Thread: Magico S3 mk2 vs Dynaudio Contour 60

Am convinced I made the right choice of speakers. Now looking at cables, power supply/conditioners, and even amp (also have a few in mind)!! Will wait another 300 hours or so and then start blind testing cables (I have a few in mind) and power supply/conditioners. The fun continues!

The ones you recommended!

Frontrunner is the Gryphon Diablo 300.

The Vitus SIA-025 appeals. Would that drive the Magicos?

Re: power, my Devialet dealer reached out to push the Anzus Mainz8 as a starting point to upgrade power supply. Will let me take home, so i can blind test.

Cables: I still have no idea. Biding my time. I do like what I have read about the MIT EVOs (another of your recommendations). Seems that you can get something decent for under 3k.

Also like what I have read (and heard) about the Mark Levinson 585.

Over buying another Devialet 220 (so doubling to get to 440)? Does it become more about different sound than power? Haven't listened so I have no idea how different the Gryphon might sound.

Does anybody have any thoughts/predictions about what the differences in sound will be between my Devialet 220 and the Gryphon Diablo driving the S3IIs? Am trying to arrange a date with the Gryphon and will report back once I have tested.

Haven't spoken to him yet but dealers in Singapore are fairly good at allowing in home testing. Especially if you can assure them that the product is on a shortlist of 2 or 3. Will let everyone know how it goes.

Mike - in your opinion would the Gryphon win hands down over the Devialet 440? The much cheaper option would be to buy another 220 to get 440.

With the Gryphon would need to get it with the DAC option and as I stream some of my music would need to buy a steamer too.

Will start a new thread in the amplifier forum for those who are keen to join me on my ride to upgrade or replace my Devialet Expert Pro 220, with the ultimate aim to find an amplifier which does S3 mk2s justice.

Have decided on an integrated amp and the front-runner is the Gryphon Diablo. Plan B is to buy another Devialet 220, but am open (and encourage!) other suggestions.

Wow. So Pass 60 over T+A3100?!

Mike, i noticed you are not recommending Vitus RI-100. You do not like the AB class Vitus with Magico or just prefer the Gryphon?

I have never listened to RI-100, but the reviews - both from magazines and customers are great. So many people in love with this amp... I understand that it is not in the league of SIA-025 but it is half the price and since it would be a replacement for a Devialet, I was just wondering. Anyway, thank you for the opinion, I would be interested to read more of your and other guys experience of the combo Magico S3 II / S5 II + Vitus RI-100.

I had the Vitus RS 100 in my system , couldn't wait to get rid of it, definately not a fan of the R series. To me it sounded like a very average class a/b amp.

Originally Posted by sharkmouth

I had the Vitus RS 100 in my system , couldn't wait to get rid of it, definately not a fan of the R series. To me it sounded like a very average class a/b amp.

Hello,

What reference were you using to compare ..? I was not able to find any actual reviews on the RI-100 , only talking points, no SP testing etc..


Regards

[QUOTE=a.wayne;216758]Hello,

What reference were you using to compare ..? I was not able to find any actual reviews on the RI-100 , only talking points, no SP testing etc..

This may be more of the same or maybe not.....

https://positive-feedback.com/Issue70/magico_vitus.htm

I read the review in Positive-Feedback and had the RI-100 in my system for a few months last year (driving a pair of Magico S5). Over that period, I also tried the ASR Emitter II and the Devialet D400. In my system the RI-100 was the weaker one of the 3. I sold it afterwards.

Attempting to upload photos from iphone. No idea if it will work.

It seems to have worked! Xbox is for my son...

Just need to work on amp, cables, power supply... never ending

AJR, get the Gryphon Diablo 300 and be happy!! I use mine with Magico S3 Mk IIs, and to my ears, it's superb. (I play mostly large scale classical music and jazz.)

I suppose we are already on a slippery slope towards the Diablo himself...

Evening All - I'm a newcomer to Audioshark & see this is an old thread but had to chime in here because the OP's relatively unique journey in terms of Focal experience, then Dynaudio C60/Magico decision and then Gryphon is so similar to mine. And I thought I was alone!

AJR, I actually bought the C60's - to replace too-bright Sopra 2's (feel familiar?!) and to calm a Naim presentation too harsh on leading edges. I used a Mcintosh pre amp to further warm-up the Naim amp before ditching the lot for the stunning and infinitely more sophisticated Diablo 300. Sound, now, is fabulous in every respect - big airy soundstage, palpable lead instruments and vocals, masses of definition and micro detail with no brightness, almost tube-like warmth, great delicacy and utterly non-fatiguing. A far more revealing and sophisticated speaker than the Sopra 2. The bass is wonderful but the speakers needed a lot of careful position-tweaking before it got like that. My only gripe would be that, sometimes, some key elements in tracks which were obvious with Naim are a little bit veiled and buried at back of soundstage, which reduces the 'toe-tapping' element. I'm really curious about whether the S3's might change this & make a great set-up, perfect? I don't expect (and don't want) it to be in any way Naim-like; but do think there might be a bit more left to come.

Incidentally, you were thinking about cables? My speaker cable is Naim Super Lumina and I've found nothing better balanced including TQ Black Diamond and Furutech Speakerflux. XLR's are HFC Reveal - same as above. Real game changer was an Audioquest Coffee USB cable. Latter wa like a lens snapping into focus and everything became much more 'in the room'. It was a far from subtle change. Hope this helps.

So - to Magico or not?

Hi eagle3333,

Congrats on the C60 speakers. I am enjoying my C30s .... although I have plans to move into the C60 when my dedicated room is built this year.

I have not had the pleasure of hearing any Magico speaker so I cannot offer any insight to how it may differ with respect to your C60 or Gryphon amp.

As you can see reading through this thread, lots of Magico fans here, I’m sure you will get some good responses.

Magico has a new $10k speaker, A3, IIRC. That would be an interesting comparison. This thread was comparing the $30k S3mk2 and $10k C60. I’m sure the Magico is a better speaker. It all comes down to what’s it worth to you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

The C60 is quite remarkable at its price point, j3'. I should have checked-out the C30's really but thought I'd always lust after the bigger brother.. In the UK, the Sopra 2 is 33% more expensive than C60, yet latter is multiple times better than the Sopra in every department, unless you prefer a very fast, in-your-face, bright presentation - Sopra is very forward. (I've lived with both on the end of same electronics, but do acknowledge that different electronics can produce a different result..) Sometimes, though, maybe cost isn't necessarily an indicator of relative performance quality.

Yes, that $10k Magico comparison would be interesting. I assume it's a 2-way at that price? Hard to imagine it bettering the 3-way C60.

Great, Kuoppis, thank you! I shall read..

That was very interesting, thanks Kuoppis - and the Magico is 3-way. At the price, I'm pleasantly surprised. Just about all of the writer's comments could easily have applied to the C60 in the context of Sopra 2. What worries me about the Magico S range is what I read from time to time about brightness - this article being no different. Even Alon seems to acknowledge it in this review. I have ears over-sensitive to high frequencies and brightness hurts me before it hurts most folks. Anyway, kind of pointless writing about it as it's all relative. I'll just have to listen for myself in my room. But, great to see a more affordable 3-way Magico.

AJR, since you're familiar with the Sopra and the C60 yours is probably the most accurate reference to relative 'brightness', in my context, that I could hope to get; so that gives me great confidence. A wee bit more forward but without brightness would be perfect. I'll feedback as and when.

Sounds excellent! My C60's were on a Naim amp originally. IME Naim rob the mid bass and bump-up the rest to give a thrilling ride, but one that is therefore compromised in subtle detail, texture.. So I'm used to a lean bass sound. By comparison, the C60's on Gryphon produce a lot more 'wafty' bass than on Naim (bit unfair because it's still very controlled) and I've always had the feeling that the extent of it may interfere with mid and high range a little, in my room, resulting in a bit less excitement to the sound. I don't need to feel my bass - I'm probably older than you! And play a lot of acoustic, female solo etc.. So what you're describing does sound like my nirvana.

I would say that break-in for the C60's was a revelatory experience that I haven't experienced with anything else. After about 200hrs bass generation & focus tightened up enormously from where it was and that Esotar tweeter became so liquid.. It'll be a fascinating comparison.

Originally Posted by eagle3333

I would say that break-in for the C60's was a revelatory experience that I haven't experienced with anything else. After about 200hrs bass generation & focus tightened up enormously from where it was and that Esotar tweeter became so liquid.. It'll be a fascinating comparison.

You would find a similar break-in experience with S3 Mk IIs.

Excellent. When I wrote yesterday, I asked the dealer if his demo' set are run in..

Originally Posted by AJR

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Hope you have as much fun testing as I did.

A word to the wise: I tested the C60s and S3 mk2s numerous times and in that order (and on separate dealer’s systems, which is not ideal of course hence the importance of testing at home with your amp, other gear and room acoustics). After listening to the C60s first then shortly after the Magicos, my first reaction was always ‘where is the visceral bass feeling’ with the Magicos (I am a bass-head so bass is always what jumps out at me first). The Magicos would go deeper and were more precise but I wouldn’t ‘feel’ it like I did with the C60s. I then reversed testing order, would love the bass in the Magicos, and then when I listened to the C60s my immediate reaction was that the bass was a bit ‘flabby’ and too dominant. Once I got over that hump, I then realised that the Magicos had more detail in the mid and high ranges and generally produced a more unified, coherent soundscape. And with ‘better’ bass. So a full 180.

Having listened to them for many hundreds of hours now, particularly now paired with the Diablo, I can say that the bass produced by the S3 mk2s is awesome. Deep, rich, precise and also (when cranked up) visceral.

I have also been toying with the idea of an S-Sub. Not because I feel the S3s lack bass, but to see what the overall sonic improvements will be. That is a project for later this year...

Although I listen mostly to large scale classical and jazz, I came to a similar conclusion regarding the Magico bass after listening at length to Aerial 7Ts, Wilson Sophia 3s, and B&W 802-D3s. If you're not familiar with the Magico bass, IMO it's something of an acquired taste, as AJR describes. Once you've got it, hard to go back.
IMO another advantage of Magico's sealed-box design is that they are less sensitive to room/placement issues to get good results.