Audiophile slang
Analytical
Also called clinical, surgical
An analytical product presents detail first: every edge, breath and flaw in the recording is laid out plainly. Reviewers use the word for praise when they mean revealing and for criticism when they mean cold; it usually describes a neutral-to-bright tuning with low distortion.
Analytical gear is prized for mixing, for judging recordings and by listeners who want to hear everything. The complaint is that it can make poor recordings unpleasant and good ones feel dissected, which is the sense in which it is contrasted with Musical.
Much of what reads as analytical is Treble balance and Resolution; a Bright tuning sounds analytical even when it is not especially resolving. The description is an impression, not a measurement, and listeners who love a product often use the same word its critics do.