FlexibleAudio
Member
Neither does drinking and turning your stereo up too loud.:snicker:
New Magico speakers arriving 04/2015!
- Thread starter Bodhi
- Start date
Neither does drinking and turning your stereo up too loud.:snicker:
BlueFox
New member
Just received this Absolute sound newsletter in the email. JV on speakers $20k and above.
"Now for the bad news: The sound was…well, not terrible exactly, but mediocre at best (with a smaller-than-usual number of exceptions). I believe I voiced the same complaint last year about the Westin O’Hare, whose rooms simply don’t sound very good (especially in comparison to the very good sounding rooms at AXPONA Chicago’s original, but considerably less capacious venue, the Doubletree). As a result, with one exception I heard nothing that screamed: “You’ve got to review me!”That said I did get to hear several interesting speakers I’ve not heard before, and to revisit several old favorites. So…on with the show (report).
[h=3]Five Most Significant Exhibits[/h]
Magico Q7 MkII
Magico’s flagship dynamic floorstander, the massive, aluminum-enclosed, five-driver, four-way $229kQ7 MkII—updated with parts (Mundorf MCap Supreme Evo capacitors), drivers (28mm diamond-coated beryllium tweeter and 6" graphene midrange), and technologies developed for Magico’s M Project loudspeaker—made its U.S. debut in Chicago in the Musical Surroundings suite on the twelfth floor, driven by Aesthetix electronics and sourced by Clearaudio’s humongous Statement turntable (equipped with Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement cartridge).
On Day One of the show (Friday), the Q7 MkII was paired with Magico’s enormous $36k QSub-18—a 570-pound, aluminum-boxed bruiser with dual 18" drivers that Magico claims is capable of 136dB SPLs down to 15Hz! Apparently what the QSub-18 was not capable of—at least in the Westin O’Hare’s lousy rooms—was a seamless blend with the Q7 MkIIs, as there was obvious suckout in the upper bass and power range on the great RCA/Decca recording Witches Brew, leaving the upper mids and treble way too “exposed.”
However, on my return visit to the room on Day Two (Saturday) the problems in the upper bass and lower mids had been almost completely cured, apparently by removing the QSub-18 (which had been set up via long-distance data transfer and phone conversations—not the best way to do such a thing) from the system and the room. The sonic improvements were night-and-day dramatic, as the Q7 Mk II now sounded superb, with terrific color power range weight and midrange resolution. Oh, there may still have been a little too much upper-mid and treble range energy, but on the basis of my own experience with Magico’s genuinely superb new tweeter and midrange driver I’d be willing to bet the farm that this was a room or ancillary-related issue, as the new Magico diamond/beryllium tweeter is anything but bright. Although it is hard to describe and easy to hear, these new Magicos (Q7 MkII and M Project) start and stop with a speed I’ve simply never heard before from any other transducers (i.e., without the usual smearing and ringing). Something is very right about these drivers, crossovers, and enclosures. Our Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley will be reviewing the Q7 MkII in the near future."
AXPONA Chicago 2015: Loudspeakers $20k and Up | The Absolute Sound
"Now for the bad news: The sound was…well, not terrible exactly, but mediocre at best (with a smaller-than-usual number of exceptions). I believe I voiced the same complaint last year about the Westin O’Hare, whose rooms simply don’t sound very good (especially in comparison to the very good sounding rooms at AXPONA Chicago’s original, but considerably less capacious venue, the Doubletree). As a result, with one exception I heard nothing that screamed: “You’ve got to review me!”That said I did get to hear several interesting speakers I’ve not heard before, and to revisit several old favorites. So…on with the show (report).
[h=3]Five Most Significant Exhibits[/h]
Magico Q7 MkII
Magico’s flagship dynamic floorstander, the massive, aluminum-enclosed, five-driver, four-way $229kQ7 MkII—updated with parts (Mundorf MCap Supreme Evo capacitors), drivers (28mm diamond-coated beryllium tweeter and 6" graphene midrange), and technologies developed for Magico’s M Project loudspeaker—made its U.S. debut in Chicago in the Musical Surroundings suite on the twelfth floor, driven by Aesthetix electronics and sourced by Clearaudio’s humongous Statement turntable (equipped with Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement cartridge).
On Day One of the show (Friday), the Q7 MkII was paired with Magico’s enormous $36k QSub-18—a 570-pound, aluminum-boxed bruiser with dual 18" drivers that Magico claims is capable of 136dB SPLs down to 15Hz! Apparently what the QSub-18 was not capable of—at least in the Westin O’Hare’s lousy rooms—was a seamless blend with the Q7 MkIIs, as there was obvious suckout in the upper bass and power range on the great RCA/Decca recording Witches Brew, leaving the upper mids and treble way too “exposed.”
However, on my return visit to the room on Day Two (Saturday) the problems in the upper bass and lower mids had been almost completely cured, apparently by removing the QSub-18 (which had been set up via long-distance data transfer and phone conversations—not the best way to do such a thing) from the system and the room. The sonic improvements were night-and-day dramatic, as the Q7 Mk II now sounded superb, with terrific color power range weight and midrange resolution. Oh, there may still have been a little too much upper-mid and treble range energy, but on the basis of my own experience with Magico’s genuinely superb new tweeter and midrange driver I’d be willing to bet the farm that this was a room or ancillary-related issue, as the new Magico diamond/beryllium tweeter is anything but bright. Although it is hard to describe and easy to hear, these new Magicos (Q7 MkII and M Project) start and stop with a speed I’ve simply never heard before from any other transducers (i.e., without the usual smearing and ringing). Something is very right about these drivers, crossovers, and enclosures. Our Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley will be reviewing the Q7 MkII in the near future."
AXPONA Chicago 2015: Loudspeakers $20k and Up | The Absolute Sound
Just received this Absolute sound newsletter in the email. JV on speakers $20k and above.
"Now for the bad news: The sound was…well, not terrible exactly, but mediocre at best (with a smaller-than-usual number of exceptions). I believe I voiced the same complaint last year about the Westin O’Hare, whose rooms simply don’t sound very good (especially in comparison to the very good sounding rooms at AXPONA Chicago’s original, but considerably less capacious venue, the Doubletree). As a result, with one exception I heard nothing that screamed: “You’ve got to review me!”That said I did get to hear several interesting speakers I’ve not heard before, and to revisit several old favorites. So…on with the show (report).
Five Most Significant Exhibits
Magico Q7 MkII
Magico’s flagship dynamic floorstander, the massive, aluminum-enclosed, five-driver, four-way $229kQ7 MkII—updated with parts (Mundorf MCap Supreme Evo capacitors), drivers (28mm diamond-coated beryllium tweeter and 6" graphene midrange), and technologies developed for Magico’s M Project loudspeaker—made its U.S. debut in Chicago in the Musical Surroundings suite on the twelfth floor, driven by Aesthetix electronics and sourced by Clearaudio’s humongous Statement turntable (equipped with Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement cartridge).
On Day One of the show (Friday), the Q7 MkII was paired with Magico’s enormous $36k QSub-18—a 570-pound, aluminum-boxed bruiser with dual 18" drivers that Magico claims is capable of 136dB SPLs down to 15Hz! Apparently what the QSub-18 was not capable of—at least in the Westin O’Hare’s lousy rooms—was a seamless blend with the Q7 MkIIs, as there was obvious suckout in the upper bass and power range on the great RCA/Decca recording Witches Brew, leaving the upper mids and treble way too “exposed.”
However, on my return visit to the room on Day Two (Saturday) the problems in the upper bass and lower mids had been almost completely cured, apparently by removing the QSub-18 (which had been set up via long-distance data transfer and phone conversations—not the best way to do such a thing) from the system and the room. The sonic improvements were night-and-day dramatic, as the Q7 Mk II now sounded superb, with terrific color power range weight and midrange resolution. Oh, there may still have been a little too much upper-mid and treble range energy, but on the basis of my own experience with Magico’s genuinely superb new tweeter and midrange driver I’d be willing to bet the farm that this was a room or ancillary-related issue, as the new Magico diamond/beryllium tweeter is anything but bright. Although it is hard to describe and easy to hear, these new Magicos (Q7 MkII and M Project) start and stop with a speed I’ve simply never heard before from any other transducers (i.e., without the usual smearing and ringing). Something is very right about these drivers, crossovers, and enclosures. Our Editor-in-Chief Robert Harley will be reviewing the Q7 MkII in the near future."
AXPONA Chicago 2015: Loudspeakers $20k and Up | The Absolute Sound
Bud,
Thanks for posting. I was glad to see that my diminutive D3's got a mention amongst these beautiful high-powered behemoths. Luckily I haven't had the mid-bass issues JV references. Pretty smooth sailing since I added the Kimber Select ICs and SCs.
Best,
Ken
MDP
Behavior Moderator (be nice police!)
Glad to hear it Ken! I really thought you would end up happy.
BlueFox
New member
Ken, you need to turn it up and find out how loud they can play. Inquiring minds want to know.
Ken, you need to turn it up and find out how loud they can play. Inquiring minds want to know.
+1
- Thread Author
- #488
Thanks for your insight Vapor, quite interesting! Btw, here is a pic of an S5 with the front CNC-milled baffle, drivers and crossover installed from the Soundstage review. I'm not sure if this was just a mock up? If not, then it would appear that the 3 layer mats applied to the curved alu cabinet are the only insulation used :doubtful:.
Attachments
bzr
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2014
- Messages
- 2,033
Answer me this! What are your three biggest materials in building a speaker & for what reason. Magico are not the first,... they won't be the last! At the moment they have the floor! I beg to differ, but then again i argue regularly about sound with some in the industry......but thats just my opinion.... stop this madness!
I had a listen to the Q5 today in HK with Constellation amps with Avid table with Zesto phono.
Really excellent sounding speaker and really love the look of them - in person they are really cool.
I was surprised the S5 is taller and wider than the Q5. It is quite a bit larger than I thought. In person the looks of the S5 seemed to make the Q5 look even better. You can definitely see where your additional $$ go with the Q5.
BTW, HK has 2 of their 9 M models left if anyone wants to snap one up:exciting:
Cheers
Really excellent sounding speaker and really love the look of them - in person they are really cool.
I was surprised the S5 is taller and wider than the Q5. It is quite a bit larger than I thought. In person the looks of the S5 seemed to make the Q5 look even better. You can definitely see where your additional $$ go with the Q5.
BTW, HK has 2 of their 9 M models left if anyone wants to snap one up:exciting:
Cheers
Ken, you need to turn it up and find out how loud they can play. Inquiring minds want to know.
Hi Bud,
I did crank up the volume to a pretty high level (for me) the other day on Aaron Copland's "Rodeo", Telarc, Louis Lane, Atlanta Symphony. This is a very dynamic and wonderfully recorded piece. The D3's definitely delivered some slam and overall it sounded very good. I have some slap echo in my listening room at higher volumes that I have not addressed thus far. I had thought of getting some ASC wall panels but I've noticed the folks at Raidho tend to steer away from the typical room treatments. The wife acceptance factor has discouraged me from going the fake plants route. She would much prefer the wall treatments.
Best,
Ken
Kev
Where did I say the Q5 was smaller? Have you seen both speakers together in the flesh?
The Q5 is quite a lot deeper than the S5 so in volume the Q5 is larger. In person the fit, finish, density, and overall build is better. The no visible screws on all the drive units is pretty cool. Not that the S5 is bad, its not.
Where did I say the Q5 was smaller? Have you seen both speakers together in the flesh?
The Q5 is quite a lot deeper than the S5 so in volume the Q5 is larger. In person the fit, finish, density, and overall build is better. The no visible screws on all the drive units is pretty cool. Not that the S5 is bad, its not.
Thanks for your insight Vapor, quite interesting! Btw, here is a pic of an S5 with the front CNC-milled baffle, drivers and crossover installed from the Soundstage review. I'm not sure if this was just a mock up? If not, then it would appear that the 3 layer mats applied to the curved alu cabinet are the only insulation used :doubtful:.
I would imagine that picture was provided by Magico for the review, and staged to look how they want it to look. Any internal cabinet stuffing used I'd also imagine would be purposefully omitted for the picture to better show the cabinet internals, so I'd say it's inconclusive.
From my own experience FEA'ing the internals of cabinets to find an ideal shape for minimal backwave reflection, I can say that shape isn't it, and that some stuffing will be needed. Not saying that's a bad thing at all, just how it is. Even our FEA'd cabinet internals cannot completely eliminate the backwave, light stuffing is needed in strategic locations. I would be shocked if there was no cabinet stuffing added.
Forget about any sound impressions from Axpona on the Magico M-Pro. Erase them from your mind, wipe them from your memory. They have nothing to do with how the speakers sound in a great and well-adjusted set-up at someone's home, not at a show. Together with Peter A. I had the pleasure to hear the speakers in Madfloyd's system on Saturday, and the midrange had an impressive, when necessary weighty, fullness with a neutral (or if you will, warm) tonal balance, and the highs were completely unintrusive while vivid yet at the same time. No tonal shift to upper midrange or treble whatsoever.
But it is not just about tonal balance, it is much more. We listened to orchestral material on vinyl. An LP with Borodin symphonies 2 and 3 (new re-issue of a classic 50s or 60s recording) had such an incredible timbral richness in all orchestral sections, with stand-outs being the strings and brass, as I have never heard before from any system, not by a long shot. Yes, there is still a considerable gap between reproduction on Madfloyd's system and the timbres of a real orchestra, but that gap has been narrowed to an extent that is simply unbelievable. It is SHOCKING. Compared to that the orchestral timbres on my system are cardboard cut-outs. That chasm in timbral richness and complexity on orchestral material between any other speakers I have heard and the Magico M-Pros is immense.
That disappearing tweeter and the lightness and stiffness of the midrange driver, in an immensely coherent whole with each other and the bass drivers, all incapsulated in an incredibly non-resonant casing, seem to me the only technical way to achieve this. A little resonance of the cabinet, and all the timbral richness, which crucially depends on a filigree-like preservation of all those complex timbral harmonics and overtones, is bound to vanish. Yes, other speakers may sound impressive, but that timbral richness on orchestral material seems absolutely inconceivable to me now without the precise technical steps that Magico has taken with the M-Project speaker. This timbral richness goes far beyond any conceptions of warmth or leanness, or 'golden glow' in the midrange, it is simply something else entirely.
While Magico has achieved an incredible timbral 'miracle' with the M-Pro design, any Magico speaker does not guarantee such a timbral performance. Not only are the drivers special, the casing is particularly non-resonant. Any aluminum casing won't do, not even just any aluminum casing in Magico speakers. I have heard an entry-level Magico, and though it may have been a matter of bad room/speaker interaction at the dealer, I am afraid that what I heard at high SPL were resonances in the aluminum casing. A much less pleasant experience than resonances of a wood cabinet.
After having heard that timbral 'miracle' on the M-Pro speakers I am a fan of Magico. Its design philosophy, when implemented to the maximum, appears to be the correct one; my ears emphatically tell me so. Yet I will probably never own a Magico speaker because a top Magico is out of my price range. And I do think that Magico's design philosophy only works fully on the top models. It seems unlikely to me that this timbral magic of the M-Pro can be replicated on more middle-of-the range models from Magico. The engineering and building effort to achieve this stunning timbral performance appears to be immense.
But it is not just about tonal balance, it is much more. We listened to orchestral material on vinyl. An LP with Borodin symphonies 2 and 3 (new re-issue of a classic 50s or 60s recording) had such an incredible timbral richness in all orchestral sections, with stand-outs being the strings and brass, as I have never heard before from any system, not by a long shot. Yes, there is still a considerable gap between reproduction on Madfloyd's system and the timbres of a real orchestra, but that gap has been narrowed to an extent that is simply unbelievable. It is SHOCKING. Compared to that the orchestral timbres on my system are cardboard cut-outs. That chasm in timbral richness and complexity on orchestral material between any other speakers I have heard and the Magico M-Pros is immense.
That disappearing tweeter and the lightness and stiffness of the midrange driver, in an immensely coherent whole with each other and the bass drivers, all incapsulated in an incredibly non-resonant casing, seem to me the only technical way to achieve this. A little resonance of the cabinet, and all the timbral richness, which crucially depends on a filigree-like preservation of all those complex timbral harmonics and overtones, is bound to vanish. Yes, other speakers may sound impressive, but that timbral richness on orchestral material seems absolutely inconceivable to me now without the precise technical steps that Magico has taken with the M-Project speaker. This timbral richness goes far beyond any conceptions of warmth or leanness, or 'golden glow' in the midrange, it is simply something else entirely.
While Magico has achieved an incredible timbral 'miracle' with the M-Pro design, any Magico speaker does not guarantee such a timbral performance. Not only are the drivers special, the casing is particularly non-resonant. Any aluminum casing won't do, not even just any aluminum casing in Magico speakers. I have heard an entry-level Magico, and though it may have been a matter of bad room/speaker interaction at the dealer, I am afraid that what I heard at high SPL were resonances in the aluminum casing. A much less pleasant experience than resonances of a wood cabinet.
After having heard that timbral 'miracle' on the M-Pro speakers I am a fan of Magico. Its design philosophy, when implemented to the maximum, appears to be the correct one; my ears emphatically tell me so. Yet I will probably never own a Magico speaker because a top Magico is out of my price range. And I do think that Magico's design philosophy only works fully on the top models. It seems unlikely to me that this timbral magic of the M-Pro can be replicated on more middle-of-the range models from Magico. The engineering and building effort to achieve this stunning timbral performance appears to be immense.
Myles B. Astor
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2013
- Messages
- 2,884
How do you know? Have you heard the M-Pro in a great set-up at someone's home, not show? You would have to have done so to have heard what I heard and what I describe in my post.
Myles B. Astor
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2013
- Messages
- 2,884
I've heard enough of the M to know and it's God.
But you haven't heard any other Magico-nor my S5 setup- and then make a statement that simply is sadly not true. If you think the S5 isn't totally accurate, you should hear the strings on the tape of the Janaki String Trio on Yarlung.
But you haven't heard any other Magico-nor my S5 setup- and then make a statement that simply is sadly not true. If you think the S5 isn't totally accurate, you should hear the strings on the tape of the Janaki String Trio on Yarlung.
How can you possibly know what I am talking about if you haven't heard it?