Magico Speakers with Naim

When I bought the S3 MkII I already had the NAPD 500 DR.

The S3 Mk One had a fancy impedance curve. The S3 MkII is a complete redesign and is much easier to drive. You should be just fine with your NAP300.

Thanks Thomas, good to know. The 300 are not exactly lightweight but neither are they muscle amps which some speakers prefer.

I had read the Mk2 was designed to be an easier load than the predecessor but I haven’t found much in the way of data other than the published “88db / 4 ohm”. If 4 ohms is minimum they should be fine, if thats an average figure, the dips could be very low indeed.

EDIT: Found data for the S5 which clarifies 4ohm is a nominal figure so excursions down towards 2 ohms are probably to be expected. Manageable for the 300 I’m sure, I just hope its manageable comfortably…

I recently saw (here, I think) an impedance curve for the M2’s and they definitely dip to 2 ohms.

Yes, the M2 drop very low and appear to present quite a load for an amp. I haven’t been able to find anything for the S3 though. I found a curve for the S5 and it hits a minimum of 3.15. If S3 is similar, it might not be so bad after all.

Hi Bart
As a new owner of the superb A3’s, could I ask you for your thoughts on the Apod’s, I see from your Magico x Naim thread, the photos show the Apods on, so maybe you have always used them which obviously is more difficult to give and opinion. I guess like most people on the forum I’m after the optimum sound, squeezing the full potential out of our equipment
Our room is 5.5m x 8.5m and a “suspended soft wooden floor”. Presently the Magico’s are sitting on granite slabs which has gone some ways to help achieve a tigher bass, not that it’s out of control.
By being in the Magico must know what they are doing camp (like with Naim and Super Luminia cables) these pods maybe a good option, not the cheapest though.
Would also appreciate other Magico owners experience/sucsess using the various types of pods opinions
Thanks
Paul

Hi Paul. Sure enough, I installed the A-Pods on my A3s when I first unpacked them and have not listened to them any other way. I knew I did not want them just on my ‘suspended wooden floor’ and figured that Magico thoughtfully designed the A-Pods. There are other options, including the very well reviewed GAIA feet (I think you can get bolts for them that’ll fit, but I’m not entirely sure), but I’ve not listened to them.

Sorry I can’t be of more help!

Hi - Afraid I have no pods or other feet for my A3’s, but I did look into the GIAA’ s and can confirm they will supply the correct screws.

We auditioned a couple of Magico speakers just a couple of days ago and are very close to closing the deal on a pair of S3 mk2. Whilst there we listened to brand new (running in) A3 with and without S-POD (not A-POD). That was enough to confirm to both my wife and I that they are all but essential.

They completely transformed the performance of the speaker to the extent we weren’t sure we were listening to the same pair. All areas were improved, most significantly bass control which is the reason (I believe) there was greater separation and clarity of instruments, voices etc. Music with effects such as Roger Waters was incredible - Rogers voice was no longer to the outside right of the speaker, I had a quick look to check he wasn’t sitting beside me !

No idea if Gaia will have similar or even better results but I was convinced by this demo to not consider Magico speakers without something of this type, to control or convert any remaining cabinet resonance.

The floor was very solid and fully accoustically treated which made it all the more surprising to me.

Shame we didn’t get to hear the M Project they had lurking in the background!

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Some great ceramics too !

Thanks! My wife has been a ceramics lover for a while - before we met. A mix of American and Scandinavian artists, and a little Japanese. There is a nice little gallery a few towns from us. We’re going to an opening on Saturday. They invite us because they know we’ll usually buy a piece!

We do have some ‘flat art’ but ceramic art to me is quite nice and brings something to a space.

We started buying ceramic when we ran out of wall space. I know exactly what you mean about the expectations of a purchase, probably highlighted even more so now. We’re in North Wales UK and tend to support the local arts community here where we can.
No back on topic before I get told off again !

Here, Harvard Univ. has a ceramics program. We go to their open shop sales, and often pick up pieces really inexpensively - bowls and plates and such we actually use. There is something nice about using serving bowls that someone made, vs. factory-in-wherever made crap.

When my wife was between jobs 2 years ago she took it up and we use some of her bowls too. They are not “perfect” but they are hers :grinning:

There is a ‘post the art you own’ thread in the Padded Cell. Show off what you have!

So, the trigger has been pulled and a pair of Bronze S3 Mk2 are on the way !

It didn’t take long to decide we really enjoyed their presentation, beautifully transparent and controlled, with all genres, at all volumes and with a very low but not at all flabby bottom end! From simple acoustic pieces to complicated and dynamic orchestral arrangements, electrónica, jazz, piano, percussion, opera…they just let the music flow.

If I had to pick a fault, they seemed more “boxey” than I expected (my old Neats do a much better disappearing act) but the room seemed quite small and there wasn’t much distance to the side walls. Listening to the width of sound stage from A3s that we’re running in, in another, wider room and the way the speakers disappeared in there was enough to convince me the effect was room related. At home they will have much more room to breathe.

We had another listen to Wilson’s Sabrina and Sasha DAW. The Sabrinas were not enough of an upgrade over my 15yr old Neat MFS for what they cost but the DAWs brought a lot more to the table. However, compared to the Magicos they have a different but equally lovely mid range and a slightly sweeter treble but neither of us could live with the low frequencies. Explosive and impactful but felt like more like special effects than music and detracted (and distracted) from the overall experience.

I really wanted to have another listen to JBL 4367 and S4700 as I had enjoyed them at a previous demo (my wife was less keen, mainly for the aesthetics) but the timings didn’t work out.

I was determined not to let price be the decider (within my budget) but the Magico dealer made us an offer that was hard to ignore and accelerated the decision.

To be honest I would like to have listened to more but I don’t particularly enjoy the auditioning process and many of the better known synergistic pairings e.g. Kudos, are difficult to arrange auditions of. My current speakers are great but they feel like the system bottleneck and I have been eager for “more” for about a year and a half. In the end we made the decision to pull the trigger and enjoy these speakers now, without trying to convince ourselves we have to seek out the endgame…though they may well turn out to be

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Thanks Elfer, you having heard a noticeable uplift in performance on the A3’s, with and without pods is very reassuring. We have to buy blind as distributor/dealer in New Zealand doesn’t stock any Pods.
Reading further down this thread I see you’re in for some exciting times, that’s going to be fun. We are so enjoying our Naim/Magico system, in our room it’s a great pairing😀

Paul

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Congrats
Is their weight 145kg per speaker or for the pair?

What are “Bronze M3 MkII??” Did you mean S3?

Thanks for highlighting my mistake Bart. Yes, I mean S3 not M3 - I have corrected my post.

Hi Davidf, I made a typo in my post - I meant to say S3 not M3, the weight is 77kg per speaker.

No worries - I was just scratching my head and wondering until I figured that you must have meant S3. I would have heard if there was an M3 MkII ha ha

If only I had the space and system to do a pair of M3 justice…not to mention the depth of pockets :joy: