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What is meant exactly by the description 'more musical'?

Once in awhile, I hear the term 'this amp is more musical' for some amps. To describe sound, I know there is 'imaging' and 'sound stage'. What exactly is meant by 'more musical' when used to describe amp?

dman777
immatthewj
2,972 posts
 

"musicality" is a concept defined with parameters under controls in experiments analysing statistical set of subjective perceptions classed in different categories..

After this set of experiments, we can using various concepts pertaining to acoustics have an idea about what will be experienced as musical by most people and what will not be so perceived ...

But this, and what followed it, was all stream of consciousness gobble-de-gook.  

immatthewj
2,972 posts
 

. . . Mirriam Webster lists

having the pleasing harmonious qualities of music
as one of their definitions for "musical.". Is Mirriam Webster wrong?
 
Since you tossed about the word "musicality," this is how Mirriam Webster defines that:
 
1
: sensitivity to, knowledge of, or talent for music
 
2
: the quality or state of being musical : melodiousness
 
(And, btw, it is too late to edit, but sorry about the typo: that should have been "Nine Inch Nails performing Hurt," not "Ten Inch Nails."
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,111 posts
 

My summary of this thread is that the term ’musical’ is not a good term to describe sound or equipment characteristics. It appears to have multiple different means to different people.

We’ve been getting nice reviews on our products for decades now. ’Musical’ is a word easily applied. So I have concluded that a benign distortion character is paramount to equipment being musical and the evidence seems to support that.

What people choose to play on that equipment is a different matter- some of which some people might regard as musical while others might not. So the topic, IMO, is bit too broad in the context of this thread. I’ve only been posting about equipment and how that can be musical, while others have been considering actual music and the way taste might affect your appreciation of it.

 

immatthewj
2,972 posts
 

What people choose to play on that equipment is a different matter- some of which some people might regard as musical while others might not.

So the topic, IMO, is bit too broad in the context of this thread.

Exactly and again, exactly. I guess opinion and taste might enter into it?

immatthewj
2,972 posts
 

Some Mirriam Webster definitions of "music"

: vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony
 
: the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity
 
: musical quality
 
: an agreeable sound : euphony
If one accepts any of those definitions of "music,"  it sure seems as if opinion and taste enter in to the equation. 
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