[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

drf wrote:

Transparency:

I assume it simply refers to the level of distortion asysem creates that is not part of the original recording.

or maybe it's: The more transparent a speaker is the better its application as a centre channel because you can put it directly in front of the screen.

Yup, that’s a really bad term, IMO. I prefer “accurate” or “neutral,” meaning the speakers sound natural, not “colored.” (Is that another one of those bad terms? )

Soundstage:

I assume they are refering to channel separation, which doesn't entirely make sense because there technically isn't anyway you can increase channel separation without moving your speakers further apart. Electronically it is possible but this will only give the illusion of separation.

otherwise it is a raisded platform where a big-band plays, usually in an amphitheatre. I can imagine with the price you pay for some speakers that you should expect them to come with a decent soundstage as standard. Alas you may have to aquire the land yourself.

Channel separation is one thing, the way the speaker presents it is another. To me you get a good soundstage from a speaker with fairly broad dispersion, especially of the tweeter. If not, the sound virtually “collapses” to one channel if you move slightly off-center. I’ve had speakers like that!

Detail:

A benign way of saying that a sound system produces a highly accurate output considering its own inherent reproductional particulars. To be honest I really can't see a great deal of use for this word, without a sonic datum or reference point it is very hard to define exactely what is good detail and what is bad detail.

Well, compare to some excellent speakers to some cheap ones with paper-cone tweeters and I think you’ll understand the term then.

Speed:

343 metres per second what else could it be?

LOL – this one I think is more-or-less relegated to the low frequencies. Some people think (wrongly, IMO) that subs with large drivers “lag” somewhat behind the rest of the signal. It’s probably because larger woofs get lower, and they mistake the lack of extension, and possibly the ringing that comes with it, with tighter bass. IMO, if you see this you’re probably reading a review from an uniformed novice.

Regards,
Wayne