Newbie Magico Question

BiggusD

New Member
Nov 10, 2013
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Hi,

I am contemplating the purchase of Magico speakers and I have a question. Apologies in advance if this is a dumb question!

With the tweeters and woofers exposed, how does one deal with dust and/or people accidentally touching the drivers? Will that not damage or at the very least degrade them? And what happens when they are damaged?

Also I understand that the S series do come with grilles, but are they designed be removed when the speakers are in use? Or are they the sonically (almost) transparent type and always stuck on?

Thanks!
 

GaryProtein

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Jul 25, 2012
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You have a "KEEP BACK 200 FEET" sign like the back of a fire truck so people don't touch it. An electrified floor mat, and an electric shocking collar (like the Star Trek Collar of Obedience) is also helpful for people who can't stay away on their own.

Since you are a new member, you should know that I say this to everybody who asks. I'm only 99% serious.

Trust me, NOBODY touches speakers by accident. They do it on purpose because they are curious.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Opera...1384109688&sr=8-5&keywords=electric+floor+mat

http://www.amazon.com/Esky-Recharge...384109733&sr=8-1&keywords=electric+dog+collar

Normal air contaminants like dust aren't a problem. Of course, when you are ready to upgrade, subsequent buyers usually want components from a smoke free, sometimes pet free, sometimes child free, clean house.
 

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LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Purists will say that grilles tend to diffuse sound a bit and sometimes mess with frequency response, clarity. Personally, I agree. But I also have pets, and having lived thru a cat putting a claw partway thru the leather face of an SF Stradivari...I know better than to take that chance again. If you must live with grilles on, do it. There is no perfection in audio, and if the risk of expensive damage to a speaker is real, then I suppose you have no choice. I am pretty OCD when it comes to system setup...but I also know there are certain 'no go' areas. This unfortunately must be one of them. That said, I am extremely happy with the sound we have at home, and do not miss the extra 2%+ that the grilles off might afford...not to mention the fact that i have tuned everything with the grilles on...and can imaginen that taking them off...might unbalance something else in my system. Thus, again, very happy. My 2 cents.
 

BiggusD

New Member
Nov 10, 2013
48
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Thank you for the replies. So are you saying that a mere touch will damage the drivers? Really? That is scary.

What about when unpacking them initially? It must be hard to avoid touching the drivers then?

It is nice to hear that the grilles can be on when used at a very slight loss in quality. What about the Q series? I think that they do not come with them. So are they optional to buy for that series?

I saw the new S1 and the grille for it was very ugly. It was made of metal and it only covered the top half of the speaker, which did the job of covering the drivers but it made it look very ugly. Also it was magnetic and there were no mounting points so it was impossible to get it right on and perfectly aligned. Being made of metal it did not look sonically transparent at all.
 

AMP

Member
Feb 27, 2011
299
2
16
While grilles are available for the S series they were really designed to be used without them. Their inclusion is more of a way to make the speaker more acceptable in a domestic setting with the intention of any serious listening being done with the grilles off.

The models in the Q series have much more of a no compromises approach and therefore grilles are not available.

Generally a light touch to the surface of a driver cone won't cause any damage, but oils and contaminants on the skin can cause some advanced composites to degrade and will likely attract more airborne debris. Touching a tweeter dome is just generally bad as it will likely dent the dome and with the Beryllium tweeters on the Magicos that becomes an expensive "oops."

As others have commented the best course of action is one of prevention through education. Small children and pets can be a problem so a watchful eye is imperative although the most delicate driver is usually close to the top of the enclosure. Dust can be effectively removed with any one of the canned air products typically used by photographers. If you have a housekeeper than a rule of don't clean the stereo or the area around it should always be in effect. The best intentions here can lead to some really expensive damage...short of the obvious you'd be amazed at what a weekly application of Windex can do to the high-gloss paint finishes used on a lot of speakers.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,411
2,509
1,448
While grilles are available for the S series they were really designed to be used without them. Their inclusion is more of a way to make the speaker more acceptable in a domestic setting with the intention of any serious listening being done with the grilles off.

The models in the Q series have much more of a no compromises approach and therefore grilles are not available.

Generally a light touch to the surface of a driver cone won't cause any damage, but oils and contaminants on the skin can cause some advanced composites to degrade and will likely attract more airborne debris. Touching a tweeter dome is just generally bad as it will likely dent the dome and with the Beryllium tweeters on the Magicos that becomes an expensive "oops."

As others have commented the best course of action is one of prevention through education. Small children and pets can be a problem so a watchful eye is imperative although the most delicate driver is usually close to the top of the enclosure. Dust can be effectively removed with any one of the canned air products typically used by photographers. If you have a housekeeper than a rule of don't clean the stereo or the area around it should always be in effect. The best intentions here can lead to some really expensive damage...short of the obvious you'd be amazed at what a weekly application of Windex can do to the high-gloss paint finishes used on a lot of speakers.

I just saw your Esoteric Audio AZ listing...congrats. I did not know you had taken over EA-AZ, and just went to the website and read your introduction. Congrats and good luck. I have had the opportunity to speak with Gary a few times, and always found him straightforward and knowledgeable.
 

stereo

Well-Known Member
Sep 1, 2012
407
4
143
Hi,

I am contemplating the purchase of Magico speakers and I have a question. Apologies in advance if this is a dumb question!

With the tweeters and woofers exposed, how does one deal with dust and/or people accidentally touching the drivers? Will that not damage or at the very least degrade them? And what happens when they are damaged?

Also I understand that the S series do come with grilles, but are they designed be removed when the speakers are in use? Or are they the sonically (almost) transparent type and always stuck on?

Thanks!
Any grille on any speaker are detrimental to sound quality. For casual listening it is fine to leave them on, for dedicated sessions, just remove them. The S1 and S5 grilles are very easy to remove and put back , because they fit in place with small magnets.
I prefer the Magico solution to put aluminum grille. Soft grille with fabric like 99% of other vendors don't really fix the issue: they will not prevent your kids from pushing their fingers into it and damage your tweeter.
Woofer or Nanotec mid driver are not so fragile (but avoid touching them anyway...). The most sensitive is always the tweeter, easy to damage a membrane if you press even slightly on it with your finger...
My solution has been "no grille, good education", and I never had any problem. Of course, more difficult to educate a cat than a kid- even if sometimes I wonder if it is true ;)
Dust is a no issue: if they accumulate dust, that means you don't play them enough ;-)
 

GaryProtein

VIP/Donor
Jul 25, 2012
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After reading the other posts, it looks like the Collar of Obedience isn't such a bad idea after all! :p :p :p
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I don't know what it is about speakers that makes some people want to go up and poke them with their finger and ruin them. And I'm not just talking about little kids. I get the "Wet Paint" sign that almost compels some people to reach out and touch the paint to see if it really is wet. I don't get what is so compelling about tweeters and dome midrange drivers that makes some people just want to reach out and poke them. Thankfully that is not an issue at my house since there are no children and dogs and cats aren't allowed in my stereo room.
 

zztop7

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Dec 12, 2012
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poke them. Thankfully that is not an issue at my house since there are no children and dogs and cats aren't allowed in my stereo room.

At the entrance to our driveway we have signs posted that warn parents their children will be given treats with heavy sugar & caffeine &&& FREE PUPPIES.

zz.
 

BiggusD

New Member
Nov 10, 2013
48
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I had my heart really set on the Q1 or Q3, but after reading all this I am very saddened and now I am having second thoughts.

What if some guest at a party leans over and accidentally his jacket makes contact with the tweeter or something like that. Even if it never happened I would constantly worry. And any girlfriend would sure know how to **** you off with just her finger...

And of course the consequence of a damage tweeter would be terrible I would imagine. I bet it would cost a fortune and the shipping cost/hassle! Hire people to move the speaker and have it packed? Would the repair have to happen at the factory? I am in Europe! All very scary!

Is there a way to get a grille like the S series? Any after market or third party solutions? Something you can at least cover the speaker when not listening to it?

Thanks again.
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
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Guys, you all are overreacting a little bit, no?
Sonus faber ships the speakers with that fancy grille that's quite useless. So I used the cloth that they ship with the speakers. Normally, I wouldn't cover the speakers with the cloth, only when I had visitors or when I knew I wasn't going to use the speakers for a while.
See, simple.
If you ask me, turntables pose a lot more danger than speakers, and still a lot of people buy them, even if they don't come with any dustcover/protection. The stories of broken needles/cantilevers are more numerous than poked tweeters, I believe...

alexandre
 

zztop7

Member Sponsor
Dec 12, 2012
750
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Edmonds, WA
I had my heart really set on the Q1 or Q3, but after reading all this I am very saddened and now I am having second thoughts.

What if some guest at a party leans over and accidentally his jacket makes contact with the tweeter or something like that. Even if it never happened I would constantly worry. And any girlfriend would sure know how to **** you off with just her finger...

And of course the consequence of a damage tweeter would be terrible I would imagine. I bet it would cost a fortune and the shipping cost/hassle! Hire people to move the speaker and have it packed? Would the repair have to happen at the factory? I am in Europe! All very scary!

Is there a way to get a grille like the S series? Any after market or third party solutions? Something you can at least cover the speaker when not listening to it?

Thanks again.

I always buy speakers that I can service.
You should make sure that you can easily remove any of the drivers before you purchase.
That way you can replace a damaged one or have it properly reconed.
I use paper cones so I keep spares around. Kind of like fire insurance on your house; if you have the fire insurance you will not need it.
I hope that I am not jinxing my drivers /// knock on wood.
zz.
 

Sauerball

Member Sponsor
Jul 30, 2013
156
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New York, NY
Guys, you all are overreacting a little bit, no?
Sonus faber ships the speakers with that fancy grille that's quite useless. So I used the cloth that they ship with the speakers. Normally, I wouldn't cover the speakers with the cloth, only when I had visitors or when I knew I wasn't going to use the speakers for a while.
See, simple.
If you ask me, turntables pose a lot more danger than speakers, and still a lot of people buy them, even if they don't come with any dustcover/protection. The stories of broken needles/cantilevers are more numerous than poked tweeters, I believe...

alexandre

Agreed. Part of the cost of having toys like these is having to protect and maintain them. Things can and do happen. And covers and grilles and crates can't always protect things.

Yet we still indulge. Because to us, music is worth it. Although I still freak out a bit every time someone brings their children over.
 

BiggusD

New Member
Nov 10, 2013
48
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0
Can someone please answer if it is possible to get the S series type metal grilles for the Q series?

I think that the S1 grille I saw will do me fine and give me peace of mind. For serious listening I would take them off, as they come off very easily, and for when not listening or casual listening they can be on the speakers.

However, the Q1 or the Q3 is what I really lust for, so a similar grille for them would be ideal. The S5 is too big for my room...

Thanks!
 

GaryProtein

VIP/Donor
Jul 25, 2012
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It looks like the tweeter has a perforated metal grid over it.

You should be OK with that. Those types of grids are pretty rigid.

You'll just need to keep their rotten little hands off the woofer.
 

PeterA

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2011
12,522
10,688
3,515
USA
Can someone please answer if it is possible to get the S series type metal grilles for the Q series?

I think that the S1 grille I saw will do me fine and give me peace of mind. For serious listening I would take them off, as they come off very easily, and for when not listening or casual listening they can be on the speakers.

However, the Q1 or the Q3 is what I really lust for, so a similar grille for them would be ideal. The S5 is too big for my room...

Thanks!

Talk to a dealer. If you really want the Q, see if the dealer can repair/replace a driver or if there is a Magico certified technician in Europe who is approved to do it. I have the Mini2 with the pointy Revelator tweeter and it has never been damaged. If all that still makes you nervous, give up the dream of owning a Q series and wait until the S3 is released. That will have a grille. I don't think you can adapt the S grill for the Q speaker, and it would look terrible.

I have a custom made plexiglass cover for my rather large and delicate turntable. I remove it when listening. I suppose you could have something like that made with soft rubber feet on the inside and place it on top of the speaker to cover the top 12" or so all around, but it would look ridiculous. You could also just place a low-backed chair or plant in front of each speaker when you have company over. You could still play music and only move them over to the side when listening seriously.
 

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