What exactly is textural density??

Good post and I agree. His attempt at a description points, once again, to the issue of harmonic truthfulness (timbre).

The use and better understanding of terms (“resourceful prose”) that are rooted in musicology to describe the perceived sonic qualities of audio gear is not only appropriate, but is something that, were it to happen more often in audiophile parlance, would reduce the level of confusion we often see in discussions like this one. I have always found it interesting and not a little ironic that there is often a disconnect between terminology used in audiospeak and well established terminology in musicology when, in fact, the actual parallels are many. After all, it is music that audio is dealing with, no?

More than a simple wise post indeed!

Thanks...

@frogman 
It would be great if more reviewers and consumers knew more musicology so they could help connect the worlds of music appreciation and audiophilia with greater accuracy and depth.  I feel like we're always just reinventing the wheel with our amateur descriptions.  An audiophile-focused glossary of music terms would be fun to use.

When a speaker pressurizes the air in the room effectively it causes a density change o the air in the room while listening that is hard to describe but when you get that you will not want to listen to a light thin sound ever again.

Herein lies the difficulty in describing how our brains process sensory stimuli

No two people interpret this exactly the same.

As a musician in an orchestra with 44 other instruments, we spend a lot of time working together to create a rich, multi-layered harmonic sensory experience. Some might call that 'textual density'. Others, simply 'music'. 

String players work together and focus on playing certain notes using specific bowing techniques. When they all get it right, it is magical.

As a brass player, the goal is to always be 'centered' on the note (this is the same concept that opera singers focus on). That is when the richness of the instrument's tone comes alive. 

I try to mimic that sensory experience in my system. Can I discern (hear) the instruments' under tones, harmonics, and partial harmonics? The decay of individual notes? Each section's contribution to the overall sensory landscape?

My goal is to be able to close my eyes while listening to a recording and feel like the musicians are in the room with me.