What does it mean to you when someone says that system is “musical”?

I would venture to say “Musical” means someone’s interpretation of whatever is playing on whatever system at whatever level is in agreement to their own audio nirvana, and maybe thats a step forward towards entry onto the emotional roller coaster of high end audio and all that it brings with the highest highs and lowest lows...


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Mike said:
The comment I heard over and over again last night when I demoed the VAC, Harbeth, AQ, MSB system was how “musical” it sounded.

What does it mean to you when someone says a system is “musical”?
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You got your answer :). Harbeth with Tube amps are Musical sound Mike



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same as I used to be emotionally & musically engaged when listening to Pink Floyd through a Sony Walkman in my childhood - the quality of player, quality of cassette didn't matter at that time - only deep into music. I would like to go back in times and get the same feelings with modern gears.
 
I've got a computer with $500 powered speakers on it & boy is it musical with hi-res music etc! I've also got a system that is way north of what most would pay... some have told me that it, is too, musical!! For mine, I'd say Dan's description was on the money. You have the dynamics & the actual timing that is close to a relative live performance, along with slam & the swoon as mentioned by Joe as in an engaging, emotional experience. You need the room & the nonce to put either a system or odd components together that will be synergistic within the surroundings. This also includes cables power treatments etc.....
 
Aren’t reviewers typically talking about analytical and musical as antipodes, with the first signifying a tendency towards cold/ detailed and the latter towards warm/ timbral colors?

Also here the use of musical seems to vary between a positive musical as in involving, and a less positive musical as in warm and fuzzy.

I would also put the origin of using musical as a denominator for audio gear qualities into the British audio industry and the Linn & Naim marketing machines, along with PRaT.

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For me: instrumental weight, absence of strident "digital" trebles and tonal color.
 
I think it all depends who is saying it. If a musician or music lover (only) is saying it, it usually means they are enjoying the music overall. If an audiophile says it, it means the system is a reasonably priced one, and they can overlook it’s faults and enjoy it nevertheless. Extremely high end systems are never deemed “musical”.
 
I take it as one of the many adjectives to say the listener enjoyed most (if not all) aspects of the sound
 
In my experience systems that are described as " musical" often have rolled of highs and very little bass.
 
Mordante said:
In my experience systems that are described as " musical" often have rolled of highs and very little bass.
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