What is Musicality?


Hello fellow music lovers,

I am upgrading my system like a lot of us who follow Audiogon. I read a lot about musicality on Audiogon as though the search for musicality can ultimately end by acquiring the perfect music system -- or the best system that one can afford. I really appreciate the sonic improvements that new components, cables, plugs and tweaks are bringing to my own system. But ultimately a lot of musicality comes from within and not from without. I probably appreciated my Rocket Radio and my first transistor radio in the 1950s as much I do my high-end system in 2010. Appreciating good music is not only a matter of how good your equipment is. It is a measure of how musical a person you are. Most people appreciate good music but some people are born more musical than others and appreciate singing in the shower as much as they do listening to a high-end system or playing a musical instrument or attending a concert. Music begins in the soul. It is not only a function of how good a system you have.

Sabai
sabai
I'm with Elescher: pace, rhythm, timing and tone/timbre. If it sounds right and gets my toes tapping, the first word out of my mouth would probably be "musical."

If something sounds "real" AND "musical," it's either someone else's or I've stumbled upon a live performance.

Have you ever noticed how poor the soundstage is with live performances? Maybe if they put the drumset on stillpoints it would expand the soundstage some. Just a suggestion I read on Steve Hoffman forum. You knew I would get that in there! You knew it!
Rawinsonde and Vsollozzo,
Musicality is a human quality but a good system can enhance ones appreciation of music. I have done a lot of work on my system since 2010. I do a lot more toe-tapping now than I did back then.
Sabai, get a grip! Ask any orchestra member or conductor. Musicality refers to the rendition of a musical work. Nothing to do with the equipment used to render it.
People - Quit trying to bastardize this musical term. Think up a new term to describe the sound comig out of your prized system... how about ELECTROCALITY? or VALVESSENCE? Here's one... AMPLIFACCIFITY.