Magico S3 or Getz II?

J

j22

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Has anyone directly compared the two speakers?

I have heard S1 and S5 though not the S3 and am quite familiar with Marten having heard quite a few setups. However due to different demo rooms, equipment etc it's quite impossible to make a straight comparison. Magico impresses with its truly 'out of thin air' boxless sound and imaging (particularly S1) and extremely satisfyingly tight, deep bass (S5) where as the Martens can both seduce and thrill with its speed in the mid-highs coupled with rich tonal color and texture (Magico is extremely fast too of course but not as tonally rich).

Amp is a Vitus RI-100 in a ~2000 cu ft room.

I know this does come down to personal preferences - but which would you think provides greater long-term satisfaction?
 
I tried the Vitus RI-100 with my S5 for a couple months. The sound, though enjoyable was slightly on the bland side and I eventually went back to the relatively darker and richer sounding ASR Emitter II amp. I suppose Magico's would mate better with Vitus Class A amps such as the SIA025 than the RI-100.
 
I actually like the S3 better than the S5. I know people will blast me over this, but that's my opinion.
 
Mark - You are not alone in your opinion! There are many Magico fans (including some of their own dealers!) who prefer the S3 to the S5 primarily due to their superior midrange performance. Of course they don't have quite the bass power that the larger model has, but other than that the S3 are believed by some to be more musical overall. The new midrange enclosure that was introduced in the S3 speakers was a significant advance and is now used in some of their newer more expensive designs.
 
I really like the S3 too. Midrange is great and I didn't find it lacking anywhere (like bass). Always liked the footprint too.


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Mark, understand where you are coming from. I actually had a hard time deciding between the two myself. There are pros and cons to both models tbh. In the end I chose the S5s but could have been equally happy with the S3s.

j22, tough choice! To my ears, the mids on the S3s are richer and more focused than say the S5s (I've heard both in the same room, same electronics), so the Vitus may actually pair with the S3s better than a demo of the S1 or S5s would suggest to you. If you like balanced, neutral sound from top to bottom, I think the Magicos are very hard to beat.
 
audio.bill said:
Mark - You are not alone in your opinion! There are many Magico fans (including some of their own dealers!) who prefer the S3 to the S5 primarily due to their superior midrange performance. Of course they don't have quite the bass power that the larger model has, but other than that the S3 are believed by some to be more musical overall. The new midrange enclosure that was introduced in the S3 speakers was a significant advance and is now used in some of their newer more expensive designs.
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Bingo! Totally agree!
 
MDP said:
I actually like the S3 better than the S5. I know people will blast me over this, but that's my opinion.
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LOL, if you are going to be blasted, what about me? :)

I actually preferred the S1 to the S3. Yes, the sound stage was slightly reduced and bass not as extended. But, the S1 was more coherent and transparent and somewhat sweeter. I was quite surprised at this but the dealer smiled and nodded in agreement. Listening to the Q3 subsequently helped to give a perspective to the S1/S3 comparison and to assure myself that my hearing was not skewed.

All were heard in the same SMT treated room, driven by Soulution 5 series CDP, pre and monoblocks + Kubala-Sosna cabling.
 
Thanks all for the input. The Vitus (RI-100)-Marten synergy is quite well proven to my ears which is why that is the 'safer' bet. The ceramic drivers have a very fresh and airy sound (coloration?) that is nice. But the sound does not leave the cabinets as effortlessly as they do on the Magico's, and there can be a bit more bloom and lack of definition in the low end unless placement is done just right.

There's no denying the Magico's superior cabinet (extruded aluminium at 2x the mass of the Marten's MDF boxes) and bass precision, and engineering value for money. As the RI-100 does not have much of the trademark Vitus sweetness that is present in their higher lines, I am worried that the combination might wind up being just a touch too detached for my liking. If this turn out to be the case, I might end up having to add one of their standalone line stages which contributes a good dose of the sweetness the brand is known for.
 
j22 said:
Thanks all for the input. The Vitus (RI-100)-Marten synergy is quite well proven to my ears which is why that is the 'safer' bet. The ceramic drivers have a very fresh and airy sound (coloration?) that is nice. But the sound does not leave the cabinets as effortlessly as they do on the Magico's, and there can be a bit more bloom and lack of definition in the low end unless placement is done just right.

There's no denying the Magico's superior cabinet (extruded aluminium at 2x the mass of the Marten's MDF boxes) and bass precision, and engineering value for money. As the RI-100 does not have much of the trademark Vitus sweetness that is present in their higher lines, I am worried that the combination might wind up being just a touch too detached for my liking. If this turn out to be the case, I might end up having to add one of their standalone line stages which contributes a good dose of the sweetness the brand is known for.
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Not sure where you are located but we have both the RI 100 and the S3's (and S1's and S7's) in our studio in Manhattan. You are welcome to come and listen if you are local. Actually just sold the RI100 yesterday and it will be shipping mid next week, so if you are in the area get in touch and come in for a listen prior to it leaving. We are going to wait until Feb. for our next RI100 as the new Dac option for the RI 100 will be shipping in February. We will also have the new S5MKII sometime in January.
 
Bob, Vitus makes incredible sounding products. Is the RI-100 a Class A topology?
 
j22, the Vitus RI-100 does appear to be a good match for the Magico Q7, at the least. See http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue70/magico_vitus.htm

Given that the S series is more accessible than the Q series (which requires a bit of re-calibration, for lack of a better word, of one's hearing), one may not need the warmer, pure class A, Signature series Vitus amps.

mike, Vitus RI-100 is part of the Reference series so it is class AB.
 
nfnc said:
j22, the Vitus RI-100 does appear to be a good match for the Magico Q7, at the least. See http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue70/magico_vitus.htm

Given that the S series is more accessible than the Q series (which requires a bit of re-calibration, for lack of a better word, of one's hearing), one may not need the warmer, pure class A, Signature series Vitus amps.

mike, Vitus RI-100 is part of the Reference series so it is class AB.
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Thanks. I've only heard the Vitus Class A stuff and was totally smitten with it.
 
Mike said:
Thanks. I've only heard the Vitus Class A stuff and was totally smitten with it.
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Hi Mike, I see your question was already answered. Yes the RI100 is A/B. I find the RI 100 very similar sounding to the SM102 mono amps when I run them in A/B mode. When you push the button and go to the Class Mode on the SM102's then it goes to a different level.

I must say though that with either the RI 100 or the SM102's running in class AB, I never have the feeling that I wish that I was listening to the SM102's in Class A.....until I do listen in Class A and then it's...."oh yeah, now I see".
 
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