Magico S5 update

Mike said:
I have tremendous respect for Magico and everything the company has accomplished. I believe Magico, Focal, Wilson and Raidho are all at the top of their games. I truly would own the M Projects in a second, and still think about a pair of S3's or S1's - and still have a soft spot for Q1's, but to be honest, for me, they lacked soul - or as my friend Paul says, Audiophile sound vs Music.

I just couldn't get emotionally into the music. I would listen for 45 minutes or so, and meh, nothing. I remember having this discussion with Jock (The Professor) at the time and he told me he felt the same way about his Q1's.....so I was glad it wasn't just me. But I blame the lack of synergy with my amps more than the speakers.

To be perfectly fair, if I had tried CJ, Pass or Vitus on them, it could have been a completely different story. I tried McIntosh, D'Agostino, VAC and several others and just didn't find the right synergy for me.

.....
Click to expand...

I wonder if something was wrong with your S5. I can't imagine any synergy problems with the equipment you listed. Aren't these went to BlueFox, that is now saying, after getting them fixed by Magico, sounding better than they did when he first got them?
 
LVB said:
I wonder if something was wrong with your S5. I can't imagine any synergy problems with the equipment you listed. Aren't these went to BlueFox, that is now saying, after getting them fixed by Magico, sounding better than they did when he first got them?
Click to expand...

There was nothing wrong with them. Bud bought them and blew them up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BlueFox said:
...

Anyway, while I have no proof, the speakers seem to be working the best since I got them. The volume appears balanced between both speakers, with neither side being dominate. The sound is ultra clear, clean, and precise...
Click to expand...

Perhaps...
 
I have no idea. He is just reading more into the thread than what is there. Although after getting them both fixed they are working great. It is easy to speculate that if I also damaged the left cross-over (cracked resistor) at the same time as toasting the right then that means for almost 4 months the left was not working at 100%. On the other hand, it is also possible that while shipping from CA to FL something could have happened that weakened the resistor, or it is possible that could have happened while being shipped from FL to CA. Then when I had the incident, it could have exacerbated the issue, but it is all speculation

Anyway, who cares. They are working great now, and that is all that matters.
 
Mike said:
To be perfectly fair, if I had tried CJ, Pass or Vitus on them, it could have been a completely different story. I tried McIntosh, D'Agostino, VAC and several others and just didn't find the right synergy for me.
Click to expand...

Mike, what McIntosh amp did you try with the S5's? I am looking at a pair of S5's and have MC601's, but may also move to a pair of MC2301's.


B
 
Thanks for reviving this thread. It brings back fond memories. Along the update line, the S5s are working, and sounding, great. A few weeks ago I was able to hear the new S7 along with the S5, and while the S7 was obviously better, the S5 is very close if not in direct comparison.
 
I recently sold my S5's to a local audiophile who had asked if he could hear them first. So I pushed back my M-Projects and moved the S5's into their spot and listened for a while. This was the first time I had heard them properly (I had an electrical problem that was only solved after I upgraded to M-Pros). Man they rocked.

When the buyer came over to listen, he brought his own source (transport & DAC) and played some Boz Scaggs, Norah Jones, Allison Krauss and the sound was melt-in-your-seat beautiful.

The S5 really is a great speaker.
 
BlueFox said:
Thanks for reviving this thread. It brings back fond memories. Along the update line, the S5s are working, and sounding, great. A few weeks ago I was able to hear the new S7 along with the S5, and while the S7 was obviously better, the S5 is very close if not in direct comparison.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear. That being said though, in between the time of the release of the S5 and the S7, we have seen S3's, M Projects, Q7 mk2's and more. The trickle down of some of those lessons learned must be enormous.
 
Mike said:
That's good to hear. That being said though, in between the time of the release of the S5 and the S7, we have seen S3's, M Projects, Q7 mk2's and more. The trickle down of some of those lessons learned must be enormous.
Click to expand...

Is it? Is the bar moving that much and that quickly? I really like Magico but it's one of those brands that I won't purchase again simply because I'm looking for a greater value for my purchase. By that I don't mean sound quality for the dollar (a measure by which Magico at last equals some of the best speakers I've heard), but rather to buy something less consumable. Less disposable. Less subject to upgrades. This measure is different for each of us obviously, but if I invest $30,000+ in a speaker I want to be satisfied for a long (long long) time and not be worrying about the new models and revisions with trickle down technologies every 1 or 2 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Kev - you make a good point and if you have found a speaker that does it for you, that's great. I think they're are two types of buyers: one's who shop for a good sounding, involving speaker - such as Harbeth for example and are quite content. Then there is the other group who is fascinated with the latest and greatest in speaker technology: carbon fiber this, diamond that, ceramic this and so on. That's typically a buyer who is fascinated with the specs and measurements, but to be fair, also the advancement of modern sounding speakers.

There are those companies that are happy every 5 years or so to tweak the old BBC standard and there are those companies flush with R&D and bright young engineers pushing the envelope.

No right or wrong, just different choices and it's nice for us to have options.
 
kev313 said:
Is it? Is the bar moving that much and that quickly? I really like Magico but it's one of those brands that I won't purchase again simply because I'm looking for a greater value for my purchase. By that I don't mean sound quality for the dollar (a measure by which Magico at last equals some of the best speakers I've heard), but rather to buy something less consumable. Less disposable. Less subject to upgrades. This measure is different for each of us obviously, but if I invest $30,000+ in a speaker I want to be satisfied for a long (long long) time and not be worrying about the new models and revisions with trickle down technologies every 1 or 2 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

That's where buying a used pair of Magicos can be a great deal and long term value. I've got a pair of Mini IIs that sound as good as the day I bought them. They will stay in my system until Magico designs a new Mini with the M Project technology trickled down. It may never happen, and I may not be able to afford it, but imagine a Mini with the new tweeter and midrange enclosure, curved carbon sides in a beautiful package like the Mini II.
 
Mike said:
I had the 601's. 2301's are phenomenal amps.
Click to expand...

So the million dollar question is do you think the MC2301's have enough current to drive the Magico's, or should I be considering just using my 601's or perhaps looking at the MC1.2K's?
 
briweed said:
So the million dollar question is do you think the MC2301's have enough current to drive the Magico's, or should I be considering just using my 601's or perhaps looking at the MC1.2K's?
Click to expand...

2301's = definitely.
 
kev313 said:
Is it? Is the bar moving that much and that quickly? I really like Magico but it's one of those brands that I won't purchase again simply because I'm looking for a greater value for my purchase. By that I don't mean sound quality for the dollar (a measure by which Magico at last equals some of the best speakers I've heard), but rather to buy something less consumable. Less disposable. Less subject to upgrades. This measure is different for each of us obviously, but if I invest $30,000+ in a speaker I want to be satisfied for a long (long long) time and not be worrying about the new models and revisions with trickle down technologies every 1 or 2 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Hey Kev,

I think it all comes down to value of the upgrade to the potential buyer. If the upgrade was a driver upgrade, or crossover update, and I auditioned and heard it and it was meh, totally agree with you. I wouldn't update for the sake of updating. But the S7 over the S5 has new drivers, new crossover, new enclosure for the midrange, and a a new coupling system. I'm sure I'm missing something, too. But after hearing the S7 side-by-side with the S5, it is not subtle, the S7 is a significant upgrade over the S5. To my ears, they are definitely worth it. Others may not agree of course. I certainly appreciate the advancements Magico has been making. I can hear it in each new speaker I hear from them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top