Best amplification for Magico S3 newer version on your experience

The truth is that all competently designed amps of low output impedance, low noise/distortion and sufficient power to avoid clipping will sound indistinguishable. There is no ever- upward path to sonic Nirvana. What you are paying for above the basic performance level is visual appeal/jewelry. The Rolex analogy applies here!

Preamp: Rotel Michi P5,  5k

Power Amp:

Rotel Michi S5, around 9k

800 watts/4 ohms

or

Michi M8 monoblocks around 17k

1800 watts/4ohms to manhandle/adrenalize the 88db, 4ohm magico...

I’ve audited the Soulutions and D’Agastinos, didn’t miss em for a sec

I purchased a pair of S3 but now I am facing that I might not have the funds for 

@kjasonl hear hear🤝🏾

@mountainsong like Jason said, you don't need to fret over spending a gazillion as competent, incredible endgame can be attained for reasonable cost.

Your speakers are an 87.0dB@2.83V/1m sensitive set.

Magico’s nominal 4ohm rating is realised in a sub-5ohm trend from 53Hz-1.7kHz, and a minimum of 2.85ohm at 75Hz and less than 2.5ohm above 18kHz.

The impedance load is toughest in the deep bass where a big swing in phase angle of –66° at 48Hz precipitates a minimum EPDR of 1.09ohm at 62Hz.

So you need an amp rated for low impedance loads: Ideally stable into 2 ohms, and even better if rated for 1 ohm or less, to comfortably handle the 1.09 ohm EPDR.

 * Capable of high current delivery: The amplifier must have a robust power supply and output stage to instantaneously deliver the required current (around 3.74 A peak) into the complex and often very low equivalent impedance.

 * High Power Reserve: While 40W peak power is calculated for 100dB, an amplifier with a significantly higher power rating (e.g., 100W, 150W, or more into 4 ohms) would provide the necessary headroom to handle the challenging load conditions presented by the low EPDR and large phase angles without clipping or exhibiting dynamic compression.

Your Luxman is rated for 120W into 8 Ohm and 220W into 4 Ohm.

With dynamic peaks of 183W, 342W and 507W into 8, 4 and 2ohm

Hell it does 278W into 1 ohm.

TLDR, your amplifier is already competent and top of the line for your speakers. So unless I'm you listen at egregious SPLs, no need to spend

top brands amplification

I listen to low to moderate vol.

The Luxman doesn't sound good how? It is top brand. It has more than enough power.

The Luxman 509x is rather weak compared to the Luxman m900u and the new amp (m10?).  I have heard all 3. These Luxman amps are warmer that the other amps I mention later.

The CODA #16 is a great amp and even though it is 150 watts it is incredibly powerful because of the amount of current it generates. They do not come up for sale often. I heard the CH Precision top end amp in Canada last summer. It was over $100k USD. It was a tiny bit cleaner on top over the #16 but it was not an apples-to-apples comparison. I own the #16 and I feel the only thing I will get with an another uber amp is a different sonic presentation. The #16 is a tiny bit warm.

The new SimAudio Moon North Collection is a new fav of mine; I heard them a few days before I heard the CH Precision top amp. This was on a different system. There is a very unique character to this lineup. Very clean, very much like a slightly warmer Benchmark AHB2 but with more balls. The North amps are neutral.

If you want to save some cash and have something that is really good while you save up your pennies. Take a look at the new Schitt Wotan amp at $2k. It takes about 2 months of heavy playing for the top end to settle but I love this amp in my office system. It is not as good as the CODA #16, but I am not replacing it. It drives the difficult Maggies.It is slightly warm.

I have the A3's. The best sounding amps I've tried are high amplification SET mono blocks. I'm finally at audio nirvana with NAT Audio Magma M mono blocks. 

A buddy has the S7's. He has VAC 450iq Statement mono blocks. He once told me that in order to get Magico right you basically need to spend about double on amplification in relation to the cost of the speakers. 

The best Magico sonics I've heard have always been paired with high output tube amplification. I also agree with other audiophiles I've spoken with that 4 ohm speakers need tremendous power coupled with at least moderate volume to sound their best. 

FWIW I’ll give you my experience for driving a pair of Magico S5’s. I started out using a Luxman m900u. I thought it sounded great. Then I switched to a Coda S5.5 amp as I’d had the Luxman for a long time and had the itch to change to something new. The little Coda outperformed the Luxman in every way. The Coda is only 50 watts class A into 8 ohms and doubles to 100 watts at 4 ohms and can drive a 2 ohm load at 200 watts. I think the key to its ability to out perform the Luxman is that it draws 100 amperes which a lot more than the Luxman even though the Luxman is 150 watts into 8 ohms and 300 watts into 4 ohms. The little Codo retails for $6,400. I recently saw a used one for sale on either this site or usaudiomart.  That’s just my experience. Good luck!

I've never heard the S3s, but the CAT amps sounded amazing on the S5 MkII

The S3s are a difficult load. For a relatively cheap amp I'd try the Schiit Tyr mono blocks. They have a huge power supply for the money using chokes(which produce super smooth current) needed for the large current draw for the S3 load. Power supply cost money and doesn't show up in specs. One of the things you get in costly amps is huge power supply because they can afford it. But even six figure amps don't use chokes and perhaps they should.

@OP. In my experience, the 509 does not sound as powerful as its rated specification suggests. You could try a Pass Int 250 for comparative purposes. If nothing else, it will demonstrate that not all competently designed amplifiers sound the same.

Depending on your budget I agee Coda makes very good underappreciated amps. They fly below the radar. Your room isn't that big  too but  high amperage they put out is rather robust. That helps with the lower listening levels. A #16 would be magnificent. (I too have the s5.5 and it is amazing) Good luck making those Magico's sing.

I imagine your Magico dealer has multiple amps comparable to the CH, Solution, etc. level amps and would be tickled to death to lend you one which would allow you to compare them to your very-capable Luxman. 
My guess is that your Luxman will do extremely well when compared to those 5 figure amplifiers.  Please let us all know your experience!

You could also try the Anthem P2 amplifier for around 5k

It has plenty of power and will easily go down to 1 ohm

I have heard Magico with less than top of the line audiophile electronics and they sound terrible to my ear. The Magico are so detailed and fast that any imperfection in the signal path will get amplified. You want to be using top of the line electronics that are of your musical inclination. VTL, Audio Research, Boulder, Burmeister… this level.

As my friend used to say,"You need an amp you can't pick up"  Pass Labs, Ayre, Boulder are a few.  Atmosphere make a hybrid that got good reviews.  Not sure their tube amps are big enough, but i just saw a used one for sale.  I thought tube amps dont like low impedence.  Maybe money solves that.I don't know why high end speaker designers make speakers with such nasty impedence.  Lots of them.  I will keep my horns.

I recommend you do a home demo of Classe Delta Monos only if you are 100% sure that your cabling is not your bottleneck.  Alot of people will tell you that cables and amps don’t matter but they absolutely do when you are building a system of your caliber.  Now I do not believe in cable burn in as every cable that I’ve added through my upgrade path, I’ve heard an immediate difference.

Back to the Classe Delta Monos - My previous amps were the Parasound A21, Audio Ref 75 and 150SE.  I still run a Ref 6 and Ph7 in the pre but with 600 watts in 4 ohms it really pushes my system.

Michi M8s as mentioned do not have the finesse on the top end like the Delta Monos and are more bass heavy.  I got off the tube power amps wagon because I was racking up to many hours on tubes and the replacement cost is not worth it in my opinion with the cost of power amp tubes these days.

The other solid state amps mentioned are all very nice but more than double the cost of the Delta monos for only marginal gains. 

Vitus’ warm class A sound is common to match with Magico speakers. I have the S3mkii paired with an SIA 030 and am satisfied. Vitus power output specs are conservative given their large transformers. Swapping between class A and A/B at the press of a button is a nice perk. Perhaps check into a used RM 101? 

These could keep you occupied until you can save up for the elite stuff 

https://www.buckeyeamp.com/shop/amplifiers/purifi/1et9040ba/monoblock

Or

https://nordacoustics.co.uk/product/nord-three-1et9040ba-mb-mkii-mono-block-power-amplifier/

Ultra High Damping Factor
High Current Output : 40A

You can shoot me, but they work with better  specs than GaNFET's and sound damn good (not your father's Class D) 😘

I just went through the same dilemma 3 month ago, but with the Magico S5 MkII speakers. It came down to 2 integrated amps in the end that sounded really good to me within my price range. The Macintosh MA1200, and the Vitus Audio RI-101 MkII Integrated Amplifier. I ended up with the Vitus, and really happy with my choice. Very reveling with a great sound stage, and it is a little on the warm side, but not to much, and it pairs well with Magico speakers. It retails for 21K.

I am glad I posted here instead of endless reviews, videos etc.

This information will benefit magico owners in my situation.

I only had the opportunity to try ELectrocompaniet new integrated and Luxman 509x.

EC more control but lack the refinement of the Luxman in my opinion.

Cables nordost tyr 2.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to share your experiences and providing valuable guidance.

I’m assuming you are looking for an integrated 

Boulder 866

Gryphon Diablo 300 or 333

Pass Labs Int-250

Coda CSIB

The truth is that all amps sound different and quality and design matter.  The best?  For me that would be the best Audionet amps you choose to afford.  Take. A trip to GTT Audio!

@mountainsong I think the question you’re asking is very relevant.

I’m sure you’ve done a fair amount of research before investing a good chunk of change into the S3s, so you know that they are extremely transparent, current-hungry, and finicky when it comes to placement and room treatments.

I feel that some responses here glance over how much current they need to shine. And you certainly don’t want to “choke” $40k+ speakers, but give them a chance to shine.

So, these are very demanding speakers, in all practical senses.

Therefore you need a solid-state power amp (or monoblocks) that can deliver a lot of current.

They are also extremely revealing of anything you have upstream, so it’s important that the quality of your sources and pre-amp match the speakers because of their transparency and what some have described as “pinpoint accuracy.”

They’re also demanding on room placement and room treatment, again because they are so detailed and focused. Don’t skimper on room treatment with these speakers. 
 

They are also more analytical and a bit leaner than they are musical, so, budget allowing, I would recommend a tube preamplifier (to inject some more warmth/musicality into your audio chain) feeding a solid state amplifier.

I don’t know if there are any integrated amps that would have a tube preamp stage and solid-state output stage AND still be able to handle the current delivery the S3s demand, so you may have to go with separates to optimize your set up.

It’s not the worst thing, particularly if you look at quality units on the used market. 

Best of luck – tell us how it all turns out!

Originally I drove my Magico S5 with a pair to Devialet D440 Expert Pro, astoundingly removing and transparent. Although missing a little soul and musicality.  After a LOT of research, I took the plunge on T&A PA3100HV integrated.   Hqving heard almost all the main contenders at one point or another I can concur with Steve Huffs review “The Worlds Best Integrated”!  The improvement in every aspect is significant and possibly the best system improvement I’ve ever made.  Now I’m searching for the matching PS3000HV power supply as that’ll take it to the next level. T&A’s pre-and power whether as a stereo or mono block configuration especially the the matching power supplies are absolutely world class. You won’t be disappointed.

I appreciate all the advice I had received.

So far not one had mention Luxman 900u or the 10x as an alternative.

I had been using different Luxman for a long time wondering if I should continue following the sonic path.

Thanks again.

I believe I mentioned my experience using a Luxman m900u with my Magico S5’s earlier in this thread. If you would like more information on my experience please let me know. 

This is rather difficult as the Magico S3 2023 is highly transparent and can run top electronics.  Maybe Constellation Inspiration as mentioned on TAS 50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio 

2 other great sonic choices:

• 15.0 ALLNIC T-2000 30th Anniversary Stereo tube
• 22.0 Analog Domain Isis M75D 250/400wpc SS