Thread: Magico S5 mk3

Originally Posted by Ritmo

Interestingly, the S5 MK2 were launched in 2017. So a 7 year product cycle is not bad at all.

+1 And the S5 MkII has been difficult to significantly improve upon at its price point.

Any idea what the price point will be on these?

Originally Posted by brodricj

North of $50k MSRP would be my wild guess.

I'd bet closer to $70K. Probably undercutting Alexia V be a few k.

Similar to how S3 is a slightly "more affordable" than the Sasha V in MSRP.

Nice. I purchased the S5 Mk2 about six years ago and am intrigued by the Mk3 version. I agree that the price will be between $60-$70K. I have contacted my local dealer to inquire about availability and cost.

MAGICO S5 2024 PR — Magico Loudspeakers

Originally Posted by Mike

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Looks very good. Only wished they would have listed the MSRP. Do we know when Magic will announce pricing?

Hi Mike,

Thank you for the pricing. That is significantly more than I anticipated. I might be listening to my S5 MkII for many many more years....

Originally Posted by Mike

$74,500/pair in S5 Softec. $83,000/pair in S5 Gloss.

Anyone interested in a pair needs to contact me before the end of April to take advantage of our trade-in/trade-up program.


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A $30K price increase! That seems excessive.

Originally Posted by Vinyl Lives

A $30K price increase! That seems excessive.

Well it does compare in US MSRP to the Wilson Alexia V which starts at 71 K now.

I also feel your pain on the crazy pricing of everything (not just “high-end” audio) but, If something of a particular worth exceeds your sense of value, ignore it, don't make the purchase. Value of all things is in the eye of the beholder. You vote with your wallet :-)

Originally Posted by Mike

With Magico, I can see where the money goes. Clearly.

They aren’t over inflated psycho acoustic nonsense speakers in cheap Chinese cabinets with tiny drivers and a bright tweeter with exorbitant pricing.


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Agree. Magico has improved the speaker throughout with next-gen drivers, larger cabinets for improved bass response, and tweaks to the cross-over. However, with that said a MSRP of $75K is significantly higher than the current list price of the outgoing Mk2.

While I have a great affinity for high-end audio, especially Magico speakers, forgive me if I find myself pondering the steep prices associated with such premium audio equipment.

Just for proportion, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class begins at $63,350 and can climb to $73,540 based on the chosen trim and optional features. Perhaps not reaching the heights of Porsche car and prices, but still offers a blend of luxury, performance, and advanced technology in a stylish and sophisticated package.

Originally Posted by exupgh12

While I have a great affinity for high-end audio, especially Magico speakers, forgive me if I find myself pondering the steep prices associated with such premium audio equipment.

Just for proportion, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class begins at $63,350 and can climb to $73,540 based on the chosen trim and optional features. Perhaps not reaching the heights of Porsche car and prices, but still offers a blend of luxury, performance, and advanced technology in a stylish and sophisticated package.

Although we, as audio folks, find ourselves chained to a boutique industry with limited economies of scale possibilities, I also find myself thinking about key component (especially speaker) price proportionality in relation to more widely understood car prices.

I think that in percentage price differential between S3 mk1 to S5Mk1, and S3 mk2 to S5 mk2 was much less then what we see with S3 m3 to S5 mk3. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Originally Posted by Mike

So was inflation at the time.


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Mike, I meant the price difference between the S3 and S5 in each generation.
It appears to me that the price gap percentage between the current generation S3 and S5 is higher than in previous generations.

Originally Posted by exupgh12

Mike, I meant the price difference between the S3 and S5 in each generation.
It appears to me that the price gap percentage between the current generation S3 and S5 is higher than in previous generations.

Not to defend these crazy prices, but did you see the size of this thing? The new S5 is substantially bigger than the prior generations, which were similar in size and construction to each other. It's a different speaker altogether (like the new S3).

Originally Posted by Henry303

Not to defend these crazy prices, but did you see the size of this thing? The new S5 is substantially bigger than the prior generations, which were similar in size and construction to each other. It's a different speaker altogether (like the new S3).

I get that completely; ~4 feet tall and 262 lbs is a lot of speaker. As a Magico A5 user, I have no doubt the performance jump from the S5 mk2 to the S5 2024 will be equal to or beyond that of the S3 2023 to its predecessor.

My contention is, speaking from my perspective, there is a downside to Magico moving the price point further upmarket. Instead of booking an S5 2024 order immediately to replace the A5 in my system, I will most certainly shop every alternative I can audition. And there are numerous exceptional speakers in the $75K-$85K MSRP price point.

For example, I auditioned the Goebel Divin Marquis recently and was very impressed. At the time I thought its $90K MSRP disqualified it from consideration. With the Magico release of the S5 2024, the Goebel is now in play and, IMO, it is the one of the benchmarks I will use for comparison.

Maybe (hopefully?) the S5 2024 will meet or exceed the performance of the competition. But the competition is now being drawn from a larger, deeper pool.

Originally Posted by Henry303

Not to defend these crazy prices, but did you see the size of this thing? The new S5 is substantially bigger than the prior generations, which were similar in size and construction to each other. It's a different speaker altogether (like the new S3).

The same can be said for the S3 2023; however, the price increase in percentage was not nearly as significant as that of the S5 2024 (despite new S5 being taller and larger, it is only 17 kg heavier than the S3 2023).

For less than half the price difference between the S3 2023 and the S5 2024, one could purchase the new S-Sub, which can pressurize a larger room and effectively address many of the acoustic issues commonly experienced in most rooms.

Originally Posted by mxk116

I get that completely; ~4 feet tall and 262 lbs is a lot of speaker. As a Magico A5 user, I have no doubt the performance jump from the S5 mk2 to the S5 2024 will be equal to or beyond that of the S3 2023 to its predecessor.

My contention is, speaking from my perspective, there is a downside to Magico moving the price point further upmarket. Instead of booking an S5 2024 order immediately to replace the A5 in my system, I will most certainly shop every alternative I can audition. And there are numerous exceptional speakers in the $75K-$85K MSRP price point.

For example, I auditioned the Goebel Divin Marquis recently and was very impressed. At the time I thought its $90K MSRP disqualified it from consideration. With the Magico release of the S5 2024, the Goebel is now in play and, IMO, it is the one of the benchmarks I will use for comparison.

Maybe (hopefully?) the S5 2024 will meet or exceed the performance of the competition. But the competition is now being drawn from a larger, deeper pool.

I am a bit more cohesive in my preferences, so speakers like Goebel or any other line-source tweeter with conventional mids/bass are not something that I am interested in.

I never considered Magico a bargain product (although the value is evident to me). For those who value the Magico proposition (all around, not just cost), finding a replacement at any price will be hard. In fact, I would argue that in the high-end, the more expensive the speakers, the worse the engineering, and usually the sound, gets.

Originally Posted by exupgh12

The same can be said for the S3 2023; however, the price increase in percentage was not nearly as significant as that of the S5 2024 (despite new S5 being taller and larger, it is only 17 kg heavier than the S3 2023).

For less than half the price difference between the S3 2023 and the S5 2024, one could purchase the new S-Sub, which can pressurize a larger room and effectively address many of the acoustic issues commonly experienced in most rooms.

S3 plus subs will not do what the S5 will do (they will do other things). The most significant advantage to a bigger speaker like the S5 is the extra-moving surface at the power region, typically 100hz-400hz. A sub will not help there.

Originally Posted by Henry303

I am a bit more cohesive in my preferences, so speakers like Goebel or any other line-source tweeter with conventional mids/bass are not something that I am interested in.

I never considered Magico a bargain product (although the value is evident to me). For those who value the Magico proposition (all around, not just cost), finding a replacement at any price will be hard. In fact, I would argue that in the high-end, the more expensive the speakers, the worse the engineering, and usually the sound, gets.

@Henry303 Have you had the opportunity to hear any of the Goebel speakers in person?

Originally Posted by Henry303

S3 plus subs will not do what the S5 will do (they will do other things). The most significant advantage to a bigger speaker like the S5 is the extra-moving surface at the power region, typically 100hz-400hz. A sub will not help there.

Henry, what you're saying might indeed be true regarding the 150-400Hz range (of course, it greatly depends on the room), but have you had the chance to listen to the latest S3 with the new S-Sub? At last year's Munich High End show, I had the opportunity to hear Magico demonstrate both in a large room, and the results were exceptional.

Why did Magico switch to foam surrounds in the latest versions (S3 2023 and S5 2024) of the S-series speakers?

Dear Everyone:

As a Magico S5 Mk2 owner I am considering upgrading to the newer version. However, after reading last night I discovered that on the newer speakers that Magico switched to using a foam surrounds on the midrange and woofers. My Mk2 version have rubber surrounds.

From what I have read on-line modern foam surrounds are made from polyether and they generally last 15-20 years while in contrast rubber surrounds can readily last 30-40 years.

I have read commentary that Magico's foam surrounds will last several decades.

A few questions I have:

1) Does anyone have technical specifications on the type of foam that Magico uses in their surrounds?

2) How does Magico know that the foam surrounds will last several decades? Have they exposed the surrounds to humid environments, UV lights, and ozone and determined that that surrounds did not fail after exposure that would be typical after a 20 lifetime?

3) Maybe I am being a bit conservative here, but using a less durable material on a $75000 MSRP speakers seems perplexing to me. Do other manufacturers use foam surrounds at this price point?

If I buy this speaker I am planning on keeping it for several decades. There is no guarantee that if the surrounds fail after 15-20 years that one will be able to source new surrounds; Magico might not even be in business 20 years from now to source new drivers. Hence my concerns and questions.

Lastly, I am not being critical of Magico's decision, but trying to understand what materials were used and what tests were performed on the newer foam surrounds to guarantee their longevity.

Originally Posted by exupgh12

Henry, what you're saying might indeed be true regarding the 150-400Hz range (of course, it greatly depends on the room), but have you had the chance to listen to the latest S3 with the new S-Sub? At last year's Munich High End show, I had the opportunity to hear Magico demonstrate both in a large room, and the results were exceptional.

I have no doubt that a good sub can do wonders. I am just saying that S3 + Sub doesn't equal an S5. Depending on the room, a good sub can benefit any full-range loudspeaker (S5 included), but not in the power region.

Originally Posted by a.wayne

I

I don’t believe its a concern as Magico knows by the time you upgrade to a Mk4 the surrounds will still be perfect.


Regards

Given the (almost) $30K price increase from the S5 Mk2 to the S5 Mk3, I would NOT consider an upgrade to the Mk4 if and when it comes out. I plan to retire in the next six years so this purchase would have to last a good 25 years for the ROI to make sense. Otherwise, I will just keep the Mk2 which are no slouch of a loudspeaker by any means.