Yes be careful! One day you wake up and, “What have I done??” Just kidding - listening right now to Ragpickers Dream” and it sounds fricking awesome.
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Yes Bart! Your system must sound amazing, great front end, great amps and whilst I don’t know Magicos, except by reputation, they must be ‘fricking awesome’, if you like them more than your old DeVores. I am hoping, if I can upgrade my living space, I’ll have space for some Gibbon Xs on the end of my Supernait 3 in the future.
I DO like them more than my old Devore Nines. I had the X’s in my home for about 3 days, but they were too much; a little too big (imposing) size-wise, and the bass boomed a lot in my room. I’ve since come to appreciate “sealed box bass done right.”
If you can audition Magico A3’s or A5’s (which are more on par with the X’s) I’d do it. Although the Devores will be easier to drive.
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Hi Bart,
I didn’t know the Magico A5 were available. It doesn’t show on Magico’s website. Have you auditioned them?
I did listen to the A1 and A3, but not the A5.
I found the A1 quite surprising considering their size. Nice speakers for small rooms and near field listening.
The A5’s are shipping just now. Nice review on TAS, and a few other places.
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You left out the Q’s. And needs a new thread.
I’ve just seen the price difference between UK & US for the A5s. £24,900 vs $21,800. Now I get how Americans must feel about Naim pricing!
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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 now 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 (like 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.
As @Bart suggested a different thread could be more appropriated.
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Hi Folks, this is an update to https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic.php?oid=69004037262748424&coid=159503632588890 (page 20, post date Jan 25th)
Changes done:
Wall mount for TT, added Thorens TD 2001 (mid), TD 126III (right), Musical Fidelity phonoamp
Added Carts ELAC ESG 796H, Ortofon Vega and OM Super 40, Lyra Delos
Changed HP amp to Muscal Fidelity MPX (balanced), added HP Focal Clear
Changed NDX to NDS, added CHC PS-555
Added tuner Yamaha T-85, added input selector for TT, TEAC tape deck, Yamaha T-85
Changed Power bar and cabeling to HMS and B-Fly, added several B-Fly bases and IC cabels
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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
Pretty impressive set up 
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Finally got around to fitting the SPU and got some way towards setting it up with a printed protractor, not sure I’m all that precise with the overhang but the 2 grids line up as well as I can see, enough to leave it like that for a good 50 hours of playing or until my SmartTractor turns up. Tried a few loading options and 220Ω has won so far, I only have that in standard plug form but a bit of running in and more experiments to go before I try to find, or make, a Z plug. The resonance is very close to 10 Hz (a fleeting wobbly between the 11 and 9 Hz test tracks) with an 18g eff mass arm, not surprised an Aro struggles with this cartridge. In the heavier arm I don’t find it too slow and so far there’s been no mistracking. The sound is robust, very fluid and engaging, focussing attention on the performance more than on the recording.
I might be looking for a heavier counterweight though.
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IIRC that’s pretty much the loading we arrived at when playing around with the SPU Royal N at the factory.
US here so 3 foot. 1 meter I suppose.
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OK I see. 3 meters would’ve been more than 9 feet, so I was thinking gee that’s a big room!
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Too bad you can’t find any turntables…
Looks like a fun room!
Nice system, and nice whisky 
(Laphroaig Brodir)
Can I come over and challenge you with a game or two ??
