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I've heard lots of people describe some amps or speakers as 'lean' sounding. What does it mean?
Thanks in advance.
Follow Ups:
When I talk about lean sound, I am referring to something that does not have body or warmth. It generally characterized by a slight decrease of sound in the upper bass and lower midrange region. Its almost the opposite of "warmth". One easy way to detect leanness is to listen to female voices or strings where the fundamental is middle C. If the overtones completely coverup the fundamental, it will sound lean.Good listening
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it means lack of fat; which translates to a lack of 'fullness' or 'roundness'. Typically used to describe a system slightly reticent in upper bass warmth...which makes the midrange sound slightly thin or lacking in 'weight'. Lean
leaness is an example of subjective description goes bad, where one guy doesn't know what the others are sayin'. IMO, what ought to be done is have a standard definition, such as Gordon Holt's. , after which all follow. Subjective listening is to use the ears as a measurement not just mumbling things that sound deep.
Very often if you play a piece of music at below it's natrual volume it will sound thin and lean. By increaseing the volume to the point where it is at it's natrual level you will notice a warming of the sound.
Pls. give some songs that should sound not "lean". Thanks
HC,If Metallica's "Enter Sandman" or LZ's "When The Levee Breaks" sounds lean---your system is not setup quite right.
"Lean" sound is generally tight bass to the degree it may often seem there is not enough there. "Lean" is not necessarily a lack of bass, but more in the context of "lack of warmth."Similar terms to "lean" bass is "overdamped" bass. The opposite of "lean" bass is "boomy" or "tubby" bass.
According to The Audio Glossary:Lean: Very slightly bass-shy. The effect of a very slight bass rolloff below around 500Hz. Not quite "cool."
Lacking fullness, robustness, etc. To me, solid-state is mostly lean while tubes are rich, robust, full.... But that's just my opinion and not meant to start a solid-state vs tube war.
IMHO, the number 1 problem for amps is getting enough instantaneous current (be it sound sources analogue stage, pre or power amp). In Tube amps, the current drawn is not strong thanks to the output transformer's primary which provides a high impedence. So it is easier to get most of the body out.For SS amps, you need to make your power supply very good (use very good or large or both electrolytics). Cost and size wise, not every SS amp manufacturer will honestly give you that. When instaneous current is insufficient, amps will sound SS like.
To me this seems to be a very strong determinent for the difference between tube and SS though I've read enough about other explanations.
However, when you have plugged this gap, SS and Tubes sounds much closer.I have both Push Pull and SE Tube amps besides SS and I arrived at the above opinion though success tweaking.
To me two things:1.) Lack of bass, especially deep bass
2.) This is much harder to describe, so here's some analogies -
a.) Eating a grape and getting only the skin, not the juice;
b.) Razor sharp video images, but no depth;
c.) A new coloring book (outlines, but no color).
Some speakers are analytical, but have no body. Like bass it comes across as fullness, impact, weight. Lean sound would be more like square waves without the sine wave curves. Finally it's sounds more like listening to hi-fi (clinical/mechanical reproduction of music versus real music that has life/soul).
The opposite is syrupy, warm, fuzzy, forgiving, like an TV with the color saturation turned up too high.
It refers to an apparent deficiency or lack of impact in the upper bass / lower midrange frequency range, IMHO. I say apparent because many "lean" sounding components measure quite well using conventional static methods. I believe this is a range that is extremely important to get right in order to convey a sense of authority and proper fullness. My older Threshold Stasis amp is clearly a member in that camp. It is very clean and neutral sounding, but as compared with live music and my VTL MB450s, it sounds undernourished. That thinness robs music of important fundamentals.rw
Marina,Like you listen to it--and when those transients hit, the sound turns towards a cheap radio tone. No huevos. I liken it to guitar amps with way undersized power transformers/inadequate filtering and poor output trannies.
I hate the sound. It's like driving a Ford Cobra that has a straight-6 cast iron engine in it. Punch the baby and all it does is go: "Brrrrrmmppph!"
I used to redo old BMW 2002's. These were little Q-ships pocket rockets. My first drive in a 320i with the 1.8 liter engine made me sit down and write a letter to Munich. Like what the blazes are you guys doing? Taking a great handling, fun little car, in the 2002 and replacing it with this anemic overweight oinker? (sorry about that PK)
Basically, a "thin" sounding system is one that needs Viagra.
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