[JohnR]

Your thoughts please...

(Pse note: posted in the Industry section - thoughts from all Industry participants welcomed as well as regular members.)

[Niteshade]

Musicality would be the opposite of clinical. The term shouldn't reflect an amplifier rich in harmonics or oddball traits. I don't like to think of it as a music modification term.

[vinyl_guy]

That the music sounds natural--like you are at a live performance or sitting in the recording studio, or better yet--the band/musicians are in your listening room. 

Laura

[Curly Woods]

The sweetness of a violin or cello comes thru without artifact (not clinical or analytical sounding).  Brass has a glow and not a sharp edge to it.  Yes music without a clinical or analytical sound.  As close to the real thing as I can possibly get.

[Wind Chaser]

To my mind it is a generalized term that equates acceptable performance in all perimeters defined by more specific terminology.  In other words, any obvious critical flaws would preclude musicality.

[bpape]

Something that possesses musicality is something that makes me just sit back and listen, tap my toe, sing along, etc.  It may be very detailed or not so much.  Might have excellent extension, maybe not.  There are a lot of things out there that have great specs, excellent extension and detail but just don't 'grab me.'  A couple that come to mind are the YG's and Wilsons. 

Bryan

[jtwrace]

Something that possesses musicality is something that makes me just sit back and listen, tap my toe, sing along, etc.  It may be very detailed or not so much.  Might have excellent extension, maybe not.  There are a lot of things out there that have great specs, excellent extension and detail but just don't 'grab me.'  A couple that come to mind are the YG's and Wilsons. 

Bryan

couldn't agree more!

[BPT]

To my mind it is a generalized term that equates acceptable performance in all perimeters defined by more specific terminology.  In other words, any obvious critical flaws would preclude musicality.

Right on.

[doug s.]

That the music sounds natural--like you are at a live performance or sitting in the recording studio, or better yet--the band/musicians are in your listening room. 

Laura

+1 - what she said.   

doug s.

[Tyson]

When I start saying things like "my system is just revealing the flaws in these recordings", that to me is the opposite of musicality. 

[lonewolfny42]

What does the word "musicality" mean to you?

"Musicality"...to me....a warm sound....smooth.

[Russell Dawkins]

To me, anything in the sound that reminds me of the system itself and thus draws my attention away from the music or musician detracts from the musicality of the system.

The inverse, and my answer to your question, is that musicality is that quality in reproduction that lets me suspend disbelief, forget the process and relax and enjoy the music.

[Wind Chaser]

...musicality is that quality in reproduction that lets me suspend disbelief, forget the process and relax and enjoy the music.

That's pretty much what I was trying to say.  Obvious flaws interfere with that experience.

With so many ideas on how to define a single term, you have to wonder how many different ideas there are on all the other terminology.

[jazzcourier]

The definition of Musicality is the knowledge of music,the understanding and sensitivity of being "musical".The power of music to overwhelm and embrace you with it's essence and arrest you.Take hold of you and command you to listen.So when you hear a piece of music that has a profound "musicality" it may be the ultimate tribute to the artist and the composition and the performance.In relation to audio...it will either enhance,enrich,assist or simply get out of the way.What it means to me is to take me to that secret place where all else is irrelevant.

[TheChairGuy]

For me, musicality is just a considerably subjective term.

In the absence of anything concrete or measurable, when one still likes how it sounds, you might say it sounds 'musical' or reeks of 'musicality' 

To me, it connotes much the same as 'synergy' does in explaining pleasing sound.

btw, I am not disparaging use of either term and I've used them myself.  But I realize it's only because I cannot explain the pleasing sound otherwise

John

[rollo]

  A misunderstood word IMO Some might say its musical meaning its good enough but no cigar. Others might say  having the nature of music.
  for me its a system that does not highlight any part of the presentaion. Has body and weight bringing out that cozy feeling.


charles

[Wayner]

It's a word used because of the lack of a better word to describe the sound of something being "musical" in nature. As opposed to a Silvertone Monkey Wards guitar (with a warped neck, buzzing frets and horrible pickups), that sound anything but "musical". Albeit a vague word used to describe or conjure up images or feelings of the nature of it's sound, it's one of the few words that we have that can be used all by it's lonesome, and get the (perhaps vague) point across.

Wayner 

[*Scotty*]

This is not a word I use in connection with this hobby due to the imprecision of it's definition within the context of the hobby.
One person's musicality is another persons ________,insert the word of YOUR choice.
Scotty

[markC]

The sound coming from your system that makes you believe that that's how it really sounded when it was recorded.

[Audiovista]

The sound coming from your system that makes you believe that that's how it really sounded when it was recorded.

That's a good one 

I'd say linearly decaying harmonic spectrum, but that would be too weird.... although that's exactly what some of the most "musical" old amps had...