So today after waiting for months to try and listen to the Magico A3, I went to Scott Walker audio at Anaheim and listened to the Magico A3, connected to some VAC Tube amp, being fed from a Sony audio streamer, here are my impressions:
- They look fantastic, I wish they made them in silver too, but they are just great in brush black aluminum - They're quite small and could fit everywhere - Fit and finish is impecable - The bass they generated was nothing but amazing for such a small cabinet, you could hear the drums, the down beats and incredible depth of bass at an amazing level - Imaging was INSANE, you could literally place everyone and everything... - Sound was VERY VERY DARK!!! This was a bit of a surprise, the top end lacked for my taste to a quite a degree - I felt like the combo of the Tube amp and Magico lacked resolution, while bass and mid was great, the top end absolutely lacked resolution - The sound was extremely laid back, again dark - It does NEED POWER, like he had to crank the volume up, to get good sound out of this, so be aware of that
Overall, I "personally" did NOT like the sound, it lacked details and resolution at the top end, while it was great at the bottom end. Now, the rep and I think this is mostly due to Tube amp, and connecting it to a solid state amp would bring back resolution, but we simply didn't have time to do that today. I look forward to listen to these at another time with some decent solid-state amp, but as-is, I was NOT as impressed as I expected and wouldn't have purchased one and I strongly believe Tube and Magico A3 do NOT go well together!
Anyone else with similar impressions?! Curious to know what others may think, or maybe there was something else in play?
The voice of reason right here. There's no best, just what one prefers.
I've heard the A3s twice with SS gear and though I can afford them and am looking for new speakers, they aren't on my short list. That just means I don't like them, nothing more. I've also heard Magico one or two other times and I was also not suitably entertained. Horses for courses.
@ebm
"Its very hard to make a great speaker sound great in a hotel room." That is the truth. But I've also heard many that have sounded just amazing.
ebm It is not only my opinion, but the opinion of several on a previous thread, this thread, many notable mastering engineers as well as current Magico owners. Note that Folkfreak hated the sound as demonstated at shows. I found them soulless even using VAC and Jadis gear. However, Folkfreak has managed to make his system sound warm, organic, open and melodic. I'm waiting to hear from the founder of this thread. Melbguyone-You're new to audiogon. You have no idea what a forum train wreck is until you've read threads on Synergistic Research fuses and Total Contact. There one can find trolls who dismiss tweaks without hearing them and make up stories concerning dangers in using them as well as casting aspersions on sex, race and religion. I've done nothing other than voice my opinion. I want to hear from as many users and hearers of Magico speakers as possible but on both threads on A3s two posters dominate.
Melbguyone your thoughts are certainly on the money i totally agree.It doesn't matter as he thinks it only his opinion that counts even though there are hundreds of happy MARIGO owners.Enjoy be well!!
I own Magico speakers. However if I'd gone on what I hear at shows I doubt I'd have any. Without exception Magico show demonstrations are terrible. Usually matched with uber expensive and uber soulless solid state they tend to hi-fi special effects with a complete lack of humanity.
So don't read too much into show conditions. When matched with the right system (and it doesn't have to be expensive, and it doesn't have to be solid state) they can be warm, organic, open and melodic.
Anyone who wants to hear a "different side of Magico" is welcome to check out my (currentlt Q3 based) system if you're ever around in the Pacific NW
melbguyone Are you reporting me for starting opposite views from those who actually experienced Magico speakers and from other threads? We are not trolls. The thread was established by a negative view and you want similar views eradicated? I am on other threads where trolls tell us passive tweaks can cause fires and radiation dangers and who have no knowledge of the product and will never try the product. Those posts need to be removed, not opposite opinions based on experience with the products.
Fleschler, Im now selling my Magico Q3s because of your BAD rap I'm getting Von Schweikert ASAP.(NOT REALLY).Its time to give it a rest.We get the message you hate MAGICO and we love them.Thanks good luck!!
I don’t know if I’d agree about the similarities with the S5. I heard the
S5 in the Synergitic room and thought they were amazing. The A3 just
didn’t wow me.
It didn’t sound bad by any means, but compared to the Paradigm Personas and
Revel F228be it seemed a bit flatter and didn’t resolve detail as readily.
I’d go as far as to say it had a slightly ‘dark’ tonality.
Some of that could have been the various room setups, and you really can’t go
wrong with any of them. I could see someone having a preference for the
A3 if they prefer that darker sound signature.
I was really excited to hear the A3 at AXPONA, and I was pretty
underwhelmed as some of the others here have stated. Could be the show
conditions, but I was not impressed with what I heard (I heard them on
Saturday). I would like to hear them again at a dealer.
firefightingrob30 posts04-21-2018 8:47amI heard the A3 at Axpona and didn't find them to be anything special outside of build quality. Their sound did not set them apart from the many other speakers in the price range, in fact there are many others that I prefer. I am a S5 Mk1 owner. FWIW- the person sitting behind me was raving about how great they sounded while I was thinking, meh.
Sciencecop - I know all about the critics who are enamored with Magicos. You didn't have to waste your time proving it to me. However, why is it every time there is a new speaker, it's so superior to the last? That's what I don't like about most critics, they push the new and denigrate the old products.
I didn't twist any facts, there is a large group of audiophiles who dislike Magico speakers as there are many owners of Magico speakers who prefer them.
I gave Magico speakers a fair assessment based on many auditions of them (at least a dozen audio shows and two retail showrooms), occasionally using my own recordings (classical, jazz and Yello for pop). My friends likewise gave them fair auditions. That's why it's my opinion.
As to the A3s, maybe Magico changed their formula and made a speaker that sounds more like music playing to me. The thread started quite negatively didn't it? I waiting to hear back from the author and see what he thinks and why. I am not planning to purchase Magico speakers. I am planning on purchasing either a Von Schweikert VR55K or Lumenwhite Kyara. They both work together perfectly with a VAC IQ200.
@fleschler The number one audio system at shows for the past three years has been his Ultra 11s as written up in Absolute Sound, Stereophile, Enjoy the Music, Positive Feedback and others, not Magicos....
And that was only from the first 2 pages of Google search… Any other stories to tell us? Are you really interested in how the A3 sound? You already told us how you feel about the brand and those who like it, and you had no problem twisting the facts doing so. I don’t expect a fair assessment from you on anything regarding Magico, you don’t have to like it, but insulting those who do, on a Magico thread is weak (no wonder you needed help from your friends, wife, some mastering guys from the 50’s, etc). Hope you have a good rest of your Sunday, listening to whatever it is you fancy. I know I will ;)
Kevin Gray uses them and Andreas Meyer uses big B&Ws at Sony studios where he has done fantastic work. I think Harbeths are constricted at the frequency extremes so I don’t want them. Von Schweikert speakers colored, yeah, right. The number one audio system at shows for the past three years has been his Ultra 11s as written up in Absolute Sound, Stereophile, Enjoy the Music, Positive Feedback and others, not Magicos. You are correct. I shouldn’t be here since I am not adding anything to Magico owner worshippers. But denigrating great remastering engineers whose tastes coincide with mine is dumb. Pleasant coloration in a speaker is less important to us then communication of the message-the music and Magico doesn’t do it for us. All those great recordings from the late 50s and early 60s were generally mastered on colored speakers and often (like most British recordings) were using Tannoys.
I want to hear back from Alexb76 who started this thread) for his second thoughts on rehearing the A3s.
Fleschler, Most of the speakers you like are grossly colored. Of course, we heard them all and seen some of their measurements. They are not very good, objectively, and in my case, subjectively. Perhaps you and your friends have been at it too long and can no longer discern between natural sound and just “sound” as you call it. FWIW, many of RR titles were mastered on Magico loudspeakers (by Paul Stubblebine and Prof Keith Johnson). Rick Rubin also uses them for his work, not to mention many manufacturers that relay on Magico to hear what they are doing. Harbeth claim to fame is its “pleasant” coloration; Alan Shaw even talks about it. You can look at JA measurements of any Harbeth and just cringe; I can’t imagine any mastering engineer will use these to judge his work.
For those who enjoy their Magico speakers, wonderful. My unfortunate acquaintance with many of their speakers has soured me on the brand as well as my friends.
Fortunately prolonged and repeated efforts by one member to name-drop and passive aggressively belittle the loudspeaker manufacturer that is the subject of this thread do not abrogate the validity of the ears of Magico owners and fans. And there are many of them. Fortuitously many more than the Benedict Arnolds of this world..
ebm-Kevin Gray, Steve Hoffman, Robert Pincus-all agree. Kevin prefers Harbeths. They are more expert than you. There wouldn’t be any great reissued LPs or CDs without them. I am not an audio expert, but after hearing Magicos at four shows and two showrooms, I have a lot of information to tell me they are speakers that are missing the music to obtain a "sound." I've been in high end audio for three decades and am a amateur recording and mastering engineer for an orchestra, chamber group and several large choirs in Los Angeles. Some of my work is at USC and UCLA. I have excellent hearing.
I’ve heard many excellent speakers and they didn’t require megabuck equipment and cabling to sound great. Magicos apparently do and not just any equipment and cabling, but really special items. My wife chose the Von Schweikert/VAC/Kronos room as the one she prefers to all the others. That’s up there in price like the big Magicos I heard. I’d take Wilsons or B&Ws before I’d buy any of the Magicos I heard and those aren’t on my want list.
Fleschler your a audio expert so you must be right(NOT).Its very hard to make a great speaker sound great in a hotel room.Whatever speaker i ever had it took me years to make them sound there best,All the MAGICO owners out there should let you know what they think DUDE!!!!!!
There are many deaf or deluded audiophiles who listen to sound and not music.
Yes, so many deaf or deluded... not to mention ill-advised that unfortunately insist on advising. BTW, my wife also has " very critical hearing" that is why she never listens to me ;)
There are many deaf or deluded audiophiles who listen to sound and not music. My recent acquaintance who has a $850,000 audio system sounded awful (disjointed frequencies, blaring highs, muddled mids) from a pair of Avantgarde Trios with 3 pairs of Basshorns) due to some bad electronics (Ypsilon) and worse cabling (High Fidelity). We fixed the electronics and cabling for a 10th of the price. Now he has music playing in this room.
My friends are world famous remastering engineers and they share my sentiments concerning Magicos (and Steve Hoffman used the Focus for much of his DCC remastering work). If I hadn’t heard how uninteresting to just bad sounding Magicos are so often, I wouldn’t have made a comment. This applies to every other Magico speaker at a much higher prices, the Q1 to the S7 and Q5. So, if they finally made a palatable speaker for music, great.
My wife who has very critical hearing, nearly ran from the Walker room at the LAAS show after listening to Magico S5 with a VAC IQ 200. She liked the amp in other systems but disliked the speakers at the show (the worst was hearing Magico with Jadis equipment and a big pair of unknown SS amps making a guitar sound like a ukelele).
Haters will be haters 😉 Dark/bright, fat/lean, colored/dry, etc… So many conflicting reports, some still don’t get it, these are the most transparent transducers around. What you hear is what’s playing through them, the good and/or the bad. Audiophiles are so used to speakers coloration that once it is gone they don’t quite know what to make of it. The A3 is a remarkable achievement in its price point, it requires some serious “unawareness” not to acknowledge that.
Wow that means according to fleschler there 750 deaf people out there.All these people bought the speakers because of great reviews(there were none in the mags only some show reports).Anyway there are always the MAGICO are no good dudes.Im sure Harbeth didn't sell 750 pairs in many years.
The A3 sounded fantastic on an Ayre AX-5 Twenty. The dealer told me that if I order an A3 today, I would get it in Dec. Magico has sold over 750 pairs of A3s in the first 6 months of its introduction, twice as many as they predicted to sell in a full year.
I said I would rather own Harbeths than Magicos. They aren't for me either. I currently own Legacy Focus and Signature IIIs (2 systems). I am thinking of replacing the Focus with either Von Schweikert VR55 Active or Luminwhite Kyara. At least 10,000 Focus speakers were sold. Let's see if Magico even keeps the A3s around for more than 3 years and sells a 1000 pair. I doubt it. They come out with new and improved models continuously.
There's something wrong with that in high end speaker lines.
Wait, I bet there will be an A1 soon to capture the $5000-$7000 market. Then a new M line to completely eliminate the Q line.
Jhills, I think you are correct. VAC phi and iq 200 amps were designed to control low impedance speakers including Kingsound electrostats and can drive Magnapans. Driving a 3 ohm speaker should be a breeze. The mentioned VAC amps are a great choice for most speakers except maybe the power hungry like B&Ws and Wilsons of MBLs where they sound best with large amps.
However, I have auditioned and heard Magico speakers over 15 times at shows and stores, from the Q1 to the Q5 and S3 to S7 and did not like any one of them. I heard them in all times of rooms with all types of equipment. The smaller ones couldn’t recreate an orchestra sound. Pinched and small sounding. The larger ones were just dead sounding, not musically involving. A Q5 sounded so bad that a single guitar recording sound like a ukelele. Sure, blame the recording, blame the ancillary equipment. These were all high end dealers. I’ve heard so many better sounding/musically involving speakers, why bother with Magicos, for the name brand? Give me a Harbeth 40 over any Magico. I prefer Von Schweikerts, older Legacy, Lumenwhites, Volti, Martens, or any number of other high end speakers. I want music, not just sound.
I agree. Way over dampened. ( you wouldn't want that aluminum to start ringing ) I think the reason they sell so many ( ebm ) is not that they sound fabulous rather they advertise in the magazines and therefor get good reviews in the magazines and therefore people assume the are special.
@dimora, those Magico speakers must not have been setup optimally. If I were setting up a room at a show with the A3’s, I would use the Vitus RI-101 integrated, Alluxity Media One, Gold Note Mediterraneo tt w/ B-7 ceramic arm + PH-10 phono stage, Taoc CSR series racks, Gigawatt PC-3 SE Evo+ conditioner & PAD Neptune series cables. For room acoustics, I would use Stillpoints Aperture II panels. I promise you that room would have lines out the door.
I heard Magico’s in two separate demo rooms at Axpona this year. One room was “meh” and the other sounded quite nice. There are so many variables here...every component in the chain as well as the room and most importantly the source /recording quality of the music.
To pass judgment, you probably need to go back with source material you know well and listen with the speakers in various positions with different amps. If the speakers are too new the driver suspensions may also not be broken in.
i heard those Egglestons a previous poster mentioned as well and they were very nice. I liked them better than Magico’s, but a quick listen at a big show with a single song is hardly enough to pass a fair judgment.
My favorites at Axpona were Sonus Faber, GoldenEar, Wilson Audio, Ryan, Eggleston and Daedalus. The Ryan’s are the best bookshelf size speaker I’ve heard, the sonus were the best cost-no-object, and the GoldenEar T-Refs were amazing - especially for their price. They bested all but the Sonus and Wilson’s in my opinion.
@jhills, I don’t thing you need to throw $35-$50k worth of amplification at the A3’s to make them sing. However $10k worth of cables given even a simple system is not over the top imho. Re: amplification, I could name three integrated amps which would have good synergy with the A3’s & would not break the bank.
- Audio Analogue Maestro Anniversary which would retail in the US circa $9k - Audia Flight FLS-10 which would retail circa $11k - Accuphase E-470 which is $12kUS
The Audio Analogue amp in particular is a peach & punches well above it’s price point. Though in a larger room, the AF amp would be the better choice. Another integrated I recently reviewed, the Vitus RI-101 would also be an excellent choice, though that amp would be on the high side of $15kUS. And as you pointed out, there are probably several tube integrateds which would have good synergy with the A3’s incl: Vac and Octave Audio.
I agree with Al, regarding using the 2 ohm tap on the VAC, when paired with the A3s. I have no doubt that the Magicos could sound very good when paired with the right equipment, as well as a lot of care given to set up and room treatment...Jim
I’m a new owner of Magico A3 driven by an Hegel H360 and they sound very very good, in any case, not dark. For me, this amplifier is a very good pairing with A3.
@ebm It perplexes me why it should take a $25K amp, a $10K or $15K pre-amp and $10K worth of cables to make a $10K pr. of speakers sound impressive!? I’ve auditioned a VAC Phi 200, tubed amp, with several different speakers, including: Wilson Audio, Sophia IIs; Raidho, C-1.2s and the Quad ESL 2912s. The VAC had no problem nicely driving any of these fine speakers and while my preference over all was the Quads, I would not describe the sound of any of these speakers as being dark or sterile, when paired with the VAC. It seems to me that it shouldn’t take $50K worth of equipment to make a $10,000 pr. of speakers sound good...just sayn...Jim
Alon used Odyssey Stratos mono's in his plant. His speakers work extremely well with that sort of high speed/ high damping amp. Coupled to a tube pre and it can be wonderful.
BTW, from my experience, Be tweeters are the way to go when done right although I have absolutely heard silk domes and ribbons that sounded amazing as well. As with most things it’s the implementation as much as the materials. Crossover quality and proper integration with the mid driver has a HUGE influence on what is perceived as the overall “tweeter sound”.
I think Doug Schroeder and a couple of others have made excellent points. Try hearing the A3 with some alternate pairings, it’s unfair to make a pass/fail judgement when it’s likely just a slight incompatibility issue.
Congratulations Neall! I'm reviewing the A3's for another site next weekend. I have to agree, they pack of a lot of Magico into $9800. It will be interesting to see how they stack up against my S5 Mk2's. Enjoy your new speakers in good health.
I auditioned the A3's at Rhapsody Music in NY, driven by a Constellation SS integrated amp. "Dark" is the last description I would use. They were so alive, natural and realistic, with amazing, accurate bass, I ordered a pair on the spot, to be delivered next week. Will be driving them with a Krell FPB 300cx amp via Audience AU24 SX speaker cables, which should be a felicitous pairing, but we'll see. Always traumatic replacing speakers one has lived with for years (Von Schweikert VR5 HSE) but I have admired Magico's from the beginning and have always lusted after a pair. Neal
@miketuason They sound very good. I listened to the A3’s through the 601’s with both the C2600 Mac preamp and also the AR ref 6. The AR and the 601’s were really a good combo as well. I didnt find them all that dark or overly bright. I played some Deep Purple and the bass was moving the room. So far I’m sold on the A3’s but doing my due diligence and listening to all contenders before I buy. I
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