Sharing

Yesterday we spoke of honing one's listening skills, something many of us take for granted (because we've been doing it for so long). Today, let's focus on communicating that which we hear.

Sound is abstract. There’s no visual reference, no physical shape. And yet, experienced listeners can describe a system’s tonal balance, dynamics, and soundstage with surprising precision.

Terms like warm, dry, forward, veiled, airy, or congested don’t exist in a vacuum. They form a shared language among us audiophiles—a way to translate perception into communication. Without them, we’re left with vague reactions: “it sounds good,” or “it’s missing something.” With them, we can talk about rolled-off highs, chesty vocals, or a lack of microdynamics.

This language isn’t perfect. Some terms carry baggage. Others overlap or get misused. But over time, a consensus has formed. “Bright” typically means a rising treble that draws attention (or a lack of bottom end that makes us incorrectly assume there's more upper energy).

“Laid-back” suggests recessed mids or softened attack. “Fast” describes a system’s transient response, not its tempo. These terms give us tools to connect experience with explanation.

A good vocabulary doesn’t just help you speak—it helps you listen. Once you know how to describe something, you become better at identifying it. You start to notice subtle tonal shifts or spatial differences because you have a framework for understanding them.

The language of listening isn’t about sounding clever. It’s about clarity. And the more precisely we can describe what we hear, the better we can refine, compare, and ultimately enjoy the systems we build.