I am verry happy with my Vivid Audio Oval series (now succeeded by the Kaya series). All Vivid speakers are very neutral, transparant and fast. Actually you’ll hear the Naim gear, rather than the speakers. Appearance not for everybody btw.
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I make great bass. Deep, fast and powerful considering its only 2x 6.5" bass drivers. I have a unique room and it works better than you’d think. 2x bass traps in the corner next to the couch and my Vicoustic Wave Wood panels (x4) also help control the bass. The K6 port vents downward so they can be placed relatively close to a back wall.
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I’m sorry Chris but Vicoustic Wave Wood panels won’t help taming low frequencies (bass).
Those panels are made out of foam and start being somewhat effective around 400 Hz.
Wave Wood panels absorb mostly mids and highs.
Hitting low frequencies isn’t easy. You need a massive amount Bass Traps (porous material, like rockwool or glass fibre) if you wish to absorb under 150-200Hz.
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Thanks Chris. Cheers.
Except they do make a difference… I heard it with my own ears.
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No doubt about that 
Absorbing and/or diffusing some mids and highs makes a real and measurable difference, especially at first reflection points.
Vicoustic products are among the best. I use a lot of their panels myself.
I was just saying that Wave Wood panels only absorb/diffuse mids and highs, as described on Vicoustic’s website. I was able to confirm that with some measurements when I treated my own room.
Unfortunately, we can’t absorb bass with foam.
For the low-end (bass), under 150-200Hz, there is Vicoustic Super Bass Extrem (I use 4 of them).
The rest of my low end treatment are Bass Traps are GIK Monster Bass Traps (I use 15 of them).
If you’re on the “room treatment path”, GIK Acoustic and Acoustic Fields are two other brands that offer both good products and reliable advices.
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I think if I had to make a choice right now it would be (1) Kudos 808 (2) Magico S5 (3) Focal Maestro Utopia (my current speaker). Remember I have no opportunity for in home demo.
Zackwater,
Magico are very captivating, but few years back I auditioned S1, but was suspect if NAP 500 was able to drive them and retailer agreed they may not do the trick. Magico said “yes you can use them, but you won’t get everything S1 offers.”
I auditioned Wilson’s, Yvette , Sabrina and Alexia. Yvette meant nothing, Sabrina seemed overrated, but I was intoxicated by Alexia and they were beautifully driven by 500 setup, but price, size and placement suggested it was too costly and too visually dominant.
In the end I bought Avalon Acoustics Precision Monitor I. At time of purchase I was optimistic that PM1’s would be satisfying, but not fabulous. Out of the box they were magical with piano and quite good with instrumental and chamber recitals. It took a year for the speakers and my system to acclimate, in the end they made listening insightful and easy.
PM1’s can be placed angled about 2-feet from wall in 10-foot triangle. The veneers are decorative and speaker’s height doesn’t overwhelm the room. The PM1’s invited me to visit my collection again and again. Avalon is based in Boulder Colorado.
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@Fallstaff
I did get to listen to Avalons, not sure of the model, when auditioning Wilson Sasha DAWs with Naim system. The Avalon’s were in another room with Dagostino electronics and sounded superb. I attributed the SQ to the electronics but I wonder.
The Mk1 were difficult to drive so probably a fair comment at the time. The Mk2 are quite different, much easier to drive.
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I have the ProAc K6 at the end of a ND555, NAC552, NAP300 system. I think they sound wonderful, very natural. I had the occasion to listen to Magicos S1 in comparison within the same setting but preferred the K6 and bought them. The S1 where too bright for my taste.
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I own a NAP500DR and a pair of Magico S3 MkII.
I can assure you that the NAP500 drives the S3 MkII and S5 MkII or the M3 easily.
The first version of Magico’s S series had a bumpy impedance curves and therefore needed a lot of current in order to have them under control.
The S MkII series are totally different. In fact, they are simply new speakers.
The only thing they share with the first version is the middle part of the tubular enclosure.
- The top and bottom of the enclosure are different.
- All the drivers are different
- And finally the crossover has been redesigned
The 140 Watts and 700VA transient of the 500DR will drive those speakers quite effortlessly.
You can easily find the impedance curves of both the S1 MkII and S5 MkII online.
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Martin Colloms system: Nds/555dr. Townsend Allegri/ 500dr.
Magico S5.
I am reading regularly Hificritic magazine. Here the review of DCS network bridge mentioning MC system:
“subsequently travelled over to MC’s home for a spot of listening, with Townshend Allegri pre-amp, Naim NAP500DR power amplifier and the Magico S5 MkII speakers, which gave a sound that was very different to what I hear at home through my B&W 802 D2s. “
We’ve been home cooking for Thanksgiving and listening to music a lot. My wife, unsolicited, blurted out, “These speakers are so good. Why would you ever think of changing them?” (Magico A3). That’s a pretty good endorsement, as she loves music too but not the ‘slight obsession with hardware’ part of it.
I told her the only thing I’m thinking of is next-up-the-ladder Magicos (when we move we’ll have a bigger room) and that seemed to go over ok.
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Sounds like Magico A5’s are in store for you…Nice!
Current plan is to trade the A3’s towards A5’s when we move. Although used S5MkII are about the same price.
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