Review of Magico Q3s from UltraAudio.com...

[cmalak]

The Magico Q3s received the Select Component award from UltaAudio.com: http://www.ultraaudio.com/index.php?...cles&Itemid=37

[VT Skier]

I auditioned the Q3s at Goodwins, and they are unbelievably detailed. Hyper detailed. Crazy, hear more than you'll ever hear again detailed. And I think they produce plenty of bass, but it's different from the usual without the ports. But there was too much detail for me. I couldn't enjoy the music with all the information coming at me, if that makes any sense.

With tubes, they might be great, but I heard them with Simaudio (which is what I own) and the combination was just too much. I think they were connected to a W-7, P-7, and 750D, which probably don't compare to Jeff's Gryphon gear.

Very special speaker though. Technical tour de force.

I think Bill was right when he asked me whether I wanted speakers that were great at playing sound or music. At least that's how I felt comparing the Q3s to the Futuras.

[Face]

The naked pic reminds me of an empty computer server case.

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by VT Skier

I auditioned the Q3s at Goodwins, and they are unbelievably detailed. Hyper detailed. Crazy, hear more than you'll ever hear again detailed. And I think they produce plenty of bass, but it's different from the usual without the ports. But there was too much detail for me. I couldn't enjoy the music with all the information coming at me, if that makes any sense.

With tubes, they might be great, but I heard them with Simaudio (which is what I own) and the combination was just too much. I think they were connected to a W-7, P-7, and 750D, which probably don't compare to Jeff's Gryphon gear.

Very special speaker though. Technical tour de force.

I think Bill was right when he asked me whether I wanted speakers that were great at playing sound or music. At least that's how I felt comparing the Q3s to the Futuras.

VT Skier...I agree with you. Every time I have auditioned Magicos at Goodwins I have walked away impressed but not musically/emotionally engaged. They are just too analytical for me. I don't think tubes will gloss over the speakers' basic character.

[jdandy]

Cyril.......After reading the entire UltraAudio review, I was left wondering about all those screws, Locktite or not, and the possibility of any one of those internal aluminum braces or panels coming loose, buzzing or rattling at some future time. Perhaps I am stuck with antiquated thoughts, but I like my speaker cabinets made of wood.

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Cyril.......After reading the entire UltraAudio review, I was left wonder about all those screws, Locktite or not, and the possibility of any one of those internal aluminum braces or panels coming loose, buzzing or rattling at some future time. Perhaps I am stuck with antiquated thoughts, but I like my speaker cabinets made of wood.

Could be Dan Since Magico first came out with all aluminum enclosures only a year or two ago with the Q5 with similar bracing and construction as the Q3, we don't have much in the way of data as to how the solidity of the enclosure will be maintained over a long period of time but I don't know enough about it to make an educated guess one way or the other.

[metaphacts]

Originally Posted by cmalak

Could be Dan Since Magico first came out with all aluminum enclosures only a year or two ago with the Q5 with similar bracing and construction as the Q3, we don't have much in the way of data as to how the solidity of the enclosure will be maintained over a long period of time but I don't know enough about it to make an educated guess one way or the other.

Not sure how they put them together, but Goldmund have been building massive aluminum (with brass and steel layers) speaker enclosures since the mid 90s. They don't seem to have any issues with enclosures coming loose but I would suspect Goldmund are using something more permanent than loc-tite on screw threads.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by cmalak

VT Skier...I agree with you. Every time I have auditioned Magicos at Goodwins I have walked away impressed but not musically/emotionally engaged. They are just too analytical for me. I don't think tubes will gloss over the speakers' basic character.

+1 here.
All those details are impressive but far from recreating the emotion of the Music IMHO.

[f1eng]

Originally Posted by metaphacts

Not sure how they put them together, but Goldmund have been building massive aluminum (with brass and steel layers) speaker enclosures since the mid 90s. They don't seem to have any issues with enclosures coming loose but I would suspect Goldmund are using something more permanent than loc-tite on screw threads.

After about 2 years of auditioning many high end speakers I bought the Goldmund Epilog 1 speakers and added a pair of Epilog 2s as soon as they were available. They were comfortably the best I heard. I have still not heard any better (I haven't heard Magico's).

The speakers are still in great voice after over a decade. I am surprised it took so long for another maker to make such rigid cabinets, there have been a few metal enclosures but none, until the Magico, so solid.

Any sound radiated by the huge area of the speaker cabinet must be making it inaccurate, though I guess can be tuned to be pleasant. I have always been astonished when people market speakers which deliberately radiate a lot of sound from the cabinet. We hear about it being like a musical instrument! I want to -reproduce- the instrument not play through it! It may be a harmonious addition to a piano or cello recording rather than be high fidelity, but it would be all wrong with a trumpet. Not many trumpets have wooden sound-boards...
Just IMHO.

[bradleyc]

A Magico rep was here in town a few Thursdays ago for a seminar at this nearby dealer. The demo music selection was less than desireable, but the magic of the Q3 held local audiophiles in a trance for hours