2. speakers
  3. 1431375043

2-Way Advice: Magico S1,YG Carmal,Diablo Utopia

Guys I've been considering a speaker swap. Have found that I love 2-ways.

I didn't really know this until I started listening to different speakers and kept liking them more, much more than the fulls.

They present a different perspective that I prefer. I don't listen real loud and have a med size 2500 cubic foot room and I much prefer tight and accurate, faster more defined bass and don't need the real deep low stuff. I love how they image and disappear and make the music more alive to me. Listen to Jazz, Acoustic, Blues, mello rock, Indie, some classic, the usual phile stuff..

I have it boiled down to a few and really would love your opinions. Buying used and they are all over the country and just can't listen to all of them. I know listen first is best and would love to if I could. They are all within $500 of each other price wise with shipping to me.

Have you guys heard any of these and what you might think of these??

Magico S1 Black

YG Carmal 1 Silver

Focal Diablo Utopia III - Silver

Sonus Faber Guameri Momento

Langerton Configuration 217

Tannoy DC10A

Ascendo System F (Only non 2-way I'm considering)

Any info or feedback or recommendations would really be appreciated!!!



128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xfsmithjack

Showing 4 responses by pani

pani
1,215 posts
 
If you are not getting the TAD CR-1 which knghifi has mentioned (and it is really the best of the best), get a Tannoy Sterling. Precision and speed a 2 way bookshelf but with a scale and dynamics that many 5 ways do not get.
pani
1,215 posts
 
I have first hand experience of this, a friend of mine has a pair of Focal Stella Utopia and a pair of Tannoy Turnberry GR (similar to the Sterling but slightly larger cabinet). His amplification is top notch, complete FM Acoustics pre-power with all FM acoustics cables. Front end is Esoteric K01 and top of the line Roksan Turntable with FM Acoustics phonostage.

In this system, even though the Focal can play at ear bleeding levels, the Tannoys actually overshadow the Stella Utopia when it comes to scale, dynamics and overall realism. It was quite intriguing to see a single Tannoy 10" driver taking on a full array of woofers and mid drivers of the Focal and beating the Focals on all major music making qualities. The Tannoys sound a lot less compressed. When music expands, the Tannoys just keeps growing without ever hinting its limits. The Focal on the other hand sounds like a regular speaker with a bigger sound.

I have heard the Magicos and Sonus too, but not side by side. None of them have the dynamic effortlessness of the Tannoys. And yes, the new Tannoys are extremely refined animals, they do not sound vintage or anything. They just sound more like the real thing.
pani
1,215 posts
 
The TAD CR-1 was one of the very very rare speakers which had the Tannoy like effortlessness but with frequency response reaching 100khz, the best I have heard.
pani
1,215 posts
 
I was offered a decent deal in the great looking Tannoy DC10A. I love the look also. Do these sound like the Sterling. Is there a chance these are superior to Caramel and Magico S1 or Sonus Faber Guareni Evolution.

No, the DC10A is not even close to the Sterling. The Sterling belongs to the Prestige range of Tannoy which IMO is the real Tannoy. Only the prestige range carries the construction and design that Tannoy has carried for decades. Anything below the prestige range are just market (mass-market) driven products, dont bother. Yes, a Sterling can upset any of the speakers you have listed, it is a real Tannoy after all. It is not an overnight creation of some hobbyist speaker designer.
More to discover