Magico S5

[stereo]

It is not a question of price. The S5, objectively will stand quite well against the MM3, and will surely disappear better (I am sorry, but in your room, I don't think you can even sit far enough for the MM3 drivers to integrate properly). Subjectively, if you are happy with this kind of set up in such a small room, why look for a smaller speaker? I doubt that the S5, or the TAD will do it for you.

I lived HAPPILY with the MM3 for 4 years. I am now using Magico Q1, until my Ultimate arrive end of year: cheaper, smaller, but I find them superior across the board (except of course for bass performance!). The sound is more involving, which translates into listening to more music. More transparency, more precise imaging, more emotion. I am hearing things on my favorite recording which I never heard before, with the same upstream set up: Dartzeel amp fed by APL NWO CD player. And now that I have moved to a music server feeding a PM2, a Vitus pre and the dartzeel power amp, sound is even better.
I have not heard the MM3 in the same room as the S5, but I would argue that the S5 will give you more texture in the bass (drivers have much much less distortion than paper drivers in MM3, you avoid technical problems created by the booster amp in the bass), but without the extension to 12Hz I had with the MM3. I am not a pipe organ fan, so not much of an issue for me.
PS: and yes, I would still take the MM3 over the Focal Stella utopia
I don't believe you can judge a very transparent speaker like the S5 (or the TAD, or even more the Q3) based on a single audition. On some sources and amps, they don't cut it at all for me. I doubt you wouldn't like them on a musical amp like Dartzeel or Vitus.

 

[stereo]

I need three for my multi channel system. I have my sacd and movies ripped on an HTPC with an 8 channel lynx card. For my 5.0 system I need three two channel dacs. I would have been happy to keep my two nad m51 s for surrounds and center channel, but the ps audio has buffering and a processing delay so I need three to keep my channels in synch in multi channel playback mode.

interesting. Can you synch the different dacs with an external clock? don't see anything on their website.

 

[edorr]

interesting. Can you synch the different dacs with an external clock? don't see anything on their website.

You can't. Discussed with the designer of the dac and should be just fine. I used the same architecture with MSB and 2 x nad m51 without clock sync and sounded fantastic.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Guys while interesting, could we stay OT?

 

[KeithR]

Which SS amp did you end up using, Myles?

 

[MylesBAstor]

Which SS amp did you end up using, Myles?

None yet Keith. Needed to get this written up and will address that point later.

 

[MylesBAstor]

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue74/magico_s5.htm

 

[cannata]

Right on Myles! The best descriptive S5 review I have read.

 

[Bruce B]

Great review Myles!

 

[CKKeung]

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue74/magico_s5.htm

Thanks a lot!

 

[Bodhi]

I just started reading your review tonight Myles. It looks like a well authored review & a good read on brief skim through. As an S5 owner, I found the Q&A's under the technical highlights section especially relevant and interesting. Great work!

 

[MadFloyd]

I really enjoyed the review, Myles, thanks for sharing.

 

[Dre_J]

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue74/magico_s5.htm

Nice work. Enjoyed the read.

Dre

 

[ack]

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue74/magico_s5.htm

Beautiful! As I've said many times before, Magico have all the electrostatic qualities plus more meat on the bone. Enjoy them! And I hope you can bring the Q3s in for review and realize what a fanatical crossover can do even better.

Not only can you see to the very back of the Village Vanguard but there's an amazing ability to hear and clearly understand what the audience is saying.

I have the same exact experience with Bill Evans' XRCD Sunday at the Village Vanguard; fascinating really to hear all the background noise and conversations.

where the triangle is struck and the instrument resonates and decays for a period of time. While the Summit-Xs captured the triangle's decay, the Magicos take it to the next level.

Yeap, have heard the same thing on the S5s, also in my system with the 400s (but mine are no ordinary MLs).

But there's no better example of the S5s tweeter's freedom from compression and breakup than on the wonderful Erato recording of Marius Constant's ensemble piece for unusual instrumentation 14 stations pour percussion et six instruments (Erato STU 70603). The gongs and cymbals release a tremendous amount of energy and there's no evidence of hardening until the cartridge, in this case the soon to be reviewed Transfiguration Proteus, shows some strain.

Yeap, same also with the fabulous Q series - some people hate treble, but I think they are not used to hearing treble done right.

What the S5s will do—if neutrality and bringing the sound of the original recording into your listening room is your goal—is bring the listener several steps closer to real music...Where the S5s primarily falls slightly short of ultimate is in their scale of performance and resolution.

Precisely my friend, great review!

 

[FrantzM]

Myles

I find myself agreeing with your review and you know I cannot allow this to go on ... One thing that struck me about your observations is that strange and unusual sense of "quietness".. The Magico speakers at least those I have heard (Mini, Q3, Q5 and Q7) are "quiet"for the lack of a better word. Plus they do what ESL are known for but as Ack put it with some serious meat on the bones" A sense of fleshing out the music... I believe it is the cleanliness of midband reproduction that is at play there,something most other speakers don't do as well. I would venture that the Magico as a group must be very low distortion in the midband say from 150 Hz to 3~4 KHz .. I would like to see measurements in that region. As for their treble same thing.

I would like to have your opinion on the Q3. They are to my ears spooky... So neutral , true to the source and chameleon-like they are... Incredible speakers ..world class, Top of the Line sound

 

[cannata]

Myles

I would like to see measurements in that region. As for their treble same thing.

Sure enough! One of the lowest (if not the lowest) THD measured by SS at the NRC. And that is out of a sealed box!!

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/in...&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153

 

[FrantzM]

Sure enough! One of the lowest (if not the lowest) THD measured by SS at the NRC. And that is out of a sealed box!!

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/in...&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153

Superlative measurements .. Them people at Magico are unto something. !! Woah!!

 

[PeterA]

Thanks Myles for posting your review. It's well written and very informative.

I used to live in NYC, and I am impressed with your rooms ability to handle a speaker the size of the S5. Could you talk a little bit about your room size and acoustic treatments? From the photographs, it looks like your room is on the smaller side with limited room treatment. Owning Magico mini monitors, I'm wondering how small a room can be for the S5 which is a relatively large speaker. Your very positive impressions seem to be consistent with what Alon Wolf told me, namely that his sealed speakers are able to be placed in smaller rooms than an equivalent sized ported speaker. I've only heard the S5 in two very large rooms.

 

[PeterA]

Sure enough! One of the lowest (if not the lowest) THD measured by SS at the NRC. And that is out of a sealed box!!

http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/in...&catid=77:loudspeaker-measurements&Itemid=153

I wonder how those would compare to the Q3.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks Myles for posting your review. It's well written and very informative.

I used to live in NYC, and I am impressed with your rooms ability to handle a speaker the size of the S5. Could you talk a little bit about your room size and acoustic treatments? From the photographs, it looks like your room is on the smaller side with limited room treatment. Owning Magico mini monitors, I'm wondering how small a room can be for the S5 which is a relatively large speaker. Your very positive impressions seem to be consistent with what Alon Wolf told me, namely that his sealed speakers are able to be placed in smaller rooms than an equivalent sized ported speaker. I've only heard the S5 in two very large rooms.

Think mentioned it before but here goes. The "basic" room is 19 x 12 x 8 but actually the back of the room opens into a hallway and kitchen effectively extending the length by around 8 or so feet. The room has wall to wall carpeting and I'm using the Cathedral Sound Panels in all four corners (yes, they're a very cost effective Rx, don't take up a whole lot of space and even a inch or to difference in positioning makes a big difference; I also have some dibs in to play with the Stillpoints Rx). Also am using at one node some old RT pillows, reflective side out. That helps in room dynamics. (I find the only way to eval this stuff is to have a person move the Rx around while the other person sits and listens.) Then there's some big plants to help with a little diffusion. It also isn't a true rectangular room as there are column in two corners that change things a little bit too. And the walls are reasonably solid for a more modern NY apt.

The speakers are roughly (measured to front of baffle) 69 inches from the front wall and toed-in 2 inches. So they're a bit into the room, close to the rule of thirds as I mentioned. The speakers are (wall to middle of driver) 31 inches from the side walls. Over time I'm sure, they'll be dialed in even more but they sound so good right now, I'm of the mind why mess with a good thing?