Musical use and abuse

[Haselsh1]

Yeah, artistry definitely. The way Knopfler can play just a simple little phrase on the guitar of maybe three notes that just belongs so much in the whole context of the song. Time for wet eyes.

[Haselsh1]

The way an album by Acoustic Alchemy or Al Di Meola can shift me into a zone of weird semi consciousness that is like shifting time. Priceless.

[da2222]

Some very interesting, revealing and diverse comments...

[stairpost]

I would have thought that the term musicality would be applied to the arrangement of notes you are listening to, not the equipment on which you are listening to it.
,

[da2222]

I would have thought that the term musicality would be applied to the arrangement of notes you are listening to, not the equipment on which you are listening to it.
,

In a general sense certainly, but in this particular hobby many people tend to use it to describe the nature of aural 'output' conveyed by particular component/s and combination thereof, source etc

[da2222]

My own take on 'musicality' would be an engaging sound that gets feet tapping or the heart racing, wrapped in a warm emotive glow, where enjoyment immerses the experience and the critical, analytical, 'straight back' chore of listening for detail and clarity (finally!) fades into irrelevance...

[Pigmy Pony]

In a general sense certainly, but in this particular hobby many people tend to use it to describe the nature of aural 'output' conveyed by particular component, source etc

Yes they do, and in this way, of the following two statements:

1. Hi Fi exists to make the music more enjoyable

2. Music exists to make our hi fi sound more enjoyable.

the second statement is often closer to the truth even if we are unwilling to admit it. With this mindset, musicality is likely to be infrequent and fleeting. I think the part our own emotional state and mood plays is all too often overlooked.

And often I find myself enjoying music played through the radio or a friend's 'lesser' system as I can relax and I have no time and money invested and so can listen without criticism of the system.

[nickbaba]

I have at times described certain hi-fi components as 'musical' - interesting to think about how I would describe exactly what I meant by that to someone else.

I think the sense of it for me is when the music you are listening to sounds 'alive'. I don't mean necessarily a 'live' sound, more like unleashed. When there's nothing hindering or holding the music back, the flow is smooth and natural, and the synergy of all the parts (performance, recording, playback, reproduction) comes together to create an emotional experience in the listener that's unique to that moment.

[Gaz]

IMO it's reviewer BS.

All that matters is the owner/listener of a piece of equipment enjoying how it makes the music sound.

Airy, forward, dynamic, warm, bright etc?

Who cares what it's described as, you liking it is what matters not what some pretentious journalist calls it

[Pigmy Pony]

I can see some value in terms like 'warm' or 'bright', as it could help with system matching eg. an amp considered to be bright sounding may want to be put with speakers with a warmer tonal balance. Gets you there a bit sooner (less trial and error). Then the final sound can be tweaked to a degree with cables, placement etc. to suit individual tastes.

But I do feel that musicality is too subjective to be of any use in describing the sound, and as I've suggested before, it's probably more about the listener and the music than the equipment.