Fidelity vs. Musicality...........Is there a tug of War?

FWIW.

Prat, beat, rhythm, foot tapping or whatever to want to call it. If that is not present, it is not musical for me.

After that, as I journey on, I am finding that detail adds to this and makes things even more musical.

Thanks for listening,

Dsper

Years later, the Eagles in Seattle, another almost equally bad audio experience however this time so greatly overshadowed by their "musicality" I honestly couldn’t have cared less.

Reminds me of John Lennon all those years ago when he said the quality of the recording didn't matter, it was the quality of the performance. Some of those 7" singles sound dreadful especially when played with a worn out stylus on substandard equipment. (He was probably comparing the sound to studio monitors.)

I couldn't agree more, the performance is crucial.

With today's equipment, those days are long gone and poor sound quality ruins any performance. Screwing the volume up to absurd levels so you hear nothing but pain is absurd.

A well produced recording played on a high end system cuts it for me.

Perhaps you could say I like it both ways.

Musicality. Anything else is a complete waste of time. 

Cheers.

Musicality to me is when my system draws me  unconsciously into the music rather than me trying to decipher all the little parts of the sound I am striving for.  That is the best feeling when you realize you have been totally engulfed into the music for the last hour without ever thinking about what the system sounds like. Musical nirvana, makes it all worth it.

Another vote for musicality. I've learned to be very careful seeking better detail and accuracy. For me, anyway, it doesn't always lead to a more engaging listening experience.

The guys who mix and master good recordings are a little like chefs - it isn't about making every ingredient obvious, it is more about the blend that makes something musical - in my opinion. 

I think it is impossible for anyone to know if their system is reproducing a recording exactly as the recording engineers, mixers and mastering labs intended. There can be just as much "art" in that part of the recording process as the performance. As a matter of fact, I have watched very talented engineers mix a track and it IS a performance.