can only emerge when you actively listen. Active listening is thus a universal tool that, in the case of the Q113 loudspeaker, is used to adjust the sound of the speakers in place. But active listening is also very much a way of taking greater pleasure in the music itself. Return to the list periodically and add your own words. And last but not least: Go out into the world with your ears open.
Glossary for subjective listening impressions
Bottom. Words describing bass often refer to things of a certain size
Words describing bass
Tight. Good transient response at low frequencies.
Voluminous. For powerful reproduction of low frequencies below 200 Hz.
Carpet effect. Weak high frequency, as if a carpet is hung over the speakers.
Bloated. Strong mid-bass around 250 Hz. Poor control at low frequencies.
Boomy. Powerful bass around 100-125 Hz. Poor control and resonances at low frequencies.
Casselyd. The sound has resonances, as if it is enclosed in a box. Often strongest at 250-500 Hz.
Enlarged chest. Singers sound like their chest is too big. Caused by emphasis of frequencies between 125 to 250 Hz.
Dark. The opposite of light. Weak reproduction of high frequency.
Rig. Fundamentals seem stronger than harmonics. The opposite of thin.
Shouting. Sounds like when you form a funnel with your hands in front of your mouth. Highlighting frequencies between 500 and 700 Hz.
Nasal. The frequency range around 600 Hz is highlighted.
Powerful. Good reproduction of dynamics. Good transient response, giving a lively impression. Could occasionally have emphasised the tonal range around 5 kHz and/or 200 Hz.
Bathroom sound. Strong resonances at lower frequencies. Sounds like you're singing into a bathtub.
Warm. Sufficient extension at low frequencies, good balance between fundamentals and harmonics. Not thin. Can have strong bass and mid-bass. Can also mean: comfortable and spacious.
Tung. Strong reproduction of frequencies below about 50 Hz. Sounds like a large, heavy object in motion, such as a ferry or train.
Higher notes. Described in words that evoke images of elegance.
Words describing high frequencies
Candles. Powerful reproduction of high frequencies. Overtones are reproduced more strongly than fundamental tones.
Coloured. When overtones are not natural. The frequency response is not flat. It has highlights and/or fades of narrow frequency ranges at the high end.
Crispy. Extensive high-frequency response with a slight swell in the upper octaves, particularly noticeable on cymbals.
Delicate. High frequencies extend to 15-20 kHz, with no highlighting of narrow frequency ranges at the high end.
Kantet. High frequencies are reproduced too strongly. Overtones are too strong compared to fundamental tones. Distortion adds an unwanted roughness to the sound.
Mild. The opposite of edgy. The fundamental tones are not overexposed, but on the contrary a little weak.
Hard. Too strong reproduction of upper midrange, typically around 3 kHz.
Harsh. Too strong reproduction of upper midrange. Emphasis in frequency response between 2 and 6 kHz, or large phase shift in range.
Subdued. Sounds like the music is covered by a blanket. Weak at high frequencies and upper midrange.
Skinger. Hard on the ears. Screaming. With sharp, narrow peaks in frequency response around 3 to 10 kHz.
Present. The impression that an instrument is present in the room. Other subjective impressions may include detail and clarity. A slightly emphasised frequency response around 2-5 kHz.
Round. Gradual attenuation of high frequencies. Not angular.
Whispering. Exaggerated "s-" and "sch" sounds due to an increasing response in the range around 6-10 KHz. Also heard as excessive high frequencies on cymbals, for example.
Smooth. Easy to listen to, not harsh. Flat frequency response, especially in the midrange. No peaks or dips in frequency response.
Sweet. Not edgy or harsh. Delicate. Flat high-frequency response, low distortion. No highlighting of the frequency range. High frequencies extend to 15-20 kHz and are not emphasized. The word is often used in connection with cymbals, percussion and strings.
Thin. Keynotes are weak compared to overtones.
Dinner. Limited frequency range with weak bass response and coloured midrange. Music sounds like it's coming from a phone or a can.
Blurred. The music sounds as if a veil is hanging over the speakers. The sound is slightly distorted and the high frequencies are muffled. Not transparent.
Sound image. This is the ability to place the sound of the instruments between the speakers. Several of the terms therefore sound like the description of a photograph.
Words describing the sound image itself
Airy. Spacious, open. Instruments sound like they're surrounded by lots of space. Good reproduction of high frequency reflections in the recording. The reproduction of high frequencies extends to at least 15-20 kHz.
Detailed. Easy to hear small details and articulation in the music. Good response of high frequencies. Good transient response.
Blurred. Poor transient response. Poor and inaccurate stereo image.
Depth. A sense of distance between instruments, near and far.
Fed. Warm sound. Slightly distorted, as in distorted tube amplifier. Grainy. Music does not sound liquid, but segmented into small grains. Caused by distortion.
Spacious. The sound conveys a sense of space, reverberation or air around the instruments.
Transparent. It's easy to listen in to the music, which appears detailed and clear. Not muddy. Extensive flat frequency response, good transient response and low distortion.
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Ole Witthøft
Ole is the founder of System Audio. His 3 greatest passions are music, design and technology. Every day, Ole is working on some kind of projects, and you find him in the workshop, in the production, behind a computer or on one of his many presentations around the world.
