What is Coloration?

Every material resonates when struck or activated. This is how different materials, or for that matter musical instruments, make their identifiable sounds or tones. Speakers should be neutral, having no identifiable sound of their own, but speakers are prone to resonances that color or alter the sound–these are unwanted and must be eliminated. In the same way the tint in a pair of sunglasses colors what you see, unwanted resonances color what you hear. They impose themselves on vocals and instrumental sounds being reproduced ( see chart). Coloration compromises fidelity and hampers imaging by blending sounds together. Speakers with low colouration are timbrally accurate–they faithfully represent the timbre or distinctive character of every sound it reproduce.

Common colourations that must be controlled to ensure greater reproduction accuracy:

Shrill or Dull.

Overall sound is too sharp (shrill) or too muffled (dull).