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Accuracy vs. musicality

I imagine if you have an unlimited budget you can have both ultimate accuracy and musicality.
For those of us whose budget is somewhat limited, we usually have to make a choice.
I very recently obtained  speakers (which I prefer not to name so as to avoid debate.  Some of you do know them.) These speakers were criticized by an Agoner for not being accurate.
Now, I heard the speakers he liked better and they we’re fine, and maybe more “etched,” but they did not convey the musical message as well to me.  Indeed I compared many such speakers recommended by members (there was little love for mine) and I found them not to have the sound I hear in a concert hall. They did not communicate to me as well.
So, what’s more important: precise accuracy or musicality?
128x128rvpiano
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
3,912 posts
 
Many times the quality of your sourse can make a even bigger difference in both musicality and accuracy lfor Everything 
starts with the sourse.any information obscured, and not correct 
from the start to your liking it will effect Everything downstream.
from there then you have the quality of your starting point.
markalarsen's avatar
markalarsen
632 posts
 
I think musicality and accuracy are the same thing; they are not mutually exclusive. 
davidtlai's avatar
davidtlai
11 posts
 
yes that accurate music cannot be musical does not make any sense.  Live music should be the reference for musicality and by definition it is also 100% accurate.  So what we are really talking about here is whether we prefer coloured suboptimal systems vs dry sounding suboptimal system.
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,236 posts
 
In my opinion there are very good common sense/]logical replies here. Jond, that’s beautiful summation.
Davidtial, yes, that’s been my point for many years. Live unamplified sound is both accurate (by default) and the epitome of musical. These two terms aren’t mutually exclusive.

IMO too often dry, sterile, analytical, clinical sound quality is erroneously identified as accurate which it surely isn’t. It is every bit as much an aberration as overly warm, soft,slow and muddy. Coloration can error in both directions.

A lot of what is accepted as uber detailed just seems to emphasize initial attack,transients and the upper frequency range resulting in a sharpe and edgy sonic character that isn't natural..
Charles
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano OP
2,488 posts
 
Yes, my use of the term accurate should have had parentheses: “accurate.”
What you say, Charles: “dry, analytical, clinical sound,” is often mistaken for accurate.  Similarly, muddy coloration is often confused with musical.
Actual accuracy IS musical.
  However, the fly in the ointment, as others have said, is one person’s reality may not be another’s.
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