What do you consider the most musical speakers—$15000 & under

I would prefer both. Yes they need to be musical so that I can enjoy the music and not feel like a reviewer dissecting the sound but they should also be accurate so that I will be satisfied long term.

Harbeth.

@zq1

Dr Floyd Toole studied this conundrum and surprise surprise in blind testing listeners preferred “accurate” speakers, that is those with

1) flat full range even frequency response (no large peaks or troughs)
2) even and wide dispersion
3) low distortion
4) clean waterfall clear of unwanted coloration or added resonances
5) play loud while still honouring all of the above

It does seem strange but listeners actually preferred accuracy!

JA Stereophile tests are actually very useful if you know how to read the measurement plots. Almost every B&W speaker looks awful from an accuracy perspective - maybe this is what epitomizes “musical” as they are very popular.

How about combining words?

Musically accurate!

I can’t see how speakers can evade either adjective if it is to be considered as very good or beyond.

Speakers should sound like the musical information they need to create. Horns = horns. Trumpets should not sound like trombones. Drums = drums. Bongos ought not sound like Congas. Snares not akin to Tom Tom. Tom tom shouldn’t be heard as Tiffany. Reeds and strings? Should sound like reeds and strings. Tenor sax should not sound like alto sax.

And Cow bells should always be distinctive. Even when beaten repeatedly during ‘Don’t fear the Reeper’. If Christopher Walken is banging on one or not.

Connotatively musical and accuracy can be separated by gulfs or oceans. Its been said here already. Euphony on the one side for musical and the flip side of accuracy can imply clinical or analytical. Or worse still, sterile.

Musically accurate, if set side by each, seems to resolve any vague inferences and implications, and what I look for in loudspeakers.

@blindjim 

+1!