Magico Ultimate 3

stereo

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2012
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A lot of people have been asking me how come I still have my pair of Q1 in my dedicated stereo room, and why the Q7 have not arrived yet. Reason is that I have replaced my Q7 order with an order for a pair of Magico Ultimate 3.
Listening to the first generation of the Ultimate has been a revelatory experience – a real shock. The decision was so obvious - this is the ultimate sound I have been looking for. It doesn’t sound like any horn I have heard (never liked horns in the past). It doesn’t sound like a Magico Qs or any other speaker. The Ultimate is a different animal than the Q7 (it better be the case given the price difference!). It was a real surprise for me, as I had never heard anything I liked more than the Q7 - by far. I will not start an exercise of superlatives, and rather wait until beginning of 2014 to let people come over and listen :)

The Ultimate 3 is a completely new version of Ultimate speakers in a limited batch. Main difference between version 3 and version 1 and 2:
- A new proprietary 15" subwoofer, powered by a new 4000W amplifier
- A new proprietary 12" midbass, supposed to have vastly superior dispersion behavior
- A new active XO
- A new structural support system
For the rest, it is still a 5 way (4 horns with ALE drivers, one 15" sub) with sensitivity around 110dB

In the meantime, I am still enjoying a lot my Q1 in my room designed by SMT... and start thinking about the amps I will use (need something with a very high signal to noise ratio)
 
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JackD201

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What amps to match.......hmmmm.......nice problem to have! :D
 

es347

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What's the msrp these days?...Ferrari-like?
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Nice one, Stereo! Congrats and please let us know how it sounds...if you can do a nice recording of a few tracks when they're in your room and post them here, that would be a ton of fun for us to all be able 'listen to and enjoy'!
 

Roysen

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Aug 6, 2011
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Contratulations Stereo!

I am really looking forward to following you on your quest from here and it will be most exciting to see what amplifiers you decide. Soulution might probably be the amplifiers which show best signal to noise ratio on the market but some might find them a bit on the cold and analytical side. I do not.
 
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es347

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LL21

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Mike Lavigne

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Congrats Stereo, exciting stuff.

i like the integrated active bass drivers with (extremely) efficient main drivers.

you will need very low noise amps at 110db efficiency. choosing them should be a fun exercise. i'm sure you'll get lots of advice on that subject.

it ought to sound killer in your new room.
 

XV-1

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May 24, 2010
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WOW, killer speaker and congrats.

Be sure to post some pics when they arrive.
 

Kingsrule

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Feb 3, 2011
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So where exactly did you hear the Ultimate's?
 

stereo

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Sep 1, 2012
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IIRC when I heard these speakers in Alon's show room several years ago he was using Constellallation

I doubt it. 6 years ago, Constellation gear wasn't even available to my knowledge, and he hasn't produced any Ultimate since. I believe he was using Soulution.
 

flez007

Member Sponsor
Aug 31, 2010
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For that sensitivity, and since those are partially active, I would consider a top-notch 45 based SET tube amp like AN, Coincident or, why not?, have one made ad-hoc in Japan or NYC.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I doubt it. 6 years ago, Constellation gear wasn't even available to my knowledge, and he hasn't produced any Ultimate since. I believe he was using Soulution.

it was 4 years ago if that helps. Saw them in his showroom in the SF Bay Area. I'm trying to find the picture I have of myself in front of these speakers
 

ack

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May 6, 2010
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I also know there is a reproductive endocrinologist in SF who has IIRC the first pair

I suspect this is the pair Goodwin's sold and installed; what's he using for amplification?
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator

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