What is Timbre?

Title: What is Timbre? | Why people interpret sounds differently?

Often referred to as tone quality or color, timbre is what makes different instruments sound unique, even while playing the same pitch. We use words like smooth, gritty, and warm to describe the characteristics of timbre. While a spectrogram can show us the acoustic fingerprint of each tone, timbre is subjective to the listener. One person might find an instrument's tone appealing, while another listener might cover their ears. How can different listeners have such varying experiences with the same sound? Zachary Wallmark, assistant professor of Musicology at the University of Oregon breaks down the layers of timbre and what draws listeners to a particular sound.