All New Magico A5 Loudspeakers // Biggest "BANG" For Your BUCK On The Market ?!

Just go out and hear the A5 it’s drivers and cabinet and Xover are magnitudes better then most . Those World class Mundorf Ultra Copper foil resistors are the best most linear resistors in the world $30 each ,slightly better then the very close Path audio resistors . I use these Ultra resistors in my Duelund Loudspeaker purifiers and they truly clean up the signal , sometimes you actually do get what you pay for !!

I heard the A5 hooked up to some huge Gryphon amps at a local dealership.  I thought the sound was decent--typical of many such high end speakers--they image extremely well, particularly with respect to front- to back image placement specificity, they sound detailed and clean and smooth (no harsh peaks in the frequency response).  To my taste they were on the slightly lean side (needed a bit more in the upper bass region), but not disagreeably lean.  What they lacked most, to me, is what almost all low efficiency speakers lack--the ability to sound alive and vibrant at lower listening levels, and an overall lack in dynamic ability such that they were a touch "lifeless" unless cranked up a bit.  Whether this is a characteristic of such speakers or the kinds of amplifiers needed for such speakers, I don't know, and it really doesn't matter; I like the dynamics and low-volume capability of high-efficiency speakers and low-powered amps.

Speakers vary so much in sound characteristics that it is possible for one to favor a very cheap speaker over a mega-buck system if the cheap speaker just happens to fit one's basic preference profile.  This does NOT mean the mega-buck speaker is a failure or rip-off, it just means it is not suited to your taste.  An audition is the only way to determine if it is to ones taste and worth the money.  

I've see the KMD speakers on-line on Youtube and they are very impressive looking and sounding through my computer speakers.  Very impressive.  I'd love to hear them in person.  KMD was a no-show at T.H.E. Show last month.  Hopefully, KMD with have am exhibit at the Pacific Audio Fest, which I will attend at the end of this month (July).     

We pick KMD Orchestalls Reference speakers until we die ! Once heard you might just be hooked for life...Axpona 2023 Show

 www.kmdeng.co.kr/KMD/elementor-1042/

I've heard both the Magico A3 and the A5's.  Both speakers sound great to me.  Though I wouldn't trade my incredible Revel Salon 2 speakers for either pair.  There's a multitude of wonderful sounding speakers out there, by a multitude of different manufacturers, and the aforementioned are just a few of them.  The beauty of High End Audio is, you get to pick your pleasure.    

With the right amp these speakers really sing

 All new LFD NCSE HR Integrated amp ! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5rafGKgnrM

"Curious when instrument builders will start implementing aluminum, concrete and granite to their designs..."

Wig 🤭

I imagine instrument makers will do that as soon as they decide that they want their instruments to stop resonating with the timbre of the materials with which the instrument is made so that, for example, a plucked guitar string sounds no different than a plucked banjo string.

Thanks Stereo 5 I’m going to hang in and see. 

The new Stage Accompany Master M57 speakers with Bamboo cabinets blows these Magico A5's out of the water, night and day difference !!

No wonder many musicians use these M57 and M59 speakers now 

I will match these M57's with the new highly raved Western Electric WE91E 300B Integrated amp with matching CD Player later on 

My GOD wait until you all hear these speakers !!

Break them in for 400 hours and report back. You may have changed your mind by then. 

They are better, that said at a higher price. Your summation of the A3 is on point.

the A5 lack of a sense of space as you put it. I know there are a lot of people that aren’t big fans of B&W but I listened to some 800’s and Wilson’s that were much much better.

Years ago had a set of infinity’s that remind me a lot of this speaker. I was somewhat happy with the purchase at the time some 27 years ago. I think I paid $4800 for them.

Magico must have a big markup for the dealers or something. It’s crazy. Reading the reviews. Pay to play or something.

anyway thanks much!

@kparmer I heard a pair of A3s in my recent quest for speakers. Came in with high expectations based on all the great reviews and buzz around the forums. Granted they may not have been ideally set up but they were adequately powered by a high end integrated. Dark, veiled, not much air or sense of space. Recessed highs, muddy in the mids and boomy bass. I’m sure proper set up would address some of these issues but…
Not the sound I was looking for. In my opinion it’s a great quality build massively overpriced speaker system. Glad I got to hear them before blind buying a pair. 
Never heard the A5. Hope they’re better. 

I just traded my B&W 801N’s for a set of Magico A5’s.

musically they are pretty good. I traded because I needed a smaller speaker moving in to a new space. 
overall the A5 is not even close to the same league as my old 801n.

My wife was more disappointed than I was. She is not a audio file by any means doesn't know all the fancy jargon. She said “the old speakers sounded like. Live concert, these just sound like. Ok speaker” what does she know except what she likes.

driving them with a pair of MC611’s and a C53. 
same setup with the 801n. 
Everyone always said you need big power to drive a 801N ok but wow these A5’s eat power and produce much lower levels than the 801 did.

disappointed for sure. These will get traded off in a year or two. 
just my opinion not meant to offend anyone. 

I myself would love to own a pair of A5 speakers.   If I ever get the upgrade itch from my Triton References, they would definitely be my next purchase. Amazing sounding speakers.  I heard them with McIntosh electronics and everything sounded so right.  Since I already own Mac, it would be just a speaker change. 

News flash: because on average speaker cabinets have roughly 10X the surface area of the enclosed speaker element, the only have to move 1/10th as much before they're contributing just as much to the output as the driver. If they move 1/100th as much, the cabinet is still only 10dB lower in level. So keeping cabinets quiet is a real big deal for serious speaker designers. You can take the BBC thin panel/constrained damping method  (Harbeth, et al); the 'Mass-loaded Cast Unobtanium' of Wilson, Aluminum like Magico, KEF Muon and a few others, or the value-engineered MDF of most manufacturers. All have the same goal of keeping enclosure noise out of the equation because it audibly dirties the sound. And because it is dynamic and lags behind and below the primary output, it is very hard to measure, even though our ears readily detect it. When cost is little or no object, then more exotic, even sculptural approaches can be used. Appreciate them for what they are.

In room measurements show the A5 to have an exceptional mid with seriously room dependant bass and treble. I can still hear to 16k so I don't think I would want a speaker that rolls off at 5k. I bought the Blades instead.

Diptyque Audio dp-160 AB Signature speakers are the best bang for the buck to my ears.

Really? I think not, no clickie! 

" Instruments? You mean computers and other sound synthesizers? Piano stores are going the way of Hi-Fi stores "

I’ve been told that I need to use monitors to create a realistic-sounding piano. I’m not doing recording, just playing with Synthesizers. These synthesizers help me in making good sound quality.

http://www.audiodrom.net/en/floorstanding-loudspeakers Audio Drom gave the Magico M3’s their highest rating at 95% and I think the A5’s sounds a little better than the M3’s. I hope they review the A5’s soon !

Most of these  You Tube unprofessional reviewers are biased and their reviews should be taken with a very large grain of salt.

The "SoundFather" says the A5's are one of the best speakers you can buy in 2021!

if it is on youtube it must be true!!

tremendous production values!!

soooo impressed.... 👎👎

The "SoundFather" says the A5's are one of the best speakers you can buy in 2021 ! 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDzmFGch2Fw&t=1s

Magico market doesn’t need to look at price tags.

Price going way up jump on a pair ASAP!!!

@erik_squires Careful, you might get posters like mheinze to ruffle his feathers up, lol!

Speaking of even handed, let me tell you stories about the Magico fanboys and how they react to even the mildest criticism of their brand...

once connected to my middle of the road components

Don't under credit synergy. If speakers are well above the capabilities of electronics, it's possible that you're hearing the limitations and deficiencies of the electronics in this type of scenario. Unfortunately for average budgets, you don't just need to be able to afford the speakers, but also the associated gear that will help to bring the most out of them. 

personally, I demo the best speakers I can find. I want to know what I’m missing. Fact is when it comes to hi end speakers they will often sound worse than my ‘affordable’ pair once connected to my middle of the road components. My salon 2’s that I got for under half price as show demos never sounded right in my system. I expect I would get the same results from the A5 if I was to buy them.

glupson I dare you to prove to me right now that the Magico has better measurements than a cheap speaker. I dont care how much effort went into making the Magicos. It all comes down to whether the Magico is superior or not.
Mr Magico. If you are reading this post, I hereby challenge you!
Even superior measurements are worthless if they are inaudible! I dare you to show me the proof!!

Magicos perform far better in measurements than speakers like the KEF Q series. All one need do is look up the graphs. 
It’s quite obvious you haven’t heard any Magicos if you’re comparing them to $1500 towers. The difference in performance is night and day — not unlike comparing a Volkswagen to a Porsche. Speakers are no different from most consumer goods — you generally pay for what you get, and there is always a point where diminishing returns begin to conflict with practicality, largely dependent on individual means. As with any product type, there are certainly some that represent better values than others, of course, but that largely depends on one’s means and priorities. 

These absurd contentions arise when someone like you can’t accept that their Volkswagen GTI doesn’t perform as well as the Porsche 911. The same type of people who stick an AMG badge on a standard E-Class, or an M-badge on a 325i.

You guys crack me up.  Probably most of you with comments never owned the speakers and maybe only heard them at a dealer or at a show if that.  The cost to make a product is not cheap.  Could Magico charge less - could they use a cheaper design maybe - I don't know how they arrived at what they do but nothing is cheap.  Dealers eat up about 40% of the price.  So if your cost is 20% they are making more than you do  It takes time to try and make the best product at each price point and then stay relevant for a period of time.  You guys act like there is no competition or that we all hear things the same.  I went to a demonstration of recordings where the record materials were different.  The majority of people selected the same recording that I felt sounded better.  BUT there were one or two guys who did not agree.  I understood their reasoning but the majority felt the other recoding was much better.  Even the person doing the demonstration explained why it was better in technical terms.  So to each his own.

I actually was at a persons home this past Thursday to hear the Magico M6 speakers.  He has a mega buck system.  I personally would not have chosen his matching components.  He uses all SS and I prefer tubes. So what I heard with the Magico speakers, my Vandersteen model 5As cannot reproduce no matter what components I would select. They just cannot do the same thing.  That being said, because of the system, I did not find the Magicos as engaging.  That is my opinion.  I wish that I could have brought my stuff over and hooked them up so I could evaluate the Magicos in the system system.  To me it was not the speakers as much as what sound that I prefer and I am familiar with to what sound I has hearing.  Cost difference between the speakers is very big but I can wait until he moves on to something else and gives me a deal on the speakers!

Happy Listening.


  

They would not be a big bang for my buck

Everyone chill!  Listen, choose and enjoy 😊. I have owned a very large swath of the high end over the past 30 years.  So very much goes into a decision to prefer one component over another.  Bias, available funds, room acoustics, cables, electrical, musical preferences, mood, imagined goals and of course...the source(CD, SACD,HI REZ, TURNTABLE)!  An infinite number of combinations could satisfy the average audiophile.  Each of us are unique and thoroughly sure that our Acoustic World View is the correct one.  Enjoy your choices and leave the hate at the door 👌🏻

May I ask again for B&W 802d3 - Magico comparisons.
Note that the B&W's have diamond tweeters, the Magico a5 series does not, the B&W's use extensively researched midrange cones with variable thickness, and the Magico's A5 a 'new' carbon-type midrange cone.  

Does B&W intentionally favor midrange bloom over midrange detail ?

Currently driving my A5's with a Luxman M900U amp ( 150 watts/side @ 8 ohms, 300 watts per side @ 4 ohms ). This combo is offering me audio bliss. The speakers simply vanish.

@camb the A5 is a flagship speaker for the A-series, capable of handling up to 1000W and playing full-range as loud as you need it. But it isn’t just capable of playing louder and deeper than the A3—it actually sounds better than the A3 because of the improved driver technology.

In the S-series, the analogous speaker in terms of range and output is the S5 MkII at ~2x the price of the A5.

I’m a little disappointed that the A5 is so much more expensive than the A3. I can get behind the A3 as an “entry level” speaker for the brand but the A5 is not entry level, even for high end. 

These A5s  what is the actually retail around $20k ?
the new Wilson line around $20 k has a lot of of trickle down technology that are ferry musical and very competitive .
pit all comes down to what your priorities are .
a bit forgiving and very musical in the Wilson 
or a bit more pin point precise in accuracy 
that’s what several good sources have said. I heard the Wilson’s and very impressed.
Your associated equipment will dictate this.
the Magico demonstration had a warm sounding MSB R2R dac which is a warmer analog type sonic character that helps balance its more analytical nature. If you got the cash it’s a interesting 
comparison.

when you said you spent a few days with the S5II, did you have them in your listening room?  If you did, why audition a speaker you say you can’t afford?  Doesn’t make sense.

I was at AXPONA helping a family member who works in the industry. They were showing a system with a pair of S5s. I wasn’t auditioning them, I helped set the room up and tear it down. I got a three day pass out of the deal.

@patcrowley57,

when you said you spent a few days with the S5II, did you have them in your listening room?  If you did, why audition a speaker you say you can’t afford?  Doesn’t make sense. 

I like Magico speakers. I spent a few days with a pair of S5 Mk II speakers that sounded incredible. With the funds I have available, however, there is just no way I can spend that kind of money. I've auditioned the A3 as well, I found it to be a very capable speaker. The A5 is intriguing, hopefully I will get to audition a pair at some point. However, I don't have any sort of discount available on the Magico brand so it's unlikely I'd go that route.

I'm letting my first big speaker purchase settle in a bit (harbeth 40.2Ann), but this will be on my short list when I want to try a diff design and sound. Theres a dealer a few miles from me on rt17 in NJ thats begging me to come in for a listen but I'm resisting the temptation cause ya know....;)

I own magico q5’s and was driving them with a Vitus sis-025 integrated amp with no issue for several yrs. 125 watts per channel. I have since changed to separates and the configuration of my system. But the Vitus had no issue. Not to say a more powerful amp didn’t make some bottom end improvement. Though I was quite happy for several yrs. I have never heard the magico A line but I can’t imagine it requires more power then the Q5’s. Sorry you feel you are having an issue daveyf. But maybe it’s your room or speaker positioning. Or possibly though unlikely your amp. I have owned a lot of speakers and I am definitely not a “fanboy” as you put it. If I change speakers one more time it would be a move to the magico M series. Best of luck solving your issue. 

@mheinze  I wouldn't know, how did you get banned from audio forums?
Perhaps you were trying to provoke arguments? --;0)

@daveyf
Last I have checked a "fanboy" is a derogatory term. You have used it twice, without any real provocation, in your four posts, and on a Magico thread, where it is only reasonable to find Magico enthusiasts. Is that how you ended up barred from audio forums?

@sciencecop  I don't dispute that I am not a Magico fanboy like yourself, BUT i don't bash Magico at every opportunity, no need to. Yes, I am a 'lovely' person, are you? or are you just another nasty little troll?

So a 300W Stereo Boulder was fine, but a 600W Mono Bryston is not?
Perhaps what you are trying to say is that at a 1/4 price of the Boulder, the Bryston, is not as good?
Try the Pass INT-250, see what you think.

Prior to purchasing the A5, I have auditioned A3 and S5 mkII, both driven by boulder 1160 stereo amp. I was much impressed by the sound. I have always wanted a magico speakers since that Audition. And the release of A5 it matched the price Point and the specs wise. But my bryston 7b sst2 obviously not enough to drive the A5. 

Here at Brooks Berdan we're waiting to receive our very 1st pair of
Magico A5's ! Looking forward to finally being able to demonstrate them.

Thank you, looking forward to auditioning them.