Musicality" in a system? What IS that ?

Hi Detlof, very interesting thread. As a professional musician for three decades now (started young) I naturally have an imprint of a "live feel" in my bones, and that is always my first reference. My take on "musicality" is that certain systems reproduce sound in such a way that I am emotionally touched by good music consistently. Granted, great content on the lousiest system can sometimes touch your heart and imagination, but the key word is consistently. I have heard some systems that feel so "live" that even when hearing something for the first time I can anticipate the musicians next moves as if I was playing with them. I've heard systems that let a vocalists expression come through so clearly as to bring tears to my eyes. Criteria for accurately describing musicality is difficult at best, but I have noticed that it tends to happen on systems that are not inexpensive (shall I say usually over $5000, but more like $15,000 and up?) There are also degrees of musicality, case in point: this week I tested 4 optical cables for the output of my Denon minidisc player. Since it doesn't have a coaxial out, I was trying to make the best of the format. I use it for archives, much as intended, as a replacement for cassette tapes. One of the interconnects had what I can describe as musicality. Others were more detailed, or "faster'" with a bit more perceived output (midrange emphasis?) but this one interconnect (Audio One) was balanced at all frequencies and helped to diminish the shrill aspects of the minidisc format, allowing the the soul of the music to come through, even if not as strongly as with higher resolution formats. Also, I have listened to SACD's on many occasions now, and one time my body was actually fooled into thinking that I was hearing a real performance. Now, don't get me wrong I've heard vinyl setups that overall sound better than the best SACD playback, but this was the only time I have ever truly been fooled, be it only for a few seconds. It was a rather spooky experience. I would have to own a SACD player for a while to see if it does something close to that consistently over long time periods, but talk about musicality, Whoa! We have only words to convey the feelings we experience from a "musical" reproduction, but soul, spirit and emotion,are certainly some of them.Bravo!

Put your favourite record on, if you tap yer toes and sing along, you've got it right! simple guy, simple needs

When you feel emotionaly connected to the music or the performer. The soul that is the essence, that which makes us smile, laugh or weep......musicality can lift the human spirit. It is a state of bliss. Musicality, for me, begins here. How we approach it may be different but the presentation makes you forget about the equipment and just drown in the magic of the music...Mucicality makes you feel good. If can may you feel small and thankful and humble all at the same time......cheers, Bluenose

You are right, many prformances lack the true spirit of the music. Put plainly, a performance can be just the notes ... not the music. This is something I tell my private students all the time. "Sure you can play the notes ... but where is the music?" It is easy to get discouraged listening to concerts at a local level. Every great musician started somewhere ... and you're bound to meet a few along the way.

Thankyou for your kind words, 3728slingshot, I heartily agree with you, that without an imprint, often refreshed, of the live event in our mind, heart and soul, we cannot really discern a system's "musicality" . However, also live musical events are not always "musical", as you know well. They are not, if - I can only say this clumsily - the spirit inherent in the composition is not conveyed, the rythm and the tempi, the "colours" soemhow don't feel right....Regards,

Detlof,

Wow. This is sure to be a lively thread. Before we assign objective values to musical performance of a system, we need a common reference. Not easily accomplished.

In the interim, I suggest that we all compare our system's reproduction of music to the real thing. I know too many audiophiles that sit and listen to only the recordings that make the system sound great. Some even proudly declare that they've only stooped down to attending a concert X number of times in the past X years. This person's judgement of what is natural and musical is worthless to me. He couldn't begin to understand what the inside of Carnagie Hall sounds like on a cold dry winter evening vs a beautiful spring day. He's never SEEN the Blue Note, or the Knitting Factory ... never mind that all of these things are only a short drive from us. Even if you don't live in or near a metro, you must go listen to live music. The local community band at the band shell on a summer evening ... the orchestra at the local college ... the list goes on. These are not only oppertunities to calibrate your ears to what instruments really sound like, you'll be supporting the musicians that make this all possible. These are the people that love the MUSIC and the process of creating it. Where do you think the 3rd trumprt player in Mega Orchestra of Metro got HIS start? Community band, college orchestra ... maybe if there was no audience at those concerts, he never got the thrill of performance and went on to be an accountant instead. Support the craft ... love the MUSIC, not just the reproduction of it.

Personally, I feel that there are many external factors that make my system more or less musical at any given moment. My own mood is paramount ... if I can't relax and accept that I am hearing real instruments the illusion collapses and I might as well listen to the clock radio. On the other hand, and I've said this in previuos threads, when my mood and the MUSIC is truely great, I can be just as moved by the music, be it my big rig or the clock radio providing the sound.

I've rambled, as I'm sure many more will. This is easily the best thread I've seen in a while. I give it my highest rating ... but no secret votes ... thanks for the thread Detlof.

Gregm, thanks for responding. I feel you make sense in wishing to exclude subjective and situational factors as regards this question. Although they do, I believe, play a role, we will not get anywhere if we just concentrate on those. So I think you point out the right way for us to proceed, in order to get some meaningful answers to this question.

I think musicality refers to how convincingly our system simulates the musical reality we are listening to... In order to be objective (& I beleive we could) I think we need a benchmark. This could be terms which, together, indicate musicality. Thereafter, these terms can serve to "rate" systems. May I propose a few with some analogy from cars: timing (can we hear the *way* the musicians play); "roadholding" (dynamics, speed, changes etc /can we precisely follow & be absorbed by how musicians drive their specific "musical" auto? as the musicians intended...) "naturalness" are we transported to the original venue (live performance), and/or are we "tricked" into "seeing" the, say, contralto realistically performing before us.
BTW, I beleive we should NOT take into account situational parametres such as, drops in power circuits, atmosphere (a good drink w/ friends)... but allow for optimised conditions as we know them.
In this light, and at normal listening levels (-15) my system falls slightly short @ sudden increases of spl. methinks the amp runs out of juice...