I rather like the sound of the S and M series. Perfect for the dungeon.
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I heard the A3 at dealer place. Room was about 5X 8 m. ( heigh 2,5m).There were 2 big bass traps on each side behind the speakers and one behind the listener. Despite that, the bass was overwhelming and not enough controlled. A lot of energy. On a Soulution integrated.
The M2 have even bigger woofers i feel ( ?)
Both the A3 and M2 have two 7 inch base woofers per enclosure.
Hans
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the last two years at the bristol show my had raved about the 21 s they were filling quite a large room i do have a thing about a large sound from small enclosures
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The A series differs quite a lot from the M and S series. Really different speakers design (cabinet and crossover).
The A series is significantly more bass heavy than S or M series.
I spent numerous hours testing all Magico speakers except the S5 and S7.
Although the S3 has bigger woofers (9 inch), the A3 (7 inch) is significantly more bass heavy.
The M2 has 7 inch woofers, and provides amazingly controlled low level.
In the context of Magico speakers, one simply can’t compare them based on woofer size.
Thanks to clarifying Thomas.
When changing speakers, my idea was to go with small speakers.
I tested a couple of other ported speakers (french brands…). Not really what I was looking for. They sounded good, but the low end was really too much.
My idea was to try the S1 or Q1.
But eventually took the time to listen to almost all Magico speakers. I ended up enjoying both S3 and M2 a lot.
The M2 are crazy speakers, really amazing (IMO) and so is their price…
I’d say that at normal listening levels, the difference between the S3 and the M2 is in the low medium (cleaner for the M2). For the rest the S3 is quite close to the M2.
The M2 undoubtedly has a better crossover and its front plate and cabinet design is state of the art engineering.
Finally bought the S3 MkII.
IMO, the S3’s price/performance ratio is brilliant!
In our room, we found the A3’s to be just right (on 552/300DR). The room is open at the back, so it’s never “pressurized.” ~0.6 meters from the rear wall, and the bass is lovely for us. I know that this is highly room dependent, as at my dealer’s extremely damped demo room, on some pretty high-end high current amps, the A3’s were even a little underwhelming on bass. I attribute that to the room.
S3 MKII’s would be fascinating to hear in our room, but they are too darned heavy to deal with for a demo. I agree that they are good “value” for Magico, despite being much much more money. (But I could even turn a slight profit by selling off the A3’s if I wanted to!) I continue to believe that the A3’s punch well above their weight. But yes for 3x the money for S3 and 7x for M2, there is more to be had.
Back to the thread topic: If I were to find a nice used 500DR, I’d not be looking to change speakers any time soon.
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Bart, the A3 are indeed great speakers. No doubt about that. All Magico speakers are. And, at their respective price point, I believe it is hard to find competition.
They are remarkable … they do have a limit…the extreme low bass sub 40hz (yes it does this…obviously a good few db down) is a little soft. But this is made up for with sheer boogy power… PMC are know for close monitoring speakers … and they work so well in small rooms. I have compared them on my set up with BW 805 D3’s … and really what the B&W’s gained in refinement (treble is fab) the PMC’s took back in sheer funky boogy swing… very musical… I think the D3’s were just too big for my room. In my opinion the D3’s whilst undeniably good … they don’t really want to rock… I would think they would be amazing on orchestral, voices and percussion. The down side of the PMC 21’s is they are ultra demanding - they want the best amplification you can throw at them.
Proac K6, Apertura Everest, BW 802 D3, Kudos Titan 808, Wilson Sabrina…are not bad too for 20<x<30k prices
The S3 MkII with SPODs are more close to 40k, unfortunately 
8k for the only Mpod? My speakers even don’t cost 8k.
The SPODS are listed at around 3500 euros
The Magico S3 MkII are 36k euros
I was thinking of the Mpods
Well, I don’t have those MPODs nor did I mention them.
Monitor Audio Studio 60.
Using 802 D3s, in a room about 18 ft x 13.5 ft, the latter into a bay, I have no problem with them driven by a 500DR. The room interface is the hardest part of hi-fi to get right. That’s not just from me but from the well respected Mike Valentine. Standmounts will always be easier to drive in the “average” room as they usually produce less bass. However if you like me, and want a “big” sound, then it has to be floorstanders with their potential to produce too much. My friendly B & W/ Naim dealer says the minimum power amp in the Naim range would be a 250DR.
Asking the opposite question “could I get away with 800 D3s in my room?” I got a decisive NO.
Bearing in mind I have a wife who tolerates my 802s, just, and her idea of a speaker would be an Alxva Echo, some would say I am quite fortunate.
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It sounds like heresy but a really good sub is superb…svs or velodyne make fantastic units. My experience using a velodyne and Naim equipment…is amazing…you get all the good things of a small stand mount + the clout of a seismic hammer… I used a 500dr and 552…with pmc20.21 and velodyne dd10+ to epic effect in a small room…