"Analytical" vs "musical" speakers

[AudioGod]

What makes a speaker "Analytical" sounding or musical sounding ?
I'm sure it's more complicated than just Analytical = brighter sound ...

 

[Al M.]

Analytical is often understood as emphasis on certain frequencies that make a sound unnaturally "detailed" and "etched" in its transients. That can be the result of brighter sound, but probably, as you say, this is not necessarily the entire story.

Musical means to me faithful to the music, delivering it in its full tonality and body of sound, as well as its natural detail and transient behavior (which can range from smooth to sharp along a wide spectrum), yet not in an exaggerated manner.

Some find speakers "musical" that are euphonic, which for example exaggerate full tonality and body of sound into excessive warmth, and which unnaturally soften transients (the opposite extreme of "analytical") to make them sound more pleasing and less "fatiguing".

While a euphonic sound can be pleasant, I do not necessarily find it musical, in the sense of being faithful to the music.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Great topic, AudioGod! Thank you for starting this thread.

I would add to Al's excellent answer that even if high frequencies or presence-range frequencies are not actually over-emphasized or over-etched they may appear over-emphasized due to an imbalance between high frequencies and low or midrange frequencies if low or midrange frequencies appear to be recessed.

 

[Jeffy]

My feeling is if the speaker is designed to faithfully reproduce the signal with the least artifacts (cabinet with least talk back) the sound should still be musical if its in the recording. My feeling is with this type of speaker if the sound is lean then the recording studio needs to improve their techniques. I have spoken!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

i find the most musical speakers are the ones that are least colored (properly complete) in the frequency extremes and sufficiently transparent in the middle frequencies. frequency extension high and low are a different question. having balance and coherence. also being mated to an amplifier that can control the speaker properly and results in a great first watt is most important. it's never just the speaker. the speaker also has to have a lively sound capturing the micro-dynamic action and flow of the music, also related to the amplification. and have the capability of relating timbral complexity and tonal density. needs to sound naturally alive and have ease. it might only do a few things properly and not have big problems and it can be musical.

small 2 ways can be musical. it's not any price point issue.

the most analytical speakers are the ones lacking fullness in the lower midrange and upper and mid bass. sometimes the highs can be dry too. but mostly it's the lack of fullness in the lower octaves are the problem with the highs. not the highs themselves. and maybe too much grain and textures without the life and flow and tone richness. might be too hard to drive for the amps. or not suit the room size. might be too hifi, meaning spot-lit at certain frequencies. congested. but not all analytic speakers are congested. some are clean sounding, maybe too clean sounding. threadbare.

my experience with Magico sort if explains it. mostly for years they always were very coherent, but too cool and analytical for my tastes. could not really get any emotion from them. then a couple years ago i was at a local audio show for a couple days and mostly listened to the Magico S5 Mk2 with the Q-Sub. it absolutely changed my viewpoint on Magico. the lower octaves were complete to my ears for the first time, bringing it into balance. it was musical. after 2 days of listening i liked them a lot.

we don't always know cause and effect of what causes an analytic speaker to be perceived that way. could be anything really. might be our own priorities.

 

[Carlos269]

Jay, a musical speaker to me has a sounds that conveys the timbres, tones & overtones, emotion of the music instead of just the primary nominal notes or sound. The word “organic” is the word that I use to describe this type of sound. Others use the word “natural” or associate “warmth” with a musical speaker.

Perhaps not strictly just the job of the speakers but of the entire system.

You add space & dimensionality to that “organic” sound and then the sound is not just musical but it starts sounding real or “live”.

 

[AudioHR]

Analytical is often understood as emphasis on certain frequencies that make a sound unnaturally "detailed" and "etched" in its transients. That can be the result of brighter sound, but probably, as you say, this is not necessarily the entire story.

Musical means to me faithful to the music, delivering it in its full tonality and body of sound, as well as its natural detail and transient behavior (which can range from smooth to sharp along a wide spectrum), yet not in an exaggerated manner.

Some find speakers "musical" that are euphonic, which for example exaggerate full tonality and body of sound into excessive warmth, and which unnaturally soften transients (the opposite extreme of "analytical") to make them sound more pleasing and less "fatiguing".

While a euphonic sound can be pleasant, I do not necessarily find it musical, in the sense of being faithful to the music.

Excellent response!

Analytical on one end of how a speaker sounds and euphonic on the other end of the spectrum. Towards these extremes is not where you want to be as neither are musical or pleasing. Fidelity to how the music was produced and recorded is what we are all looking for. Of course personal taste does come into the picture as we should enjoy what we are listening to. Personally I would be in the slightly euphonic camp. It's about finding what works best for you in your room and system.

 

[GSOphile]

i find the most musical speakers are the ones that are least colored (properly complete) in the frequency extremes and sufficiently transparent in the middle frequencies. frequency extension high and low are a different question. having balance and coherence. also being mated to an amplifier that can control the speaker properly and results in a great first watt is most important. it's never just the speaker. the speaker also has to have a lively sound capturing the micro-dynamic action and flow of the music, also related to the amplification. and have the capability of relating timbral complexity and tonal density. needs to sound naturally alive and have ease. it might only do a few things properly and not have big problems and it can be musical.

small 2 ways can be musical. it's not any price point issue.

the most analytical speakers are the ones lacking fullness in the lower midrange and upper and mid bass. sometimes the highs can be dry too. but mostly it's the lack of fullness in the lower octaves are the problem with the highs. not the highs themselves. and maybe too much grain and textures without the life and flow and tone richness. might be too hard to drive for the amps. or not suit the room size. might be too hifi, meaning spot-lit at certain frequencies. congested. but not all analytic speakers are congested. some are clean sounding, maybe too clean sounding. threadbare.

my experience with Magico sort if explains it. mostly for years they always were very coherent, but too cool and analytical for my tastes. could not really get any emotion from them. then a couple years ago i was at a local audio show for a couple days and mostly listened to the Magico S5 Mk2 with the Q-Sub. it absolutely changed my viewpoint on Magico. the lower octaves were complete to my ears for the first time, bringing it into balance. it was musical. after 2 days of listening i liked them a lot.

we don't always know cause and effect of what causes an analytic speaker to be perceived that way. could be anything really. might be our own priorities.

Mike, since you described the speaker-amp mating as very important, do you recall the amplification associated with your Magico S5 Mk2/Q-Sub experience?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Interestingly the S5 Mk. II (at Myles' on big conrad-johnson tube amps) was the first Magico that I, also, did not find too analytical, cool and dry.

 

[Audiohertz2]

My feeling is if the speaker is designed to faithfully reproduce the signal with the least artifacts (cabinet with least talk back) the sound should still be musical if its in the recording. My feeling is with this type of speaker if the sound is lean then the recording studio needs to improve their techniques. I have spoken!

Agree in a neutral system warm , cold , etc should come from the recording not the system ..!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike, since you described the speaker-amp mating as very important, do you recall the amplification associated with your Magico S5 Mk2/Q-Sub experience?

it was the MSB and as i recall the S500 stereo. here is a link to a thread i wrote about it.

 

[Al M.]

Personally I would be in the slightly euphonic camp.

If in doubt, I slightly lean towards that as well (e.g. when it comes to considering speaker toe-in optimal for my taste).

 

[JackD201]

For me an analytical speaker is one that has a stiff tempo. Wow this is harder to describe than I thought. Let's take a cymbal. The analytical speaker is the one that cannot resolve the systain or delay making it sound etched as it is only capable of really resolving the attack if ever. This leads to a foreshortening of the note giving off a stiff mechanical tempo. These have been called "analytical" I believe because it basically yelling what is going on in your face. Multiply that into the spectrum and basically it creates a sound texture. Sometimes it is a sheen and sometimes it can be gritty, sometimes both.

Now is it always the speakers fault, of course not, a smooth, highly resolving speaker can be made to sound hard or gritty with poor recordings and electronics, even extreme cases of poor power.

On the other end there can be either very highly resolving speakers/systems or speakers with very artfully achieved contouring e.g. sweet, warm

In a nutshell, to me an analytical speaker is one that is devoid of emotion because the envelopes are compromised literally in a mechanical way. Typically in the form of over damping if by design and/or thermal compression in the voice coils if by the lack thereof.

Make sense?