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What define "musicality" ? And what constitute "musicality" in audio ?


I think that "musicality" is the most important factor and attribute in living audio experience... The experience of "musicality" i think, cannot be reduced to subjective factors only, nor objective one...It is more easy to describe what it is not, than to describe what it is, perhaps like the experience of God in theology...But for sure if you get it, it seems the most important resultant factor of your audio grid system,you feel it and like it the most...After 7 years i feel it more than ever...The urge to upgrade recess in the background because when you feel "musicality" already at a certain level, you dont believe that it is possible to push that level really higher at an affordable cost... "Musicality" for me, in my words, correlate with realistic musical timbre and voice, fluidity,no harshness at all, no fatigue, and last but not least, listening music and forgetting the sound...

This is my personal my experience, i am curious to read others about that,about their "way" and "means" to live that experience...Thanks to all...
128x128mahgister
wlutke
714 posts
 
If the music sweeps me into it I call it musical.  If everything sounds perfect but lacks involvement I call it technical.  With the right balance the two work together. A component can be more accurate, balanced, dynamic ... but does it make me feel good inside?  
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,287 posts
 
My take on musicality:   It is the "gestalt" delivered by a happy combination of composition, performance, recording, electronics and physiology.   When present it obviates the need to focus on "audiophile performance" descriptors.  It can manifest even without benefit of top tier electronics.  It is necessarily subjective and might not even be consistently experienced day to day (despite the same recording, same electronics, etc., etc.).  It is often ephemeral.  I think fsonicsmith makes some valid points but on balance I disagree.  I do concede the term is of little use in the context of a gear-focused audio discussion, however that doesn't make it meaningless in any absolute sense.
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,745 posts
 
Thanks Ghosthouse, I really like your remarks...In particular about top-tier piece of gear,it is not absolutely necessary to buy top-tier electronics for this experience, I am ok with that opinion ...Buying the right product or the more costly one is not the only factor, there is also thinking,experimenting, tweaking,modifying and implementing the different pieces of our audio system in a room...I will wait for more ideas...

My question was only asked to learn what makes for you the "awe musical experience" not like an ephemereal only subjective one,but like also a relatively objective goal relatively accomplished with a minimal audio system created for this experience and assembled by the user,the listener,and the buyer ... Many factors,many opinions, and I like to learn... Like i said i must give their due to the many forums where i learn to create this experience in his minimal format for myself....My best to you
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,287 posts
 
mahgister -

Gotcha...okay. The critical requirement. What is absolutely essential for the "awe musical experience" is the music/composition itself. Case in point, driving home at night listening to music on the car radio. Stravinsky’s "Symphony of Psalms" was played. First I'd ever heard it.  I sat in the car in the driveway until it was finished. A magical moment that had nothing to do with sonics or gear quality. Went out the next day and bought that recording (vinyl - this is back before CDs).

So +1 to Oregonpapa’s car radio comment.
mahgister's avatar
mahgister OP
12,745 posts
 
Ghosthouse and Oregonpapa your point is very good and I enjoy myself the same revelation about " music" with my radio car... The greatest pianists I ever listen to are badly reproduced on cd for example... Then I concur with you 2...

But enjoying "music" is not exactly the same thing than audio "musicality", this is not synonymus though related...I dreamed 7 years ago to buy some audiophile system and I read plenty about that to experience a relatively good level of "musicality" with an audio system grid... I am curious about how others embark this road and succeed...Enjoying music is a thing, enjoying audio "musicality" in reproduction another...I am curious of the experience of others...
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