Accurate vs Musical

False proposition.

Accurate certainly does not mean "single-note" accurate as you mention. First of all speaker systems don't reproduce notes in the sense an instrument does. The waveform is the total of all of the notes, fundamental and harmonics, being played as well as whatever constitutes ambiance. So to use "accurate" in the pejorative sense attributed to it by the subjectivists is wrong. An accurate speaker will strive to give you what was recorded, no more no less. So when a speaker is touted as being "musical" you can be sure the touting is done by subjectivists, who are very nice people indeed, albeit a bit confused and prone to proselytizing. Two things remain fundamental to proper speakers: accuracy in the frequency range and wide dispersion, the rest is all well and good, but should come in addition to these.

Since the whole thing is a game anyway and nobody really gets hurt (except maybe your pocketbook) listen to a wide array of speakers, but do try to limit the other variables (room, associated equipment and the music you use to evaluate) and just be open-minded and honest with yourself. You may wind up buying speakers you like. The one thing that was usually said about accurate speakers is that you wouldn't tire of them after the new wears off. This is quite probably true. On the other hand, you have some on the edges of subjectivist audio touting the merits of stereo console sound of years ago, so, at this juncture in hi-fi, anything goes.

BTW “accurate” is “musical” when the recording is!

substitute the word "analytical" for "accurate" and i think you can contrast speakers in a more meaningful way. speakers that specifically provide a wealth of detail are needed in a pro-audio application, so that engineers can nit-pick flaws when mastering a recording. but something else has to be done when considering placing a very resolving speaker in a den or a living room. that "something else" requires subjective testing with the goal of not only letting you hear everything but also achieving the goal- a sense of natural reproduction- and that is greater than the sum of the parts. not that some people actually perceive resolution as the ultimate objective and PREFER that route, and many times will spend as much time and effort on their listening room as their components. i know one such person that has transformed a room in his home into "one large speaker" with his stereo speakers acting as a "baffle within a baffle". I otoh have the opposite personal bias in that i would rather not take down the artwork and remove the furniture, but i still want naturalness with a good measure of detail thrown in.

Excellent point, Ebonyvette: a very justified mystification, and one that has had me reading b/ween the lines to understand.

Etymologically, an "accurate" speaker will be "musical" or xyz, or whatever the signal fed into it is. Pbb explains this above very well (I would disregard the "subjectivist" & objectivist & other incidental "-ists", however).

As usually used, neither term is "accurate". "Musical", undefined is audiophile mumbo-jumbo: quite appropriately, you defined "musical" above. Most people don't define either term (inlcuding reviewers unfortunately) and use them indiscriminately. Likewise, for "analytical".

What is often meant by "accurate" it seems, is the reproduction of sounds without the energy, dynamic content and/or emotional impact of musicians playing, if you will -- i.e. music that sounds like the musicians are solving a mathematical equation, not putting their soul into the piece...
Or, do I mean "analytical":)?

Speakers should reproduce accurately the music contained on the recording. Speakers should not be another musical instrument imposed on top of the recorded music.
Some prefer one version of speaker to the other. You chose which fits your vision and forget the terms that audiophiles use.