Musicality, to me, means smoothness, non-fatiguing sound, freedom from sibilance, articulate, good separation and dynamics with a tonal balance that feels close to real. Through recording and reproduction, I don’t mind if the playback sounds can be made better than the real performance.
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.
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An early Sensei in my audio journey described Transparency as accurate reproduction without audible "flaws" that made it obvious you were listening to a recording, he described Musicality as the emotional content that drew you in and kept you listening. This definition has worked for me and I bet we've all heard Musical systems that weren't very transparent and Transparent systems that weren't very musical. |
"Musical" / "Musicality" is a catch-all phrase that implies a likeable, positive sound quality and leaves it open to the reader to interpret what it actually sounds like. That the sound contains nothing that is non-musical or objectionable. I agree that many people think of warmth and more of a softer sound which if overdone can also sound objectionable- but that is seldom if ever mentioned. Regardless it comes off more as a marketing phrase than something the audiophile community would embrace fully. It isn't a coincidence that the first time I heard it mentioned was at a dealer. |
Dear @hkcharlie : I'm sorry but it's almost absurd that after 170 posts ( in your first thread ) where gentlemans with very high knowledge levels share all what you are asking in this thread.
Seems to me that you understand NOTHING of all those posts.
170 posts, Go figure ! ! ? ?
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS.
R. |
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