Originally Posted by KKF1 (Post 562019)

http://www.magico.net/images/Reviews...DEC%202013.pdf

Why a separate thread about this review? Well, read it first... It is by far the most complete review of S5 and IMHO the most important one so far.

I agree with all Martin Colloms findings and with its conclusions.

Only one speaker that I recenly audition is IMHO better overall then S5, it is Q7.

Do not get me wrong here as been die hard Magico fan-I still respect Wilson Alexia a lot and find it a good alternative for S5 if someone is Wilson house sound style fan.

Originally Posted by JRDesign (Post 562111)

I too agreed with each point of that well-written and insightful review, especially as it relates to the lower frequencies. I've had many guests, many if not mostly non-audiophiles, who have commented on how quick and clean the lower registers are.

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan (Post 562071)

Hi KKF1, Great review on the S5, sounds like a world class loudspeaker. I'm guessing from your comments that you prefer the S5 to the Q3. The reviewer pretty much raved about the S5 on every point except the grill. Sounds like its best to keep it off except when company/kids comes over. Cheers, Ken

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan (Post 562071)

Hi KKF1,

Great review on the S5, sounds like a world class loudspeaker. I'm guessing from your comments that you prefer the S5 to the Q3. The reviewer pretty much raved about the S5 on every point except the grill. Sounds like its best to keep it off except when company/kids comes over.

Cheers,
Ken

Originally Posted by KKF1 (Post 562019)

http://www.magico.net/images/Reviews...DEC%202013.pdf

Why a separate thread about this review? Well, read it first... It is by far the most complete review of S5 and IMHO the most important one so far.

I agree with all Martin Colloms findings and with its conclusions.

Only one speaker that I recenly audition is IMHO better overall then S5, it is Q7.

Do not get me wrong here as been die hard Magico fan-I still respect Wilson Alexia a lot and find it a good alternative for S5 if someone is Wilson house sound style fan.

Originally Posted by A.Wayne (Post 562420)

Interesting to compare S5 to Q5 .......

Magico Q5 loudspeaker Measurements | Stereophile.com

It does not have the wrinkle (resonance) at 110hz but it is tuned in the bass the same as S5 ,

"The Q5 has a rated sensitivity of 87dB. However, my estimate was lower than this, at an estimated 84dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is also lower than average. The speaker is also fairly difficult to drive, with an impedance that drops below 4 ohms in the high treble, the lower midrange, and the upper bass (fig.1). As well as minimum values of 2.75 ohms at 56Hz, 3 ohms at 200Hz, and 2.8 ohms at 40kHz, there is an amplifier-crushing combination of 3.85 ohms and a –56° capacitive phase angle at 45Hz. This speaker really does need to be used with powerful solid-state amplifiers to sound its best, I feel, such as Michael Fremer's Musical Fidelity Titan. The traces in fig.1 are free from any wrinkles that would indicate the presence of cabinet vibrational resonances; listening to the cabinet walls with a stethoscope while I swept a sinewave tone up and down in frequency, I could detect only a small degree of liveliness at 418Hz. The cabinet's heroic, all-aluminum construction is obviously effective at minimizing vibrational resonances."
-JA

Originally Posted by KKF1 (Post 562738)

First, why is this thread infected with Magico haters?

It is clear as a sky that some members here are very, very black and white in their opinion.

Second, is someone really comparing a extremly high distortion design-Sonus Faber Amati Futura to very low distortion like Wilson or Magico?

I owned Amati Anniversarion few years ago and it was my first true high end speaker. But, after replacing it with Wilson Sophia 2 I got an idea what low distortion speaker is all about. SF is IMO colored and is producing big amount of distortions-even at low level in comparison with Wilson and Magico designes.

Third,

Q3 is measured by german Stereoplay and get much bigger level of distortions then S5. Also, is about 10hz shy in bass in absolute term(its -6db is 10hz higher then on S5). Even Q5 can not produce low bass as good as S5. Measurements(both anechoic and in-room) proved that as well as my subjective listening sessions.
I can understand pretty well why would someone choose Q3 over S5. Just... Ask Alon Wolf directly which speaker is better for all kind of music-Q3 or S5? Q3 fans will not like the answer...

BTW, I will be lucky enough to directly compare Magico S5 to Wilson Alexia in my room and since here is such a strange atmosphere lately I will keep my finding for myself. Better to not disturb some spirits here...

Originally Posted by KKF1 (Post 562738)

BTW, I will be lucky enough to directly compare Magico S5 to Wilson Alexia in my room and since here is such a strange atmosphere lately I will keep my finding for myself. Better to not disturb some spirits here...

Originally Posted by KKF1 (Post 562738)

First, why is this thread infected with Magico haters? It is clear as a sky that some members here are very, very black and white in their opinion. Second, is someone really comparing a extremly high distortion design-Sonus Faber Amati Futura to very low distortion like Wilson or Magico? I owned Amati Anniversarion few years ago and it was my first true high end speaker. But, after replacing it with Wilson Sophia 2 I got an idea what low distortion speaker is all about. SF is IMO colored and is producing big amount of distortions-even at low level in comparison with Wilson and Magico designes. Third, Q3 is measured by german Stereoplay and get much bigger level of distortions then S5. Also, is about 10hz shy in bass in absolute term(its -6db is 10hz higher then on S5). Even Q5 can not produce low bass as good as S5. Measurements(both anechoic and in-room) proved that as well as my subjective listening sessions. I can understand pretty well why would someone choose Q3 over S5. Just... Ask Alon Wolf directly which speaker is better for all kind of music-Q3 or S5? Q3 fans will not like the answer... BTW, I will be lucky enough to directly compare Magico S5 to Wilson Alexia in my room and since here is such a strange atmosphere lately I will keep my finding for myself. Better to not disturb some spirits here...

Originally Posted by Bodhisattva (Post 563192)

Espen, i'm in no way dismissing what you heard in your demo's of the two speakers in Munich, but there are a few things to consider. Firstly, I was told Magico improved the S5 since they debuted the speaker in Munich (not long after the first examples were produced). Secondly, I respect Alon, but also remember he is running a business and wants to make money. If he is speaking to a potential customer, it is in his and Magico's interests to talk up the Q3 over the S5. A wise person once told me "The truth is usually in the middle". And thirdly, my own listening tests a-b comparing the two speakers suggest, yes the Q3 is a bit more refined and transparent definitely comparative to the price difference (atleast in 2013). But unless you just like to listen to small band jazz and classical, I would not say the Q3 is "much better". To me, the S5's are better "all rounders". They suit modern pop, rock, big band jazz, blues etc & given the right amps and front end, can sound delicate and intimate with small ensembles, jazz and classical. Also i've seen several systems with Q3's where the owners have cut corners with amplification, front end or cables. Without optimizing these things, you will never exploit the full potential of the speakers anyway. And the Q3's will brutally reveal any chinks. I also agree with Adam's comment that the S5's have a slightly more relaxed presentation than the Q3's & are more forgiving of less than perfect recordings and upstream equipment. I always say your system needs to be balanced (and by that I don't mean having a balanced topology). To me, the S5's bass is better than the Q3. The S5's have solid and lifelike bass energy and depth which you can feel (as in live music). Kick drums feel like a kick drum and Timpani has proper scale and depth. The Q3's show their limitations with such instruments. The S5's are also outstanding in a 2 channel home theater; definitely no subs needed! It's all how you optimize them. I have a medium size room and am finding the S5's fit in well. I have my speakers set up in a near field listening position as per the Cardas room setup guide & find I am able to achieve a coherent image, good sound staging and am not having any issues with boominess. But I accept this is room dependent as no two rooms are alike. In practice, the speakers will be further improved once we install the Stillpoints Ultra 5's & Ultra bases. Cheers,

Originally Posted by S1chen (Post 563208)

Can u advise what gear like amp, pre and source and maybe cable are setup at the time you are auditioning the Q3 or many occasional your heard them. I am curious why the Q3 would end up sounding not as good as the S5.

Originally Posted by Bodhisattva (Post 563230)

S1, in regard to amplification, I have heard the Q3's in the same room with the same amps and front end equipment as the S5's (ie: Dart, Soulution & Vitus). To clarify, I think the Q3 is the better sounding speaker in technical terms. It uses all-Nano-Tec drivers, a better crossover, better cabinet etc. I was making 3 main points. Firstly that imho the Q3 is not "much better" than the S5 as Alon described. My second main point was that, imho the S5's are better "all rounders" with a wider variety of music, applications, systems, and rooms (being easier to place than Q3). And thirdly, that I believe the S5's have better (deeper, more solid) low & mid bass (which is so important in creating a foundation in music). Though remember ultimately it comes down to musical preferences and system synergy. I can understand why some customers would prefer the Q3, and others would prefer the S5. They are quite different, but in technical terms not that far apart.

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan (Post 563334)

Hi David,

Just to satisfy my curiosity, I'm thinking of auditioning the S5 and Q3. As you know, I'm primarily a jazz guy, preferring jazz vocals, jazz piano and small jazz combos. However, I do enjoy cranking up the Eagles or Santana every now and then.

Out of the following preamp/amp combinations, which would recommend most for my audition with the S5 and Q3?

Arcam
ADA
Cary
Classe
HD Micromega
Heed
Integra
Hegel
Lexicon
Marantz
McIntosh
Rotel
Spectral

Thanks,
Ken

Originally Posted by PLK (Post 563366)

The Aesthetix Atlas Signature or Monos are a great match for the Magicos.

If you don't need an analog input, a Romulus or Pandora with VC driving amps
would work great. Signature Versions Romulus/Pandora will be shown at CES.

Originally Posted by Bodhisattva (Post 563371)

Hi Ken,

Based on those options, your front end and musical preferences i'd recommend auditioning the Hegel amps. They are well engineered, have a lot of power, sound natural, are on the warm side & punch well above their weight. Though not on your list, other options to consider with the S5's in my order of preference would be the Vitus SIA-025, RS-100/RL-101 combo and RI-100 integrated.

I suspect however given your musical preferences you may prefer the Q3. Good options (again in my order of preference) would be the Vitus SIA-025, Dartzeel NHB-108/NHB-18NS or Vitus Reference series. Soulution also has good synergy with Magico. Pressed to choose an option I would personally lean toward Vitus with the Q3's. The Reference series is very good, though the SIA-025 is the sweet spot in their lineup imho. Fyi I recently posted a review of the SIA-025 in the Pre-amps and Amplifiers forum. Hope that helps :music:

Originally Posted by PLK (Post 563366)

The Aesthetix Atlas Signature or Monos are a great match for the Magicos.

If you don't need an analog input, a Romulus or Pandora with VC driving amps
would work great. Signature Versions Romulus/Pandora will be shown at CES.

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan (Post 563334)

Hi David,

Just to satisfy my curiosity, I'm thinking of auditioning the S5 and Q3. As you know, I'm primarily a jazz guy, preferring jazz vocals, jazz piano and small jazz combos. However, I do enjoy cranking up the Eagles or Santana every now and then.

Out of the following preamp/amp combinations, which would recommend most for my audition with the S5 and Q3?

Arcam
ADA
Cary
Classe
HD Micromega
Heed
Integra
Hegel
Lexicon
Marantz
McIntosh
Rotel
Spectral

Thanks,
Ken

Originally Posted by PlanarSpeakerFan (Post 563394)

Hi PLK,

I have heard the Aesthetix Atlas monoblocks driving the Vandersteen 7 and the sound was terrific. Imaging and soundstage were second to none. Unfortunately, the Magico dealer doesn't carry Aesthetix. But the Atlas monos are one my favorite Class A/B amplifiers.

Best,
Ken

Originally Posted by asiufy (Post 563432)

If I may offer an opinion, as a Q3 owner, I'd say you should avoid listening to the Q3 with most of these brands. From all accounts, the only amps you should use are the Hegel, which has been getting great reviews, and have partnered well with the Magicos.

There are positive reviews of the Spectral amps, and they might just be your taste, but there have been also reports of people finding the sound too sterile.

The thing about a Magico, the Q series specially, is that they're not a coloured speaker like most of the others, so they're not adding anything, or making sure whatever comes in sounds "nice". So, a lot of amps are exposed in their inadequacy.

I understand these are the brands your dealer carries, but you should definitely attempt a listen with Vitus, or a darTZeel integrated.

alexandre

Originally Posted by Still-One (Post 563549)

One local dealer carries Electrocpamiet, Aesthetix, and Constellation along with tubes VTL. In my opinion the Constellation sounds much better than any of the other choices and so it seems does the owner who prefers to show the Magico's with Constellation to get the best out of Q3's or S5's.

If I was in the market for a Magico it would only be with Costellation from what I have heard. ( not heard them with Momentum's ). My preference is for q3's for musicality over the S5's rhythm and pace.

Originally Posted by PLK (Post 563597)

Did you listen to the Q3 or S5 with the Aesthetix Monos or Signature amp? I've never seen any review of the Aesthetix Monos or Signature, but here's some interesting pictures from the Stereophile Atlas Stereo review and the Costellation Centaur: Fig.2 Constellation Performance Centaur($54K), small-signal 10kHz squarewave into 8 ohms. Fig.2 Aesthetix Atlas($8K), small-signal 10kHz squarewave into 8 ohms.