Quote:
Originally Posted by jrsystems
I demoed the Q5 directly against the CLX with JL sub and preferred the CLX which I ultimately bought. We demoed with McIntosh gear similar to my system. The dealer said that the Mac gear was not a good match for the Q5 and I took him at his word.
I have heard M5s and Mini IIs on a number of occassions and was very impressed. The engineering behind Magicos is fascinating to me. I would love to get some more demo time with them. However, I have also fallen madly in love with the MBL 101e II and I would be surprised if I found the comparably priced Q5 to better suit my tastes.
As far as subs and the CLX goes, they are a bitch to match up! Running the CLX full range with a JL f113 simply does not work. My next purchase will likely be a Bryston 10B crossover and a second f113 sub. I believe that will solve my problem. I know the CLX+f113 sub has the potential for greatness, but I just need to get there!
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Yes, McIntosh with Magico is the wrong match: I listened one to a Mc with a Magico, it was not good... to be honest, there are a lot of brands which are doing much better amps than McIntosh these days..., Mc is living (very well) on their past: go to listen to a Dartzeel, Vitus, Hegel, Ayre, Constellation, Gryphon, Devialet.... and many others, the Mc will sound to you bloated and slow.
I know very well the CLX: while I like their transparency, they don't have the weight of any model in the Q serie (which are as transparent). The Fathom is a great sub (I have 2 in my HT), but I always found the addition of a sub works like a "patch"... it fixes one issue, but generate others (loss of coherency for example).
The MBL is a very interesting speaker, but a different type of sound than a Magico or an electrostat: it really depends on what you are looking for and what sound attribute you value! Before buying a pair of Magico, I seriously considered the MBL101. I like the amazing feeling it gives to be immersed in the sound. But on the other side, it lacks the transparency, the precision of imaging and the tonal neutrality of a Magico, and I don't like the fact it uses a ported bass: slower and less definition than a good closed bass.