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What does “musicality” really mean?

After 50+ years in this hobby, I realised that many reviewers use musicality to describe a warm system. Warmth often comes from extra even-order harmonics, softer transients, and a bit of mid-bass lift. Pleasant for vocals, but it can also hide detail and affect timing, especially with strings and percussion.

 

I also found that “sterile” sound usually points to room issues or system matching, not the recording. Engineers don’t master music to sound lifeless.

 

These days, if I want warmth, I just play music that naturally has it, instead of relying on equipment to add coloration.

 

hkcharlie
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,682 posts
 

Musicality is what causes the release of endorphins when listening to music.

mylogic
839 posts
 

I tend to agree with the above. 🐬🐬

Dolphins released into the wild after close contact with humans can have great musicality. I wonder if because of any hi-fi influences, they may not sound as cold or screechy as their born free cousins.

deep_333
2,425 posts
 

Musicality is...when you are not sitting there  checking out the soundstage, space between instruments, tonal balance, detail, etc whatever....your mind got shut down and you got completely absorbed in the music.

If you chose to look amd focus, its all there (the nitpicky audiophile attributes)

I would wager that most audiophiles can't get there and keep tearing it apart

You can either be fully absorbed in the beauty of a flower or keep tearing it apart...all the "noise" is in the cluttered up minds of the audiophiles...

ghdprentice's avatar
ghdprentice
9,413 posts
 

@deep_333 

 

+1

dogearedaudio's avatar
dogearedaudio
295 posts
 

To me, a "musical" system should have you dancing and air-conducting, not analyzing.  I don't care if it's Beethoven or Chuck Berry. ;-)

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