Sonus Faber Aida vs Magico Q5

[PeterA]

Have you considered the Q1 without the REL subwoofer for the interim? Go back to the Q5 when your new room is built.

 

[mep]

Peter-I have no idea why you quoted me.

 

[mep]

Peter-I thought you were addressing your comments to me because of the quote.

 

[PeterA]

Peter-I have no idea why you quoted me.

quote deleted

 

[seriouslyhifi]

If nothing else works then he should trade in his Q-5 only because they are too big for his room and he should get the Raidho D1 instead and they would be an excellent choice. In his small room he would get transperency, sound stage, detail and decent bass. The D2 would give him more bottom end but for me the D1 are magical.

 

[Hyperion]

If nothing else works then he should trade in his Q-5 only because they are too big for his room and he should get the Raidho D1 instead and they would be an excellent choice. In his small room he would get transperency, sound stage, detail and decent bass. The D2 would give him more bottom end but for me the D1 are magical.

I agree. I will be getting the Raidho D1 and hopefully the D2 as well for evaluation within 1-2 months myself. These are much sweeter and musical speakers (than Magico in genereal) to these ears, which also benefits from a placement close to the sidewalls. They could potentially work really well in a small/narrow room such as this.

 

[sonrock]

Me and many people will disagree with you regarding your comment about raidho speakers are more musical and sweeter than magico speakers, and many will agree with you. There is no right or wrong here, just personal taste and in many cases: system matching and music being played in that system. I heard both positive and negative feedbacks regarding raidho speakers from audiophiles who went to munich and listened to them, and some in shops. not surprised at all.

If I do really have to downsize my speakers, I will go back to the magico v2 or consider the q3, tad cr1, probably raidho d1/d2 and several other choices. But I dont think I will do that, at least in the next couple of months. I still have plenty of time to toy with the q5 and the room, so in no rush. The q5 are working really well here, as just I said, in several recordings the bass is too much, not in every of them. never heard something similar playing acoustics and rock like the q5, also the vocals are superb

The old man who I visited last year using q5, he used sf speakers before moving to magico, v2 first then q5, I doubt he's moving on to the q7 but after 33 years in his hifi journey and owning so many speakers from different manufacturers, he stops with magico. me, I am not sure about the future but now, yes.

 

[dafos]

Sonrock agree with your decision 100%, you already own one of the best speakers currently available. And you yourself claim that excessive bass is not a chronic but just an intermittent problem. No audio system is perfect and I'm sure all of us who have given suggestions have our own issues with our own systems. Just enjoy the speakers and you'll be tapping into its full potential when you do find a proper room solution.

 

[microstrip]

(...) The q5 are working really well here, as just I said, in several recordings the bass is too much, not in every of them. never heard something similar playing acoustics and rock like the q5, also the vocals are superb (...) .

At this point you (or someone for you) should carry some acoustic measurements - otherwise you are mostly increasing the entropy of your system, perhaps becoming one more victim of the "The circle of confusion" http://seanolive.blogspot.pt/2009/10/audios-circle-of-confusion.html

 

[seriouslyhifi]

I agree completely with your suggestion microstrip. Finally do what you think is correct for your ears but with an open mind. And the more the advise the more the confussion. A smaller speaker was only suggested due to your room size, but finally you have to live with it. From what I can understand you certainly have a bass issue and too many tube traps is not a cure but could actually rob you of music. If you are hearing bass issues on some recordings, then you certainly have problems. I like microstrip`s advise. Get your room analized and then get it treated if possible with both tube traps and defraction. I am sigining off on this as too much advise is never good. Take care and enjoy music.

 

[cjfrbw]

I have been a platinum card carrying member of the "circle of confusion" since I started this hobby. No end in sight.

 

[Hyperion]

Me and many people will disagree with you regarding your comment about raidho speakers are more musical and sweeter than magico speakers, and many will agree with you. There is no right or wrong here, just personal taste and in many cases: system matching and music being played in that system. I heard both positive and negative feedbacks regarding raidho speakers from audiophiles who went to munich and listened to them, and some in shops. not surprised at all.

If I do really have to downsize my speakers, I will go back to the magico v2 or consider the q3, tad cr1, probably raidho d1/d2 and several other choices. But I dont think I will do that, at least in the next couple of months. I still have plenty of time to toy with the q5 and the room, so in no rush. The q5 are working really well here, as just I said, in several recordings the bass is too much, not in every of them. never heard something similar playing acoustics and rock like the q5, also the vocals are superb

The old man who I visited last year using q5, he used sf speakers before moving to magico, v2 first then q5, I doubt he's moving on to the q7 but after 33 years in his hifi journey and owning so many speakers from different manufacturers, he stops with magico. me, I am not sure about the future but now, yes.

I didn't mean to say that Raidhos are superior to Magico. It's all a matter of taste, preferences and system matchning. But, I believe they have the potential of being easier to integrate in a smaller room such as yours. One Magico-dealer told me that the Q5 needs a large room in general (>30 square meters).

 

[ack]

I didn't mean to say that Raidhos are superior to Magico. It's all a matter of taste, preferences and system matchning. But, I believe they have the potential of being easier to integrate in a smaller room such as yours. One Magico-dealer told me that the Q5 needs a large room in general (>30 square meters).

I also believe his room is just too small for the Q5s; mine is twice his size and am already worried about how the Q3s will perform in the bass, considering that my MLs with smaller total woofer area (a 10" and 8") need bass attenuation (for which I have built a custom resistor network). It feels like the problem is too egregious for the bass traps to fix.

 

[PeterA]

I also believe his room is just too small for the Q5s; mine is twice his size and am already worried about how the Q3s will perform in the bass, considering that my MLs with smaller total woofer area (a 10" and 8") need bass attenuation (for which I have built a custom resistor network). It feels like the problem is too egregious for the bass traps to fix.

Ack, did you buy the Q3s? I hadn't heard. If so, congratulations. I love those speakers.

 

[ack]

Ack, did you buy the Q3s? I hadn't heard. If so, congratulations. I love those speakers.

I have not yet, still exploring all the details with respect to bass performance and especially tweeter height at the listening position. It's hard to get away from panels, let me assure you of this. The Q3 is not exactly what I always wanted, me being, first and foremost, a ribbon lover - basically, nothing I have ever heard comes close to the purity of the Maggie ribbon I used to own, and that's not even a top-notch ribbon to start... Deep inside, I still dream of getting a bigger house and those Apogees I always wanted. I just can't stand extraneous box/panel vibrations, which I can easily hear, which leads me to speakers like Magico.

 

[docvale]

I have not yet, still exploring all the details with respect to bass performance and especially tweeter height at the listening position. It's hard to get away from panels, let me assure you of this. The Q3 is not exactly what I always wanted, me being, first and foremost, a ribbon lover - basically, nothing I have ever heard comes close to the purity of the Maggie ribbon I used to own, and that's not even a top-notch ribbon to start... Deep inside, I still dream of getting a bigger house and those Apogees I always wanted. I just can't stand extraneous box/panel vibrations, which I can easily hear, which leads me to speakers like Magico.

At the latest NY Audio Show I've been impressed by the ML CLX plus ML twin subs. Have you ever considered something like that? The crazy thing was that my wife told they were pretty looking

 

[ack]

At the latest NY Audio Show I've been impressed by the ML CLX plus ML twin subs. Have you ever considered something like that? The crazy thing was that my wife told they were pretty looking

Let's not hijack the thread, but yes I have a number of times, they don't fit and I consider the supporting structure shoddy work at best. Plus I would still re-work their crossover to the Magico, or my ML's, standards. So not worth it. Analysis Audio is the closest I've heard to what I want (and probably that Italian line of late would do as well), but I just don't want magnets on the front panel marring the image. Sigh... Back to topic...

 

[LL21]

... It's hard to get away from panels, let me assure you of this...basically, nothing I have ever heard comes close to the purity of the Maggie ribbon I used to own, and that's not even a top-notch ribbon to start... Deep inside, I still dream of getting a bigger house and those Apogees I always wanted. I just can't stand extraneous box/panel vibrations, which I can easily hear, which leads me to speakers like Magico.

Hi Ack, I too have long admired ribbons. Never owned them, but I still think about a pair of Apogee Stages I heard many, many years ago. Still a highlight in my own personal experience over the years. But I also appreciate cones for what they do well...

have you been to Goodwins to hear the Rockports and Magico? Just curious as to what a ribbon fan thinks of Rockport speed/transient response which I have heard is excellent (Avior/Altair 2 among other ones).

 

[Hyperion]

A quick comment... Have you considered Raidho...? Dynamic speakers with ribbon tweeters.

 

[ack]

have you been to Goodwins to hear the Rockports and Magico? Just curious as to what a ribbon fan thinks of Rockport speed/transient response which I have heard is excellent (Avior/Altair 2 among other ones).

Don't kid yourself; Rockports are fine speakers, and they are not as fast as electrostatics or ribbons. Listen VERY carefully before you buy, given your preferences. I have posted on the Avior vs. the Q3 and the Summit X here a couple of times.