S3 MK3 (2023) Arrived

[exupgh12]

Are you going to upgrade to M7 ?

if your paying, why not.

 

[divertiti]

I just got the S3 2023 unpacked last night and did a quick setup since it was late . I listened about 2 hrs , I will say out of the crate with no break in they are " Superior " to the A5 by a big margin. I honestly did not think the S3 2023 would be this much of a improvement.I hope to listen again later tonight . The A5 is a excellent speaker also but if one can swing it the S3 2023 is well worth the price difference.

Congrats on the new speakers. Can you describe/elaborate a bit on the sonic jump in quality between the S3 and the A5? What are the improvements that most jump out at you?

 

[exupgh12]

Finally! After a prolonged break-in period for my S3s, interrupted by the events of October 7th, I can say the break-in process has successfully concluded.

The outcome: Sound has blossomed beautifully, exhibiting an airy, rapid, and genuinely natural quality, accompanied by a mesmerizing holographic imaging effect.

The midrange is strikingly clear and authentic; listening to vocals or instrument through these speakers is an absolute delight.

The bass—it continues to astound me with its swiftness, clarity, and impact.

At this point, these speakers sound absolutely magnificence. Music gains a new sense of life, instruments manifest vividly, and every nuanced detail sparkles effortlessly.

All I can say, my sonic journey with Magico continues, and the pleasure derived from this experience is truly amazing!

 

[Ron Resnick]

Finally! After a prolonged break-in period for my S3s, interrupted by the events of October 7th, I can say the break-in process has successfully concluded.

The outcome: Sound has blossomed beautifully, exhibiting an airy, rapid, and genuinely natural quality, accompanied by a mesmerizing holographic imaging effect.

The midrange is strikingly clear and authentic; listening to vocals or instrument through these speakers is an absolute delight.

The bass—it continues to astound me with its swiftness, clarity, and impact.

At this point, these speakers sound absolutely magnificence. Music gains a new sense of life, instruments manifest vividly, and every nuanced detail sparkles effortlessly.

All I can say, my sonic journey with Magico continues, and the pleasure derived from this experience is truly amazing!

This is wonderful! I am happy for you that you are so happy with the S3s!

 

[exupgh12]

This is wonderful! I am happy for you that you are so happy with the S3s!

Thank you so much Ron.

 

[Gregadd]

Congratulations om your S3 purchase! It was amongst my notables at this years' CAF. It was paired with the Gryphon amp, making beautiful music together.
Tell me if you please. What made you go with the S series over the A or M series?

 

[rau]

Finally! After a prolonged break-in period for my S3s, interrupted by the events of October 7th, I can say the break-in process has successfully concluded.

The outcome: Sound has blossomed beautifully, exhibiting an airy, rapid, and genuinely natural quality, accompanied by a mesmerizing holographic imaging effect.

The midrange is strikingly clear and authentic; listening to vocals or instrument through these speakers is an absolute delight.

The bass—it continues to astound me with its swiftness, clarity, and impact.

At this point, these speakers sound absolutely magnificence. Music gains a new sense of life, instruments manifest vividly, and every nuanced detail sparkles effortlessly.

All I can say, my sonic journey with Magico continues, and the pleasure derived from this experience is truly amazing!

Nice write up , congrats. I have not been that lucky my S3's are still sitting with around 15 hrs on them . I hope to have some time next week to put a few more hours on them .

 

[exupgh12]

Congratulations om your S3 purchase! It was amongst my notables at this years' CAF. It was paired with the Gryphon amp, making beautiful music together.
Tell me if you please. What made you go with the S series over the A or M series?

Hi Gregadd,

Thank you for the kind words.
Before S3 2023 I had S3MK2.
I decided to jump on the upgrade as soon as Magico announced the new S3....waited more than 8 months till I got my pair in mid-August.

I've heard many times the entire A series and most S series with the same electronics as I have (Luxman900 amp's as mono + Luxman 900 pre)
S series always sounded better than the A series, much more refined and less stressed on the upper octaves (A5 can move more air than S3, but it doesn't have the fines and refinement you get with S3MK2 not to mention S3 2023)

I bought the new S3 without hearing them, as I'm confident with Magico sound and products. The first time I heard the new S3 was at the Munich show in May, after hearing the speakers, my only question to Alon and Yaier from that moment was ...when do I get my pair.

At my home (a living room that is lightly acoustic treatment that was placed after measurement) they perform superbe.

 

[exupgh12]

Nice right up , congrats. I have not been that lucky my S3's are still sitting with around 15 hrs on them . I hope to have some time next week to put a few more hours on them .

Congrats on your new speakers.
Don't hesitate to play a lot with their place and two in\out where one cm change can make a big difference in sound.
Be patient, the speakers need time and care placement to get the best out of them.

what electronics you are using with the speakers?

 

[Gregadd]

Hi Gregadd,

Thank you for the kind words.
Before S3 2023 I had S3MK2.
I decided to jump on the upgrade as soon as Magico announced the new S3....waited more than 8 months till I got my pair in mid-August.

I've heard many times the entire A series and most S series with the same electronics as I have (Luxman900 amp's as mono + Luxman 900 pre)
S series always sounded better than the A series, much more refined and less stressed on the upper octaves (A5 can move more air than S3, but it doesn't have the fines and refinement you get with S3MK2 not to mention S3 2023)

I bought the new S3 without hearing them, as I'm confident with Magico sound and products. The first time I heard the new S3 was at the Munich show in May, after hearing the speakers, my only question to Alon and Yaier from that moment was ...when do I get my pair.

At my home (a living room that is lightly acoustic treatment that was placed after measurement) they perform superbe.

I am glad it worked out. My experience with buying unheard is a 50\50 crap shot. If I were to go Magico, I prefer the M series.

 

[exupgh12]

I am glad it worked out. My experience with buying unheard is a 50\50 crap shot. If I were to go Magico, I prefer the M series.

I am very interested in owning the M series speakers, particularly after experiencing the M2, M3, and M6 models. However, the price difference between the M3 and the S3 2023 is nearly double.

 

[ecwl]

I am very interested in owning the M series speakers, particularly after experiencing the M2, M3, and M6 models. However, the price difference between the M3 and the S3 2023 is nearly double.

I am quite impressed by the newer A5 midrange and woofers compared to the M2/A3 drivers. My dealer is bringing in an S3 2023 and I can’t wait to hear it. I suspect the sonic difference between the S3 2023 and M3 are not that big.

 

[Gregadd]

I am very interested in owning the M series speakers, particularly after experiencing the M2, M3, and M6 models. However, the price difference between the M3 and the S3 2023 is nearly double.

I love spending other peoples' money.
Your system has a nice balance to it. I suggest you squeeze all the performance you can from the S3. So many audiophiles upgrade their speaker only to regret it.

 

[ecwl]

I love spending other peoples' money.
Your system has a nice balance to it. I suggest you squeeze all the performance you can from the S3. So many audiophiles upgrade their speaker only to regret it.

I totally agree. For me, upgrading to Magico was so revealing of the deficits of my system, I ended up first getting Symposium platforms and Nordost Sort Kones to reduce the vibrations of my components to get a cleaner and smoother sound. And then I just kept hearing my room acoustic issues despite DSP/EQ so I ended up buying tons of bass traps (active and passive) to significantly improve the sound. Now I’m super happy with the system. Although I still keep wondering if I should move somewhere with a dedicated symmetrical listening room to push the performance of my system. The road to upgrading is endless.

Congrats to all the S3 2023 owners. I can’t wait to be able to hear a pair locally soon. (Too bad work is so busy I can’t travel somewhere to demo them earlier). Even if I’m not in the market for a pair.

 

[exupgh12]

I love spending other peoples' money.

Don't we all

Your system has a nice balance to it. I suggest you squeeze all the performance you can from the S3. So many audiophiles upgrade their speaker only to regret it.

Thank you.

 

[exupgh12]

I am quite impressed by the newer A5 midrange and woofers compared to the M2/A3 drivers. My dealer is bringing in an S3 2023 and I can’t wait to hear it. I suspect the sonic difference between the S3 2023 and M3 are not that big.

Never felt for the A3 (love A1 and A5, both are great speakers)
Between M2 and M3, the later is the better one, M2 was introduced as request for small living room that are common in places like Japan, regarding M3, I supposed it will be the first to be replaced in the M series as its the technology is the most mature by now.

I truly anticipate to see if Magico will introduce new S7, current S7 is superb speaker, so it will be interesting to see the new technology at that large cabinet.

 

[owen lawlor]

Finally! After a prolonged break-in period for my S3s, interrupted by the events of October 7th, I can say the break-in process has successfully concluded.

The outcome: Sound has blossomed beautifully, exhibiting an airy, rapid, and genuinely natural quality, accompanied by a mesmerizing holographic imaging effect.

The midrange is strikingly clear and authentic; listening to vocals or instrument through these speakers is an absolute delight.

The bass—it continues to astound me with its swiftness, clarity, and impact.

At this point, these speakers sound absolutely magnificence. Music gains a new sense of life, instruments manifest vividly, and every nuanced detail sparkles effortlessly.

All I can say, my sonic journey with Magico continues, and the pleasure derived from this experience is truly amazing!

Congrats, man. That's beautiful! Can you tell us about your S3 positioning and setup? The distance they are apart from each other and distance from the back wall? It sounds like you figured out placement for sure. Also how do you like the feet? They are flat and not spikes and I wonder how people are handling them for carpeted floors. TIA!

 

[exupgh12]

Congrats, man. That's beautiful! Can you tell us about your S3 positioning and setup? The distance they are apart from each other and distance from the back wall? It sounds like you figured out placement for sure. Also how do you like the feet? They are flat and not spikes and I wonder how people are handling them for carpeted floors. TIA!

Thank you for the kind words.

Regarding my S3 speaker setup, the speakers front baffles are positioned about 1.2 meters from the front wall (the wall behind the speakers) and about 1 meter from the side walls to each speaker tweeter leaving the space between both tweeters just shy above 2.25 meters.

My sitting area is fixed due to my TV installation on the wall beside the listening position, preventing me from pulling the speakers more into the room due to space constraints.

The distance from my sitting place to the speakers is about 3.3 meters and the back wall (which is the kitchen) is approximately 5.5 meters from my sitting place, which hasn't posed any issues.

I've noticed that the S3 model has increased sensitivity to toe in and out compared to the MK2 version. Even a one-centimeter adjustment significantly affects the higher frequencies.

As for the new feet, I'm quite pleased with them. They make it much easier to level the speakers on the floor compared to the previous spike configuration, which was more challenging.

Moving the speakers has become a bit more difficult due to their increased weight and the new feet design. I've found a method where I carefully shift the speakers by standing them on one or two feet and gently moving them in the desired direction. It's a bit tedious but manageable, considering the convenience the new feet offer.

Overall, despite a few challenges, I'm satisfied with the setup of the new speakers. If you have any further questions or experiences to share, feel free to ask!

 

[owen lawlor]

Thank you for the kind words.

Regarding my S3 speaker setup, the speakers front baffles are positioned about 1.2 meters from the front wall (the wall behind the speakers) and about 1 meter from the side walls to each speaker tweeter leaving the space between both tweeters just shy above 2.25 meters.

My sitting area is fixed due to my TV installation on the wall beside the listening position, preventing me from pulling the speakers more into the room due to space constraints.

The distance from my sitting place to the speakers is about 3.3 meters and the back wall (which is the kitchen) is approximately 5.5 meters from my sitting place, which hasn't posed any issues.

I've noticed that the S3 model has increased sensitivity to toe in and out compared to the MK2 version. Even a one-centimeter adjustment significantly affects the higher frequencies.

As for the new feet, I'm quite pleased with them. They make it much easier to level the speakers on the floor compared to the previous spike configuration, which was more challenging.

Moving the speakers has become a bit more difficult due to their increased weight and the new feet design. I've found a method where I carefully shift the speakers by standing them on one or two feet and gently moving them in the desired direction. It's a bit tedious but manageable, considering the convenience the new feet offer.

Overall, despite a few challenges, I'm satisfied with the setup of the new speakers. If you have any further questions or experiences to share, feel free to ask!

Interesting setup. Very close together but it sounds like this works for you which is terrific. The toe in comment is interesting for sure, wondering why this would be different from previous models. Where do you aim the tweeter? I've always tried to follow the isocoles triangle with convergence of tweeter about a meter behind the listening position. I've become a big fan of pulling them as far apart as they can go - the stage gets so huge that way and center fill is still there.

 

[exupgh12]

Interesting setup. Very close together but it sounds like this works for you which is terrific. The toe in comment is interesting for sure, wondering why this would be different from previous models. Where do you aim the tweeter? I've always tried to follow the isocoles triangle with convergence of tweeter about a meter behind the listening position. I've become a big fan of pulling them as far apart as they can go - the stage gets so huge that way and center fill is still there.

The new S3 model from Magico features a wave-guided Twitter, a departure from previous models.

This modification narrows the dispersion of the Twitter, impacting placement within the room, which is influenced by both room space and the listener's position.

Considering these constraints and after conducting room measurements (which turned out surprisingly better than anticipated), I achieved remarkable results.

Key factors contributing to the success:

1. The room exhibits minimal resonance.

2. The absence of a close rear wall behind my head eliminates sound bouncing issues.

3. Maintaining a 1-meter distance from side walls suits the directive nature of these speakers.

4. Addressing a dip between 80-120 range was feasible through acoustic treatment and positioning the speaker baffles approximately 1.2 meters from my front wall.

Having experienced and known various Magico setups (A, S, and M series), the sound quality produced by my setup is among the finest, and not less important, it's balanced and enjoyable to listen to.