This thread is intended to share our experience with Magico speakers.
To put it simple: performance.
A series: classic box design, more affordable componentry, yet highly performant
S series: more sophisticated box and crossover design
M series: state of the art
The Q series is slowly being discontinued. They keep producing the gigantic Q7, but not sure it sells a lot.
I spent a few hours listening to nearly all Magico speakers in exceptional conditions: enormous listening rooms and no one around (did not listen to the S5 and S7)
All Magico products are extremely well built (all closed box design) and perform astonishingly well.
I tried some British and French speakers, but have been always disappointed with the low end. I even was giving up the idea of being able to listen to a correct, under 65Hz, reproduction .
In terms of sound, I’d form two groups: the A series and the S/M series.
The S and M series being extremely flat, the WYFIWYG kind of speakers (What You Feed is What You Get). The low end is… the best I ever heard. If you like the “Naim Sound”, well this is exactly what the Magicos will provide.
The best cello and piano reproduction I have ever heard was through the M2 (surprisingly, not through the Q7)
I always thought that well integrated ribbons tweeters couldn’t be outperformed by any dome. Well, I was wrong.
The S and M series tweeter is simply amazing, extremely fast and precise. Violin with gut strings sound so silky and natural (it can sometimes sound harsh… if you enjoy baroque music you certainly know what I mean).
There is no such thing as a perfect speaker.
But Magico raised the bar up to a new level.
As for my personal choices, I was planning to buy the S1 MkII (the Q1 being discontinued).
I couldn’t believe that a pair of speakers could provide the clean low end I enjoy (through headphones), until I heard the M2. Unfortunately the M2 were out of reach.
The S3 MkII aren’t that far from the M2. So I end up buying the S3 MkII to which I added SPODs.
These PODs are ridiculously expensive but, believe it or not, they make a very noticeable and immediate difference.
If price isn’t an issue, then go for the M2 with MPODS
The S3 MkII with SPODs are, IMO, the sweet spot.
The A series is also gorgeous option to consider.
Of course, all the above is my opinion only, speakers is something rather personal. And I encourage you to audition before buying.
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Thanks for the reply and taking care of the “housekeeping” regarding proper place and starting a new thread.
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The A series represent tremendous value. The A3’s are $12,400 and the A5’s are $21,800. Yes the isolation feet are extra. But one could use GAIA instead, although as with Naim, there is a lot of ‘in Magico we trust’ thought to using what they designed to work with their speakers.
When auditioning speakers in 2011, the beautiful midrange of the Devores sucked me in; it was as transparent as the electrostatic end of Martin Logans. My A3’s do female vocals just as beautifully - slightly dryer (my word) but I’m ok with that, as the Devore midrage could become shouty (my word) and I didn’t like that; that was what I listened for in 2011, and in 2019 when I auditioned the Magicos.
A lot is written about Magico bass. People used to hearing ported speakers (as I was) think something is missing with the sealed box; they are right (and the answer is obvious). I’ve become a convert to the sealed box bass sound. We get a nice gut-punch out of our A3’s when it’s in the recording; quite amazingly sometimes. Magico does sell a couple of very heavy and very expensive (like everything) subwoofers (A and S series; the S Sub weighs 250 lbs!). Def not needed in our room.
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That’s quite right. Some ported speakers tend to behave oddly at low frequencies.
My previous speakers, rather smallish speakers, produced a lot “more bass” (swampy bass) at certain frequencies comparing to the S3 MkII.
This is quite surprising considering the respective size of the drivers .
- JMR Abscisse v1 ( 2 x 5,12 inch)
- Magico S3 MkII (2 x 9 inch)
It was pretty obvious with the following track.
Obviously the low end produced by the JMR Abscisse wasn’t originally on there.
Yes, when one gets used to that “added low end” it is difficult to adopt a different presentation (which happens to be more faithful to the original track).
For classical music, and acoustic music in general, Magico speakers do wonders.
I’m rather happy I did not stay focused on my first choice : the S1 MkII (@Bart 
) . Symphonic music is now so much more enjoyable!
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Magico (and others) have proven that size doesn’t matter (nearly so much) re bass drivers. The Q7’s do have 1 x 10" and 2 x 12", but really nice bass out of the 2 x 7" drivers on my A3.
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Well, it matters in terms of acoustic pressure. But, I was referring more to control rather then total amount of pressure.
Uncontrolled, or badly controlled, low end is something quite frequent.
It happens Magico speakers do the job surprisingly well. At a cost of course…
Copied from the other thread:
Great write-up.
Did you listen to the M3s as well? How did you find that they compare with the M2s?
We seem to appreciate the same kind of bass response - sealed enclosure, high resolution, high quality. I am thinking of buying one of them but am a bit concerned that the M2 will have to little low-end energy (in my 26 sqm room). I do like the Massive Attack records you mentioned in a previous post, partly due to the bass, but I do not like it boomy.
Best regards
Hans
Hi Hans,
Not sure I actually did listen to the M3. I think I jumped directly from the M2 to the M6.
As for comparing them, I’d say they have the exact same sound signature, the M6 being capable of more energy.
But in terms of finesse and capability of showing details in music, I’d say the M2 is by far the best I’ve heard from Magico. The low mids are outstanding.
In technical terms, the M2 has probably the best signal/noise ratio.
I listened to those speakers in a 120-150 sqm room. The M2 were very capable even within that huge volume.
In a room like yours, I wouldn’t go any higher than the M2.
(I have my S3 MkII in a ~38 sqm room)
As for testing music I used once or twice Massive Attack. But it doesn’t make justice to those speakers. A nice double bass album would certainly show best what the M2 are capable of.
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Thanks for the input, and for the Zadinsky recomendation. I am listening to it now, very good even on my Naim NBL speakers.
Best regards
Hans
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In my second system, I’m driving my A3s from a Uniti Nova. It works very well, as i am not in a position to play them loud. I get very satisfactory bass, wonderful spatial presentation, a the usual transparent, uncolored Magico sound.
There’s a family sound (or lack of) to all the Magicos. The Q5s in my main system (driven by Constellation monoblocks as they are power sinks) sound better in every respect (as they should), but I do not get disoriented going from the Q5s to the A3s.
Regarding Magico bass: sealed boxes bass sound nothing like ported bass. There’s a bloat in ported bass that might make you think that sealed boxes have less bass. Not true. Plus, in sealed boxes, you can really distinguish between each bass note - they don’t all sound jumbled. It’s a bit similar to panel bass but with way more oomph and extension.
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That’s so very true!
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@rsch
As @Bart said the S3 and S3 MkII are two different speakers.
Different tweeter, different medium driver, different bass drivers, different crossover, etc… In fact, the only thing they have in common is the extruded aluminium tube. Even the top and the base are different.
You really want to go for the de S3 MkII
Of course, i meant S3 mk2 albeit there is a pair of mk1 for sale at this dealer for less than half
RP.
Regards
Roberto
Ignore the Mk1’s! I’d think that the mk2’s should be avail around 50% of RP. The issue is shipping etc. I’m fortunate to have a Magico dealer 4 miles from my house. The bad part is that they hate discounting. I know people who live near me who’ve driven 1000 miles to save thousands on this brand.
I heard Magico speakers only once, and the pre / amplifier driving them were Naim Statement. Frankly I’m not sure which Magico speaker it was, but IIRC the salesman told me that they were selling for 89,000$ CDN or so. I suppose they must have been Q5s.
It was the only time I heard a Statement too, and I must say that the combination sounded just unreal. I couldn’t believe that that level of sound quality even existed.
Since then, Magicos are the only speakers I know that I could envision ever replacing my Harbeths with.
Claude
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At the moment they only have S1 mk2 (RP 22.900 euro) in stock. i know they are pretty flexible on deals.
I nver demoed S1 s but i’m afraid these being a touch lean on bass for me used with S600 s.
Unfortunately S2 s are nearly double that price. Oh and they still have a pair of M Project at a bargain price since are lying in their stock for more than four years
Regards
ROberto
Thank you now for two good music recommendations. Both my wife and 15 year-old daughter commented positivly when I played them. I may now very well get into listening more to classsical music again. It has been a while.
Hans
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I’ve only heard S1Mk2’s once, and i think that they can be good in a small room and where you’re not expecting much of a bass ‘thump.’ For a smallish room, I think that the S3Mk2 are the right place in the S series.