Magico A5’s Arrive!!!!

[Mike]

My journey was Devore Nines...then had to add a sub (JL) because I needed more bass. Then I got tired of the sub, and found the Devores too "shouty," and got the A3's. There is plenty (a ton) of bass from these A3's in my (rather alive) room. I could not imagine wanting a sub in my environment; the bass really is fantastic. For our room (the tweeters are 113" on the laser measure from where I sit), I think that the A5's would be too much (just as the Devore X's were when I brought them home to try). I have S3Mk2 and M2 envy, not A5 envy

M2’s....mmmmmm good!

 

[imprezap2]

Yes, I auditioned the V2 and Mini II at Goodwin's High End in Boston. They both sounded excellent, and extremely coherent. About six months later, I went to Sound by Singer in NYC and heard the Mini II and V3, at opposite ends of the same room. The Mini II sounded pretty much as I remembered it sounding, but the V3 seemed to have poor woofer integration with the rest of the drivers. It was not at all coherent. I assumed the set up was fine because I also heard the M5 in a different room that same afternoon. It sounded like a much bigger Mini II. Of all the speakers, only the V3, to my ears, sounded less "of a piece". I could hear the separate drivers. Based on these auditions, I decided to buy the Mini II. I now own the Q3. I have not heard any of the new A series, but I have heard the M Pro, the M2, the M3, the S5 II, the S1, the S7, the Q7, the Q5, the Q1.

I cannot find myself in that statement at all (Poor woofer integration of the V3), I think it must have been the setup you have listened to, Before buying the V3's, I have listened to the V2 and Mini II in the same system, for me the V3 filled the room better then the other two. Playing with them almost ten years now.

Now thinking about the YG Hailey or Magico S3mk II, S5mkII or maybe the M2, we will see where it goes.

The Q3 you have is a great speaker, almost pulled the trigger on them a few years ago, enjoy.

 

[steve59]

I really enjoyed buying and selling used speakers in the $20k new,($10k or so actual)range the last several years as I got to learn how reviewers correlate their listening impressions and how they translate to me, scratch a few off the list, but in regards to this thread I figured out what I need in my room to keep me happy and the A5 is the first product from magico I can look at and consider being able to afford one day that will get the job done.

 

[a.wayne]

Interesting comments , never heard a Magico i thought had too much bass , heard a few setups which had good bass balance , most i have heard tended to be soft in the bass , not lean just soft , they are not really the kind of speakers many would find visceral with jump, mostly noted for good balance ..



Regards

 

[u-sound]

never heard a Magico i thought had too much bass

yes, as corect as that bass from sealed encolsures might measure, i ve always missed the real impact with magico.
well, the q7 driven by the solution 700er monos were absolutely outstanding, so things will depend on the amp to some degrees.
that said, as soon as the a5 is in the shop i will go for a listen. i think it is tuned to allround

 

[Alpinist]

Hi Mike,

How does the Magico A5 compare to the similarly priced Revel Salon 2, which is considered an all-time great speaker at its price point. Please be as specific as you can.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Mike]

Hi Mike,

How does the Magico A5 compare to the similarly priced Revel Salon 2, which is considered an all-time great speaker at its price point. Please be as specific as you can.

Thanks,
Ken

Well, I will do my best.

I had the pleasure of owning the Salon 2’s twice and the Studio 2’s once. It seems like an eternity ago when I bought my first pair of Salon 2’s. I think it was around 2006?

I remember distinctly setting them up, breaking them in for several weeks and then calling Harman Corporation explaining they were broken. Not broken in, broken! THERE WAS NO BASS! How could a big speaker with so many big drivers sound so anemic in the bass?

After several calls and a conversation with Kevin Voecks, it was explained that I needed a bigger boat, no actually, not a boat, a lot more power.

After banishing my puny 300 watt per channel amp and bringing in some 1200 watt per channel amps, the bass improved, but only slightly. It was determined that these speakers NEEDED subs IN MY ROOM. Maybe in a smaller room or a different room they wouldn’t, but in my room, they sure did. I purchased a pair of REL Strata III’s (remember those?) and I was off to the races.

I lived on and off with Salon 2’s/Studio 2’s for a number of years. I never found a better pairing than the Studio 2’s with ARC REF250’s and a REF5SE. What an amazing combination! Even though the Studio 2’s are the little brother, in some ways, they were better than the Salon 2’s.

I still consider the tweeter on the Salon 2’s/Studio 2’s one of the best. Right up there with Magico’s diamond coated BE tweeter, Vivid’s unique tweeter, the Lansche plasma tweeter and pure diamond tweeters like you find on the Tidal and Estelon speakers.

That being said, in addition to light in the bass, the Salon2/Studio2 had a slightly congested/boxy sound compared to a modern speaker like the A5 which is built in a solid aluminum cabinet with newer driver technology (especially the new midrange which allows the bass drivers to really do their thing). Also, the Salon2/Studio2 never really “disappeared” in the sense that the A5’s do. I also think the A5 driver integration is more seamless. They really have this planar magnetic type seamless imaging thanks to removing cabinet resonances and seamless driver integration and new driver materials. Of course, the M series takes these benefits to a whole new level and beyond.

And let’s not forget, the bass of the A5’s is incredible. I would say, unparalleled at it’s price point. The Salon 2’s IN MY ROOM lacked bass and needed subs. I hate the term “needed subs”, because I think subs really augment and add, but in the case of the Salon 2’s in my room, they NEEDED subs.

But let’s put things in perspective. The Salon 2’s have been out, what, 15 years? It’s taken many manufacturers this amount of time to just catch up and a few to surpass an amazing, award winning speaker such as the Salon 2, which by the way, despite being discontinued, is STILL on the Stereophile Class A list.

But someone shopping today, would be hard pressed to pick a Salon 2 over a new Magico A5 IMO. The A5 is that good. Finally a new ~$20K champ for me and I’m sure, many others.

 

[Alpinist]

Thank you Mike for that in-depth comparison. I owned the Revel Salon 2’s for three years and I agree with your assessment, especially regarding the bass. The bass would only fill in at higher volume levels. At low to medium volume levels, it was insufficient. The Salon 2’s bass greatly benefited from the speakers being placed close to the front corners of the room. However, I really enjoyed their ultra smooth tweeter and cohesive mid-range.

Time marches on and it sounds like the A5’s have surpassed the Salon 2’s in bass response, imaging and reduced cabinet resonances. Nice job by Magico.

Ken

 

[nile49]

Thanks Mike. Very informative and particularly relevant comparison for me having owned the Studio 2’s for several years. Those speakers definitely provided the peak of performance I personally have achieved. That said they really only worked truly great with 1 out of a half dozen amplifiers I had on them (albeit much more modest choices). I had them in a diagonal firing setup for a while and the imaging from anywhere in the room was boggling. Definitely miss that.

I continue to really enjoy my easygoing, fun Klipsch system but watch this space as I would love a true hi-res audiophile system á la the Revels again! Have always been a big Magico fan and these look amazing.


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[jkscherk]

But someone shopping today, would be hard pressed to pick a Salon 2 over a new Magico A5 IMO. The A5 is that good. Finally a new ~$20K champ for me and I’m sure, many others.

I find great interest in this comment. I was a Magico A3 owner for about 6 months and thought they were just a great speaker. Very easy to listen to. Super bass and very good transparency with a huge soundstage. However, I got an opportunity to pickup a new pair of Salon2s for little incremental investment so decided to make the move, as I always have wanted to try them. Had both pairs in the same room at the same time with the same gear. I thought the Salon2 had better clarity in the midrange compared to the A3. I have no lack of bass in my setup and I think that may be in part due to the massive power going into them.

BUT.......if the A5 is a significant improvement in midrage clarity over the A3 (and it sounds like it is) I would certainly think picking them over a Salon2 is very tempting. If for no other reason, I think the placement of an A5 is going to be easier due to the sealed enclosure and it seems a bit less intrusive in your room. While the A5 is actually heavier, the Salon2 is quite a bit larger; it is a rather imposing item in your living room! However, there will likely be a big $ upgrade cost to make that happen and whether the $ difference is justified by the performance difference remains to be seen.

Can't wait to hear the A5s. But with current circumstances its going to be awhile!

 

[PeterA]

I cannot find myself in that statement at all (Poor woofer integration of the V3), I think it must have been the setup you have listened to, Before buying the V3's, I have listened to the V2 and Mini II in the same system, for me the V3 filled the room better then the other two. Playing with them almost ten years now.

Now thinking about the YG Hailey or Magico S3mk II, S5mkII or maybe the M2, we will see where it goes.

The Q3 you have is a great speaker, almost pulled the trigger on them a few years ago, enjoy.

Thanks about the Q3. I agree, great speaker, especially at today's used prices. It may very well have been the set up, but this was at the same dealer in NYC and the others speakers sounded very coherent. Room fill and coherency are two different things. The V3 is a bigger speaker than either the V2 or Mini II. Or, that lower woofer in the V3, separated from the mid/tweeter so much means that one has to sit further away for the drivers to integrate. I don't know. It was a small room in NYC. Glad you like them.

 

[Mike]

I find great interest in this comment. I was a Magico A3 owner for about 6 months and thought they were just a great speaker. Very easy to listen to. Super bass and very good transparency with a huge soundstage. However, I got an opportunity to pickup a new pair of Salon2s for little incremental investment so decided to make the move, as I always have wanted to try them. Had both pairs in the same room at the same time with the same gear. I thought the Salon2 had better clarity in the midrange compared to the A3. I have no lack of bass in my setup and I think that may be in part due to the massive power going into them.

BUT.......if the A5 is a significant improvement in midrage clarity over the A3 (and it sounds like it is) I would certainly think picking them over a Salon2 is very tempting. If for no other reason, I think the placement of an A5 is going to be easier due to the sealed enclosure and it seems a bit less intrusive in your room. While the A5 is actually heavier, the Salon2 is quite a bit larger; it is a rather imposing item in your living room! However, there will likely be a big $ upgrade cost to make that happen and whether the $ difference is justified by the performance difference remains to be seen.

Can't wait to hear the A5s. But with current circumstances its going to be awhile!

Welcome to Audioshark.

 

[Alpinist]

I find great interest in this comment. I was a Magico A3 owner for about 6 months and thought they were just a great speaker. Very easy to listen to. Super bass and very good transparency with a huge soundstage. However, I got an opportunity to pickup a new pair of Salon2s for little incremental investment so decided to make the move, as I always have wanted to try them. Had both pairs in the same room at the same time with the same gear. I thought the Salon2 had better clarity in the midrange compared to the A3. I have no lack of bass in my setup and I think that may be in part due to the massive power going into them.

BUT.......if the A5 is a significant improvement in midrage clarity over the A3 (and it sounds like it is) I would certainly think picking them over a Salon2 is very tempting. If for no other reason, I think the placement of an A5 is going to be easier due to the sealed enclosure and it seems a bit less intrusive in your room. While the A5 is actually heavier, the Salon2 is quite a bit larger; it is a rather imposing item in your living room! However, there will likely be a big $ upgrade cost to make that happen and whether the $ difference is justified by the performance difference remains to be seen.

Can't wait to hear the A5s. But with current circumstances its going to be awhile!

If you liked the A3’s, I would think the A5’s would be worth a serious listen. I also owned the Salon 2’s before I purchased the Vandersteen 7 Mk2’s and they were excellent speakers, but over time, newer technology eventually usurps even the best components.

Ken

 

[imprezap2]

Thanks about the Q3. I agree, great speaker, especially at today's used prices. It may very well have been the set up, but this was at the same dealer in NYC and the others speakers sounded very coherent. Room fill and coherency are two different things. The V3 is a bigger speaker than either the V2 or Mini II. Or, that lower woofer in the V3, separated from the mid/tweeter so much means that one has to sit further away for the drivers to integrate. I don't know. It was a small room in NYC. Glad you like them.

If the distance between woofer and mid would be an issue it means that also Magico's S3mk1/2, S5mk1/2 and M2 would not be coherent, ofcourse a point source is the best option. But Magico's are not designed that way.

 

[PeterA]

If the distance between woofer and mid would be an issue it means that also Magico's S3mk1/2, S5mk1/2 and M2 would not be coherent, ofcourse a point source is the best option. But Magico's are not designed that way.

Yes, that makes sense. All I'm saying is that when I auditioned the V3, I found it less coherent than any other MAgico speaker I've heard. That's all. I don't know the reason, but I clearly heard the woofers separate from the mid/tweeter. MIght have been set up or something else. Magico is usually extremely coherent. I have always thought that is one of their strengths.

Anyway, I don't want this thread aobut the A5 to get any more sidetracked. Sorry.

 

[Q3Di]

Hi Mike,

Very nice speakers. Will you able to pair them with Pass INT60/250 and share your thought? Thanks

 

[Mike]

Hi Mike,

Very nice speakers. Will you able to pair them with Pass INT60/250 and share your thought? Thanks

For sure. But I don’t see us back in the store until we are given the ok to return to work from the Governor. I can imagine the INT-250 with the A5’s would be unbelievably good. The Boulder integrated was fantastic on them as well.

 

[Calvin]

Hi Mike,

Very nice speakers. Will you able to pair them with Pass INT60/250 and share your thought? Thanks

i have the A3s paired with Pass 260.8s and XP-22 and they are absolutely amazing. The A5s are very tempting and I have no doubt that they would sound good with the Pass INT 60/250.

 

[PeterA]

I have always thought that Pass and Magico is a great combination. Sadly, there are not many dealers that carry both brands.

 

[Mike]

I have always thought that Pass and Magico is a great combination. Sadly, there are not many dealers that carry both brands.

There are not many dealers that carry Pass, and I think you know why. I do, because I like Nelson and the entire team and love the product.