TAS leaves the Maxx 3 off the Editor's Choice Awards - Ouch!!!!

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
I think it would be creepier if they agreed on everything. Imagine if we all agreed on everything? It would make the Twilight Zone look like daycare.

Jack, you are right, of course. But he could achieve the same result by being a mensch. Imagine how many issues they would sell and how much excitement they would generate if they led with a story like a "Speaker Shootout at HP's"...And then reciprocate with a shootout at JV's....

Instead you have these ridiculous comments for a speaker debut about poor bass performance in a hotel room in a show report, out of all places.
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Another victim. The shrewdness of Mr Wolf:
http://www.avshowrooms.com/Salon_Son___Image.html


Hey PhillipK,

If I were starting an exciting new publication I would be all over Magico also. And if I were a tired, existing publication, I would love to get a Magico review. If I were a dealer, they would be one of my first choices to carry. First, they have the buzz. And second, they have an appeal to the guys who love to think about the music instead of being so involved in the perfomance, they can't distinguish between thought, action, self, environment, or anything else. They also appeal to guys who swap gear a lot and are looking to get a new perspective on the detail in their recordings. Of course, I would also carry an MBL to appeal to the guy looking for a concert in their home and a Soundlab to appeal to perfection in small scale stuff, along with another brand to let guys get off on the audiophile vocabulary.
 

rbbert

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2010
3,820
239
1,000
Reno, NV
Hey PhillipK,

If I were starting an exciting new publication I would be all over Magico also. And if I were a tired, existing publication, I would love to get a Magico review. If I were a dealer, they would be one of my first choices to carry. First, they have the buzz. And second, they have an appeal to the guys who love to think about the music instead of being so involved in the perfomance, they can't distinguish between thought, action, self, environment, or anything else. They also appeal to guys who swap gear a lot and are looking to get a new perspective on the detail in their recordings. Of course, I would also carry an MBL to appeal to the guy looking for a concert in their home and a Soundlab to appeal to perfection in small scale stuff, along with another brand to let guys get off on the audiophile vocabulary.

No offense, but that all sounds like fatuous B___ S___ to me...
 

rbbert

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2010
3,820
239
1,000
Reno, NV
None taken. But how would you then explain that Magico - being the best - doesn't have 100% market share?

I'm pretty sure I never posted that Magico is "the best". I'm also pretty sure that at any level below the Q7 (which I haven't heard yet in any setting) they wouldn't be MY choice, but I'm unaware of anything (except your posts here) that suggests they are soulless or unmusical. Even more so MBL, which in fact might be my choice in several price ranges. As I think I did post before, it is Wilson that I (and many others) might characterize as unmusical, although I haven't heard any MAXX models since the first one.
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
I'm pretty sure I never posted that Magico is "the best". I'm also pretty sure that at any level below the Q7 (which I haven't heard yet in any setting) they wouldn't be MY choice, but I'm unaware of anything (except your posts here) that suggests they are soulless or unmusical. Even more so MBL, which in fact might be my choice in several price ranges. As I think I did post before, it is Wilson that I (and many others) might characterize as unmusical, although I haven't heard any MAXX models since the first one.

I have heard them over 20 times with a variety of amps, and they are a musical freezer. But don't just trust my opinion, Rbbert. Read their biggest supporter, Valin. He talks of transparency, soundstage, "perfect" yet thin bass, brutality on poor recordings, truth to mastertapes, etc. How can one get lost and enter a state of flow while listening to something like that?

And listen to Magico themselves - Deeper Understanding. Not deeper immersion, not kindled passion, not an escape, not becoming one with the music, but instead Deeper Rumination.
 

ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
6,774
1,198
580
Boston, MA
None taken. But how would you then explain that Magico - being the best - doesn't have 100% market share?

Excuse me for jumping in here, but what kind of question is this??? There is a subjective best in everything; by definition, anything being 'subjectively best' means we won't all go buy it. And even if there was objectively the best in everything, do you expect everyone interested in a particular subject to go buy that objective best, or even be able to afford them, or fit them in their room/car/home/whatever, or, or, or, ...???
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Excuse me for jumping in here, but what kind of question is this??? There is a subjective best in everything; by definition, anything being 'subjectively best' means we won't all go buy it. And even if there was objectively the best in everything, do you expect everyone interested in a particular subject to go buy that objective best, or even be able to afford them, or fit them in their room/car/home/whatever, or, or, or, ...???

That was my point as well, Ack, to Rbbert's post. Like I said above, if I were a dealer I would love to sell Magico and if I were a magazine, I would love to write about them as there is always a segment that is attracted to that presentation.
 

audioguy

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
2,794
73
1,635
Near Atlanta, GA but not too near!
I have heard them over 20 times with a variety of amps, and they are a musical freezer. But don't just trust my opinion, Rbbert. Read their biggest supporter, Valin. He talks of transparency, soundstage, "perfect" yet thin bass, brutality on poor recordings, truth to mastertapes, etc. How can one get lost and enter a state of flow while listening to something like that?

And listen to Magico themselves - Deeper Understanding. Not deeper immersion, not kindled passion, not an escape, not becoming one with the music, but instead Deeper Rumination.

Here we go again. (I do not own Magicos -- way out of my budget). But I have heard them in a spectacular room with outstanding electronics.

Apparently you like very colored speakers. If the Magicos are "transparent", "brutal to bad recording", "present a great soundstage", and "provide truth to master tapes" (sort of sounds like accurate to me), and you don't like that, then you like something other than accurate, which is OK.

But to continually slam this product because it is does not present music in the (apparently inaccurate) way you like, does not suggest it lacks immersion, passion, nor provide an escape. It means that for folks who like a speaker that presents different distortions it is not their cup of tea.

Your continued dogmatic assertions that this is a non musical, cold, analytical product just amazes me.

But then, what do I know !!!
 

Randall Smith

New Member
May 30, 2010
166
0
0
NC
caesar is clueless. he seems to love to champion against Magico because they are so technically good, he simply cannot wrap his mind around their sound. their sound distracts him! is it possible that he has never hear what his music is supposed to sound like? either way, his biggest flaw is he isn't capable of allowing someone else to appreciate them, he has to climb atop his soap box and preach. don't forget, he knows best and if you feel differently, you are not a music lover. if we quit responding to him, he may not post again.
 

phillipK

New Member
Oct 23, 2010
47
0
0
Hey PhillipK,

If I were starting an exciting new publication I would be all over Magico also. And if I were a tired, existing publication, I would love to get a Magico review. If I were a dealer, they would be one of my first choices to carry. First, they have the buzz. And second, they have an appeal to the guys who love to think about the music instead of being so involved in the perfomance, they can't distinguish between thought, action, self, environment, or anything else. They also appeal to guys who swap gear a lot and are looking to get a new perspective on the detail in their recordings. Of course, I would also carry an MBL to appeal to the guy looking for a concert in their home and a Soundlab to appeal to perfection in small scale stuff, along with another brand to let guys get off on the audiophile vocabulary.

As I say to my wife, quite often (Well, in my mind at least), your lips are moving, but I can’t understand a word you are saying.
 

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
Here we go again. (I do not own Magicos -- way out of my budget). But I have heard them in a spectacular room with outstanding electronics.

Apparently you like very colored speakers. If the Magicos are "transparent", "brutal to bad recording", "present a great soundstage", and "provide truth to master tapes" (sort of sounds like accurate to me), and you don't like that, then you like something other than accurate, which is OK.

But to continually slam this product because it is does not present music in the (apparently inaccurate) way you like, does not suggest it lacks immersion, passion, nor provide an escape. It means that for folks who like a speaker that presents different distortions it is not their cup of tea.

Your continued dogmatic assertions that this is a non musical, cold, analytical product just amazes me.

But then, what do I know !!!

Audioguy, now if you think that Soundlabs or MBLs or Maxx3's - which were left of the list - are colored, go give them a listen. Don't just listen to what insecure media elites - with warped standards, while they bash and ignore everything - tell you. If you do give them a listen, you are in for a treat. Fremer just called the MBL a blank state, and said that the Maxx 3 was even more transparent.

But what no one talks about is that the real standards of great gear should be higher than petty audiophile terms. It should not be about accuracy or euphony, but about improving one's existence via human happiness. Happiness in action is about enjoyment. It is about being fully alive. It is about being carried away by a powerful force. Listening to music is about being completely involved with the performance where is no distinction between thought and action, self and the environment, and the individual and the musical performance. Nothing else exists.

It is not about thinking or getting a Deeper Understanding, as Magico claims in their ads. As soon as thinking happens, as it does with Magico - via it's transparency, thin yet "accurate" bass, and its ability to educate you about the recording, this fusion of the listener and the performance is broken. The Ecstasy fizzles! Let Randall, Valin, and others enjoy their Magicos, but they don't really know what they are missing.
 

rbbert

Well-Known Member
Dec 12, 2010
3,820
239
1,000
Reno, NV
... Let Randall, Valin, and others enjoy their Magicos, but they don't really know what they are missing.

unlikely...
 

phillipK

New Member
Oct 23, 2010
47
0
0
It is about being fully alive. It is about being carried away by a powerful force.

Mod Edit: Post deleted. Please discuss the technical topic and treat each other with respect. We hold ourselves to very high bar of conduct on WBF. Appreciate everyone doing their part to maintain that. :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:

andromedaaudio

VIP/Donor
Jan 23, 2011
8,350
2,730
1,400
Amsterdam holland
Lets just be happy there are so many different designs to choose from .
Nobody is forced to buy anything so it aint that bad .
If some body will let only a reviewer/dealer make the choice for them , they will indeed miss out a lot ,money included
I do agree with ceasar that a system should be fun and entertaining .
I ve heard the V3 do nice things as well both on tubes though , nagra and zanden
Although with nagra it was a bit underpowered , certainly with complex music

The wilsons may have more bass extension the magico mids might be a bit more appealing to others
 
Last edited:

caesar

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2010
4,290
767
1,698
If only !! Except he starts threads like it is his profession.

Just watching the watchers...

BTW, my understanding is that Robert Harley will be reviewing the Magico Q7. He was a dyed-in-the-wool Wilson guy until a couple years ago, effusively praising the Alexandria as the "best" only recently. But now expecting the full renaming of the Absolute Sound to the Magico Standard in that edition...
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing