What does “musical” mean? Audiogon takes a stab

[Tangband]

Pretty much. I always thought that "musical" was to recording playback as "vivid" was to photographs, as in "The Kodachrome Effect".

I used to take pics of flowers for sales of seeds by a local nursery. If they were color correct, they looked good ... but not as good as saturated-color pics, which were the ones that more effectively sold seeds. And yes, the retailer said a few customers complained that the flowers they grew didn't look as nice as the ones in the catalog. The retailer would suggest a soil sample, or more fertilizer, or said that the customer watered too much, or didn't water enough, or whatever ... and then sold them more seeds.

See a familiar pattern?

Jim

2 channels reproduction itself is not a photoprint of the real event in the concert hall - not even close. So , as a start, let us agree that there is no accuracy to be had at all with only two channel playback. Not even with the worlds best loudspeakers, because there are just two of them. The stereosystem is way to flawed.

Ok- now when we know this ….. it brings out the possibility to use some coloration to make the perceived sound quality better.

 

[fpitas]

2 channels reproduction itself is not a photoprint of the real event in the concert hall - not even close. So , as a start, let us agree that there is no accuracy to be had at all with only two channel playback. Not even with the worlds best loudspeakers, because there are just two of them. The stereosystem is way to flawed.

We've had this discussion before. If the material was prepared specifically to be presented in two channels, your argument makes no sense. You can indeed hear what the recording engineer heard.

 

[Tangband]

We've had this discussion before. If the material was prepared specifically to be presented in two channels, your argument makes no sense. You can indeed hear what the recording engineer heard.

My reference is the sound from the concert hall with real acoustical instruments - not the flawed 2 channel monitor sound in the studio.

 

[fpitas]

My reference is the sound from the concert hall - not the flawed 2 channel monitor sound in the studio.

A lot of music is studio based. I'm done discussing it, too.

 

[ahofer]

It's only musical when it's sheet music.

Scores written on thick vellum are more musical.

 

[moonlight rainbow dream]

It can mean anything to anyone being subjective, and so, of limited value. For me, the most useful (but still kind of audiophool) way of defining it is the spectrum of musical versus analytical. Musical means the system lets you just enjoy the music, whereas analytical systems make you pay attention to the recording technique/quality and the sonic attributes of your equipment. In objective terms, the trend I've observed is musical = rolled off high treble or more tilted down in-room response and analytical = flatter in-room response or tilted up/rising treble.

 

[ahofer]

It can mean anything to anyone being subjective, and so, of limited value. For me, the most useful (but still kind of audiophool) way of defining it is the spectrum of musical versus analytical. Musical means the system lets you just enjoy the music, whereas analytical systems make you pay attention to the recording technique/quality and the sonic attributes of your equipment. In objective terms, the trend I've observed is musical = rolled off high treble or more tilted down in-room response and analytical = flatter in-room response or tilted up/rising treble.

Yeah, the equipment I've heard it applied to has a more aggressive downward tilt to the curve. Or tube distortion, or maybe both.

 

[fpitas]

For me at least getting the EQ just right makes the biggest impact on "musicality".

 

[TurtlePaul]

I think a "musical" sub may simply mean it's not a one-note wonder. Beyond there, I dare not go

I think the opposite: musical subs aren’t flat all the way down to room nodes.

 

[fpitas]

I think the opposite: musical subs aren’t flat all the way down to room nodes.

Well, that was my personal definition. You may be right out in audiophile world.

 

[JustJones]

All I know is if it's music I really like I can listen on pretty much anything even my tablet speakers. I read a few of the first page responses on the linked Audiogon thread but that's a deep dark hole to descend, best left for days when I'm looking for comic relief.

 

[fpitas]

Like many of these subjects, it may be like the blind men and the elephant, with everyone coming away with a different reality. I'm not losing sleep.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

Considering that not everyone agrees on the definition of music as far as the sounds musical instruments make, I'm not sure anything but an arbitrary definition would work for electronics. It seems to me that there was a near riot when Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premiered. I remember the early days of Rock and Roll. I have trouble thinking of New
Age "music" as music. I enjoy the sound of two kazoos, a guitar, and a jug. Many would disagree with me about that.

 

[DonR]

Considering that not everyone agrees on the definition of music as far as the sounds musical instruments make, I'm not sure anything but an arbitrary definition would work for electronics. It seems to me that there was a near riot when Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premiered. I remember the early days of Rock and Roll. I have trouble thinking of New
Age "music" as music. I enjoy the sound of two kazoos, a guitar, and a jug. Many would disagree with me about that.

Jug bands have excellent pace, rhythm and timing.

 

[ahofer]

Jug bands have excellent pace, rhythm and timing.

Depends on whether the jugs are sufficiently resolving.

 

[Anton D]

Musicality: is what appears at the ∑ of the formula of flaws and positive attributes of a system that produce, for that listener, the sensation of pleasurable music reproduction.

Musicality = (Positive objective performance - negative objective performance) + Subjective interpretation of the results.

∑ (Audiophile A) may not equal ∑ (Audiophile B.)

I would stipulate this term has no universal application.

 

[DonR]

Depends on whether the jugs are sufficiently resolving.

That in turn depends on how tight her t-shirt is.

 

[fpitas]

That in turn depends on how tight her t-shirt is.

Outstanding points!

 

[DonR]

The one nice thing about "musicality" is that as soon as you see it in a review you can stop reading and move on to more meaningful activities.

 

[bodhi]

I only needed the first audiogon page and I got it. It's hard to put in words but as you keep on buying more expensive stuff eventually you just "get it". But you still can't put it in words.

So, if you don't get it, you have too cheap source, git gud!