Editorial

A Hi-Fi Journalist’s Lexicon: What Are We Saying?

John E Johnson

In reading hi-fi equipment reviews in various magazines, I have been struck at the words the writers use to describe the sound quality.

Here is a sampling:

“Sheen, Subtle Woven Texture, Foundation, Invariably Musical, Breathy, Liquidity, Tension, Natural Rawness, Ripe, Incisive, Rhythmic Drive, Essential Nature, Tangible, Atmospheric, Textural Resolution, Bluster, Out-of-The-Head Soundstage, Focus, Tonal Accuracy, Poise, Warm Sweetness, Harmonic Rightness, Sophistication, Bloom, Grown-Up, Authoritative, Fruity, Confidence, Enthusiasm, Depth Perspective, Soporific, Space, Bloat, Transparency, Immediate, Timing, Lyrical, Ease, Timbral Realism, Tonally Refined, Bracing, Sonic Perspective, Dimensionality, Weight, Impact, Unimpeded Flow, Seamlessness, Immediacy, Air, Heft”

What do these words mean in terms of audio?

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John E. Johnson, Jr.

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus. John E. Johnson, Jr. founded Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity in 1994, shortly after publishing a hardcopy book of the same title. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity until 2022. John has been involved in audio and video for more than 50 years, having built radio transmitters, amplifiers, turntables, and speakers from scratch. He was also one of the founders of the Northern California Audio Video Association, now The Bay Area Audio Society. John holds four university degrees, including a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and has published numerous scientific books, along with dozens of scientific articles on biomedical research topics as well as imaging technology. He was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of two medical/scientific journals for 20 years. John holds several patents, including one on high resolution image analysis and one on a surgical instrument. He has been affiliated with NASA, The National Institutes of Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Stanford Research Institute, and The University of California at Berkeley. He is President of the consulting firm Scientific Design and Information, Inc., which is based in Redwood City, California. John resides in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife and multiple kitties! His daughter, Cynthia, who was an integral part of SECRETS for many years, resides in San Francisco.