Magico Q3 Review from Hifi News...

[cmalak]

The review and the pic posted below is from the absolute sounds website in the UK:

[Volks]

Very clean line speakers.....Remins me of Mordaunt Short 6 LE speakers for looks

[cmalak]

Michael...in person they look quite unique with their all aluminum enclosure. There isn't a single visible nut or bolt. The build quality is phenomenal and right up there with the best. The sound...? I have heard the Q5s not the Q3s but I have to assume they are cut from the same sonic cloth and they are very impressive but I just couldn't get pulled into the performance. The Magico speakers are very neutral and it could have been the associated equipment coming through that I did not take to They are very impressive on every hifi characteristic that's for sure

[Volks]

Originally Posted by cmalak

Michael...in person they look quite unique with their all aluminum enclosure. There isn't a single visible nut or bolt. The build quality is phenomenal and right up there with the best. The sound...? I have heard the Q5s not the Q3s but I have to assume they are cut from the same sonic cloth and they are very impressive but I just couldn't get pulled into the performance. The Magico speakers are very neutral and it could have been the associated equipment coming through that I did not take to They are very impressive on every hifi characteristic that's for sure

I would love to hear the Q5s.....i would imagine the Q5s proably have a better bass response then the Q3s?

[cmalak]

Originally Posted by Volks

I would love to hear the Q5s.....i would imagine the Q5s proably have a better bass response then the Q3s?

The bass on the Q5s was very impressive. Very fast, articulated, precise, and it goes deep. What it lacked in comparison to Rockport Technologies (my favorite speakers, especially when it comes to bass performance) is that texture or harmonic richness/fullness in the bass. They went deep but sounded a bit lean if that makes sense. From the reviews on the Q3, they are not lacking in the bass (in terms of depth and articulation, but I am assuming they have the same character as the Q5s (at least that is how they sounded to me).

[Volks]

Cyril did the Midrange of the Q5's have a bit of a "Bright" sonic sound signature or was it more of a flat response?

[cmalak]

Michael...I listened to the Q5 at the Goodwins High End launch of the speaker so it was in a group setting and I rarely got to sit in the sweet spot but having said that as far as I could tell the midrange was breathtakingly transparent and natural sounding. Tonally the entire speaker was very flat. I would not call them bright. The excellent attributes of the speaker when taken individually were probably best I have heard but the sum of the individual traits did not cohere for me into a compelling whole. I can't explain it beyond saying they just did not pull me into the music. Again, it could have been so many things (associated equipment was all Spectral amplification and MIT cabling; could have been group setting did not allow me to completely relax and enjoy the audition; ... ). I will say I have had the same reaction to the much lesser priced V2 and V3s of a few years ago. So there is just something about the Magico sound that does not pull me in. I always walk away impressed but not in love

[BlueChiaro]

I heard the Q3s in a Spectral system at Overture in Delaware. To me, the most impressive track of the day was a Mino Cinelu piece that was primarily percussion with some cool vocals (cool enough that I bought the CD). The vocals, literally, came up the side walls, and the bass was deep and defined. It was a group setting, so listening position was critical, but the Q3s came across as quite a fine product, to me. Since none of the music was anything I was intimately familiar with, it's tough to compare, but I haven't been able to get my Sophias to achieve the "up the wall" vocals from that track.

[Kevinkwan]

Originally Posted by BlueChiaro

... but I haven't been able to get my Sophias to achieve the "up the wall" vocals from that track.

Sounds to me like you own the better speaker. I can't remember a live performance where the vocalist's voice went up the wall. Well, there was that one time when I was drunk and on acid, but beside that, the voice pretty much followed the singer around the stage.

Digging up an old thread, but just wondering if anyone knows the crossover frequencies for the Q3? They weren't posted in the Hifi News review & I couldn't find them posted on the net after a quick scan or the Owner's manual. I'm not thinking of jumping ship, just my technical curiosity