Review - S5 MKII

andromedaaudio

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I see they put in a extra pic of the seperate enclosure ;)

Saves a lot of discussion

I must say magico is beautifully constructed , " wears the beauty/innovation on the inside"
 

Elberoth

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I just bid farewell to my Magico S5 mk 2 today ... this is the first time of my life, when I'm selling something with regret !

There is a saying, that an audiophile has two happiest days in his life: when he buys a new gear, and when he finally sells it. The S5 mk 2 are so brilliant, that I'm wondering all the time, what I'm doing. Why sell something which sounds trully spectacular. Yes, I know the M3s are better. I have heard them twice, but not in my room. I just cannot imagine, how my system can sound any better that what I have now !

Lampizator Golden Gate + Dan D'Agostino Momentum Integrated + Magcio S5 mk 2 = pure musical bliss
 

andromedaaudio

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I dont want to be a party pooper here , but you might gonna lose some bass impact with the M 3 compared to the S 5 mk 2 :confused:
 

MadFloyd

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I just bid farewell to my Magico S5 mk 2 today ... this is the first time of my life, when I'm selling something with regret !

There is a saying, that an audiophile has two happiest days in his life: when he buys a new gear, and when he finally sells it. The S5 mk 2 are so brilliant, that I'm wondering all the time, what I'm doing. Why sell something which sounds trully spectacular. Yes, I know the M3s are better. I have heard them twice, but not in my room. I just cannot imagine, how my system can sound any better that what I have now !

Lampizator Golden Gate + Dan D'Agostino Momentum Integrated + Magcio S5 mk 2 = pure musical bliss

You were using an integrated? What happened to the MSB M202's?
 

PeterA

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Dec 6, 2011
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I just bid farewell to my Magico S5 mk 2 today ... this is the first time of my life, when I'm selling something with regret !

There is a saying, that an audiophile has two happiest days in his life: when he buys a new gear, and when he finally sells it. The S5 mk 2 are so brilliant, that I'm wondering all the time, what I'm doing. Why sell something which sounds trully spectacular. Yes, I know the M3s are better. I have heard them twice, but not in my room. I just cannot imagine, how my system can sound any better that what I have now !

Lampizator Golden Gate + Dan D'Agostino Momentum Integrated + Magcio S5 mk 2 = pure musical bliss

You will soon know if it was a mistake. When do your M3s arrive? As you have heard the M3s twice, in different systems, what are your impressions compared to the sound of the S5IIs in your own system? What differences did you hear and what are you hoping to gain?

I have heard the S5 and M Pro in the same room, though with slightly different gear, and they are very different sounding. I much prefer the M Pro. I have not heard either the S5II or the M3.
 

Elberoth

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You were using an integrated? What happened to the MSB M202's?

I still have them. Dag was a loaned unit. A great sounding amp !

I have a small room (14"x19") with concrete walls (minimum bass leakage), so I'm not worried about loosing bass impact. I think the M3 is perfect for this kind of room.
 

bonzo75

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So the integrated is a good sound somewhat comparable to the separates? It did well against the MSBs?
 

Elberoth

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I'm pretty sure it can go heat to head with any separates in $50k price range. Yes, it is better than MSB monos. As you know, the M202 are big, class-A amp, with a classic class-A kind of sound - big and opulent, a bit rounded round the edges and which errs on the warm side of neutral. It is not the fastest amp around - meaning it is not Soulution or Spectral fast. It's fluent and natural sounding.

The Momentum Integrated doesn't sacrify any of the MSB midrage magic, but adds a level of transparency and articulation which makes the sound even more palpable and believable.

I like the MSB M202s a lot. Last year - when I still had my Magico S5 mk1 - I have tried he highly regarded, $49.000 Vitus SM-011 monos. The danish monos were a little bit better - also on the warm side of neutral but just a bit more transparent - but at the time I didn't feel the 5-10% upgrade was worth the big price delta. I had chosen to upgrade the speakers instead.

Now (on my S5 mk 2) the difference between the MSB and D'Agostion was much bigger and in my view - worth the price differential.
 

MadFloyd

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I'm pretty sure it can go heat to head with any separates in $50k price range. Yes, it is better than MSB monos. As you know, the M202 are big, class-A amp, with a classic class-A kind of sound - big and opulent, a bit rounded round the edges and which errs on the warm side of neutral. It is not the fastest amp around - meaning it is not Soulution or Spectral fast. It's fluent and natural sounding.

The Momentum Integrated doesn't sacrify any of the MSB midrage magic, but adds a level of transparency and articulation which makes the sound even more palpable and believable.

I like the MSB M202s a lot. Last year - when I still had my Magico S5 mk1 - I have tried he highly regarded, $49.000 Vitus SM-011 monos. The danish monos were a little bit better - also on the warm side of neutral but just a bit more transparent - but at the time I didn't feel the 5-10% upgrade was worth the big price delta. I had chosen to upgrade the speakers instead.

Now (on my S5 mk 2) the difference between the MSB and D'Agostion was much bigger and in my view - worth the price differential.

Thanks, Adam. I would love to try the Momentum someday.
 

asiufy

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That Momentum integrated is indeed special. We've just shown that integrated in the LAOC meeting (with YG Haileys), and it filled a huge ballroom with music. Deceptively powerful for the size.

But to be honest, Adam's MSB is amp is two generations behind. MSB has significantly stepped up their game with the new 204 monos. You just have to check the amount of "best of show" they get with their own rooms, where they pair the monos with the MSB SELECT DAC and YG Sonjas (a truly fantastic combination, that all together costs about the same as a pair of speakers from other brands).
 

MadFloyd

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That Momentum integrated is indeed special. We've just shown that integrated in the LAOC meeting (with YG Haileys), and it filled a huge ballroom with music. Deceptively powerful for the size.

But to be honest, Adam's MSB is amp is two generations behind. MSB has significantly stepped up their game with the new 204 monos. You just have to check the amount of "best of show" they get with their own rooms, where they pair the monos with the MSB SELECT DAC and YG Sonjas (a truly fantastic combination, that all together costs about the same as a pair of speakers from other brands).

So what's better, Alex, the Momentum or MSBs? :)
 

asiufy

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Better is relative. Depends on the partnering gear and whoever's listening. I just try to understand what each individual gear is doing in the overall system, and then be able to fit into an overall "better" system.

We're getting a pair of those 204 monos for an extended audition, and then I'll know for sure what it is doing. I know the traits of the D'Agostinos well, but just listeniing at shows and hearing about the advances in the design/build is not enough to draw a meaningful comparison.
 

dobyblue

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At TAVES last year the Magico S5 MKII on display in the Mark Jones room was my favourite system. Having listened to a few tracks they were playing on vinyl including The Ubiquitious Mr. Lovegrove from the MOFI Silver Series pressing of Dead Can Dance's Into the Labyrinth they let me listen to the opening two cuts from my copy of Dire Straits' Communique, the WB 2009 pressing cut all analogue by Bernie Grundman. Wow, after the first track the guy came over and said "I'm not giving you your record back" lol.

I prefer listening with my eyes closed and although I expect these speakers will remain outside my price range for many years to come, they, or something else from Magico whom I was previously unaware of, will be way up high on my list of dream speakers.

I believe this is approximately the system they were being run on:

KRONOS Pro turntable: 38,000 USD - http://www.kronosaudio.com/kronos-pro.html
KRONOS Black Beauty tonearm: 8,500 USD - http://www.kronosaudio.com/tonearms.html
KRONOS SCPS-1 Super Capacitor Power Supply: 13,500 USD
CH Precision M1 Power Amps (one per speaker): 94,750 USD (pair) - http://www.ch-precision.com/products/m1
CH Precision P1 Phono stage: 25,000 USD - http://www.ch-precision.com/products/p1

 

BlueFox

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I have had my S5 MK2 now for 10 days. For the first week they played 24/7, and after about the first 8 hours the mid range fleshed out, and became more solid. Since then they just get better and better. From here on out any breakin time will be done when I am actually listening to them. No more brute force breakin. Anyway, they sound especially good on my jazz selections (Patricia Barber, Holly Cole, Diana Krall, etc.). The bass is so precise and defined it is scary. Voices are so much clearer that it is almost like new lyrics, and subtle audio nuances are now clear. I find myself thinking; I never heard that before. All in all, a worthwhile upgrade over my S5s, which I loved.

image.jpg
 

PeterA

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Congratulations, Bud. What a great looking system, and it must sound fantastic. I love the Magico/Pass combination. Those X600.5s are brutes and must really drive the S5IIs well. Magico needs lots of good power, IMO. How big is your room? I don't see a lot of room treatment. Do you have any other photos showing a bit more room context? I also recently bought a Revelation Audio umbilical cable for my XP25. Nice little upgrade.
 

dan31

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Jul 22, 2010
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Nice system Bud. Well matched components and a great speaker. It will be nice to hear from you in a few months to read how the S5 mkII have settled. Did you keep the same speaker position as your previous mk Is?
 

BlueFox

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The new speakers are in pretty much the same position as the previous speakers. I am not as precisely, or detail, oriented as some are in this hobby. :)

The right speaker is near the edge of a hallway leading into the back of the house, so it can't go much further to the right. The front of the house is like a shoebox with the living room in the left third. This room is around 18 feet wide between the wall in back of the speaker to the front wall. The kitchen and dining room are on the right, and it is pretty much open with a partial wall in the dining room separating the kitchen. The ceiling in the living room is 12' high behind the rack, and slopes to 8 feet at the front wall. There is a wooden beam at the first reflection point on the ceiling running the length of the house. There are no audio specific room treatments, but all in all it does sound very good as is. I do need to close the curtain on the picture window on the front wall when I get critical about the sound, but other than that there are no issues.
 

MadFloyd

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Bud, congrats on the new speakers! I'm glad that you're happy with them. Love the color and love your rack too.

Only because Peter's questions (and your answer) has me curious: are you able to pull the speakers out from the wall some more and if so, have you tried it?
 

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