Music Lovers Speaker vs. Audiophile Speaker

I’ve come across a couple of terms I’d like clarified: the musical speaker and the audiophile speaker.

What’s the difference?

There is none. An audiophile speaker can be a musical speaker and vise versa.

Being an audiophile has nothing to do with price or a certain class of equipment. It has to do with being serious about getting the best sound that you can and that’s within your budget. And to do that, you have to select the speakers that will properly match your electronics and most importantly, sounds best to you. Then you’ll have both a musical and an audiophile speaker at the same time.

I like this answer! I consider myself an "audiophile" but I don't own expensive equipment but what I've matched together sounds very musical and satisfying. In my response to an earlier thread, I mentioned the PSB 300i spk. A very musical speaker. Easy to listen to but I know its shortcomings when comparing to an "audiophile" spk. such as the Dynaudio DM 2/6. Both types req. system matching to sound their best. The "audiophile" spk. will most probably require more $$$ vs. a spk. such as yours or the PSB 300i which would sound good w/a $30 used receiver.

I'm not sure of your terminology, but I would say that there are two different approaches in designing speakers.
In recent years, some speaker designers have developed a more analytic approach in reproducing music, they are more detailed, highs are crisper, bass is faster and tighter. To use your term, an audiophile speaker.

Other speaker brands focus their design on musicality. These speakers can be every bit as detailed, but present a smoother, more natural and realistic sound. Our brains react to these sonics differently, some reactions are a more emotional response where the music pulls you in and you are more involved. Other speakers can have a more analytic effect on your hearing/brain processing. I think the majority of audiophiles favour a musical speaker as long as it meets certain criteria such as good imaging and realism. A well designed musical speaker still falls into your "audiophile" category.

I don't think price enters into the designer's approach or style. He is designing each model for a specific price point for retail.

 But I like your "radio station" analogy. Some speakers (and components), are designed with emphasis on the highs, possibly the bass is heavy, and the overall feel is to give that familiar sound which is so prevalent today.

@Lowrider57 and I are thinking along the same lines. When most posters say "musical speaker" they mean a design that aspires to reproduce the fabric of the musical whole while the "audiophile speaker" tends to allow one to focus attention on emphasis of individual instruments with sharper image outlines and more detail.

IME, live unamplified music often provides less image specificity and a less delineiated soundstage than many "audiophile" speakers. Dynamic contrasts are more easy to follow live than with all audio gear and the best "musical" speakers get closer to reproducing the variations in dynamic swings between instruments. The best speakers let you get close to both goals. Some are much better at one or the other. 

A completely different paradigm that also comes into the discussion at lower price points, that being "additive vs. subtractive". What I mean is that as designers choose their preferred compromises to hit price points, some prefer eliminating the lowest & highest frequencies and just try to get the midrange right. Others prioritize different aspects that might add various distortions or colorations. "Musical" speakers often follow the "first do no harm" maxim, while some "Audiophile" speakers might prioritize getting the best frequency response, bass/size ratio, etc. etc.
None of these decisions are ultimately right or wrong, just preferences an priorities that might align with some listeners over others. Cheers,
Spencer  

I don't think it is an analogy but a non-specific, useless characterization. If you are listening to a stereo what good is asking yourself, "analytic or musical"?