Looking for my End Game Speaker
I'm looking for my end game speakers. My system currently consists a digital streaming front end with the Mola mola Tambaqui DAC and Grimm MU1 streamer along with Magico A3 speakers. For amplification, I recently acquired on the used market, the Audionet Humboldt.
I live in a small 960 sq ft condo in a highrise. My system is in the great room (living, dining, and kitchen all in one). Given the room configuration, my speakers have to be located close to a side wall (unless I radically change the room and block my balcony doors with my stereo). Room dimensions are 12' x 16' (not including kitchen).
The following speakers are on my list to auditon:
Marten Parker Trio, Acora (SRB, SRC1, SRC2), Magico S3 - 2023, Magico M2, Joseph Audio, Franco Serblin, Rockport, Vivid Audio Giya G4,
I have already heard the Acora SRC1 and thought they were amazing, however, perhaps a bit bass shy.
Given my room constraints, I'm concentrating more on the models that have a sealed box design. Given that, I am very interested in the Magico M2 and S3 - 2023. Has anyone heard these two models? A used M2 would cost about the same as a new S3. How do these two models compared? Which would you choose?
Can anyone recommend any other sealed box design speakers.....or any speakers that would fit into a relatively small room (close to the walls)? I should also note that I would like a speaker that performs well with lower listening volumes....
I have booked my ticket to AXPONA 2025, so I'm making a list of speakers that I should audition.
@mbmi Yes! I’ll be checking out the Borresen room for sure. They are the hot speaker brand currently! Just be sure to take note of the eco-$ystem feeding them. This is true for any show demo, but Borresen is notorious for pairing 50K speakers with 150K equipment. I know first hand, as I'm in AGD recovery. |
Meaning I’ve been addicted to all things Audio Group Denmark since ‘18. Over on USA mart, in the last 18 months alone, I’ve sold 25 pieces. Over the last 6 years buying and selling between Mart and Gon, I couldn’t begin to guess the #’s. Finally had to take a step back, I’m now Ansuz/Aavik/Borresen free, but I don’t know how long I can hold out.
*disclaimer- of course this is all tongue and cheek, not belittling the seriousness of addiction in any way |
I own the Joseph audio perspective 2. I’ve got mine in a 15’ x 13’ room working great, so I’m sure they would work in your room. They do need to be well clear of the back wall.
You are certainly being given a great list of loudspeakers . I listened to a tremendous number of loudspeakers before deciding on the Joseph audio speakers (magico, vivid, Focal, monitor audio, Paradigm persona, It’s a long list).
Like many of us, we end up choosing a loudspeaker that just seems to speak to us . That’s how I ended up with the Joseph Audio speakers. Whatever the strengths of other speakers, none nailed the beauty and purity of sound, and instrumental timbre, for me like the Joseph speakers. Plus, they were great all arounders - plenty resolution for audiophile jollies, class leading sound staging, and imaging and disappearing act, great punchy bass, incredibly smooth and easy to listen to without sounding dark or lacking detail.
Depending on your taste, you will get things from other speakers you may like better .
But if we just take something like the magical M2 which I’ve only heard briefly - though I’ve heard other magical loudspeakers and auditioned the A3 - I’d say a couple salient differences between the magico and the Joseph sound are:
To me, the magical are absolutely classic “ audiophile” loudspeakers. They’ve gone to great lengths to minimize distortion and every possible way, so that they have a very linear even, boxless sound. They are truly amazing in that respect, and can be incredible in terms of detail and instrumental timber and sound staging.
The reason I didn’t end up with with Magico was mostly that they were a bit too “ audiophile” for me. They were sort of controlled and buttoned down to a fault. Didn’t really let their hair down with lots of the fun music that I really love (like thoughts of funky jazzy big band stuff, and funk, dance).
Music just sounded more enthusiastic through some other loudspeakers than on the Magico.
I also found that the Joseph audio speakers sounded more pure and grain free overall. Not necessarily more detailed, but just so incredibly unmechanical and smooth compared to most of the speakers even magico.
Another different aspect is in the bass. Magic does what I think of as “ audiophile bass.” You know how when you become an audiophile, very often one of the first things you concentrate on when looking for a new speakers is bass quality. Most of us grew up with Soundsystem in which base was boomy or ill defined, and then you hear a really good audiophile speaker and you hear really tight controlled base for the first time and think “ oh man so that’s what base sounds like! Even the bass sounds like real instruments!” And then you go onto search for speakers that make sure they do not produce the dreaded one note sluggish bass.
The thing is, I’ve found that if you just keep going down that road, you end up with some loudspeakers that are just so Tight, so controlled and buttoned down, they can be less fun. So I think of audiophile bass as a type of presentation where the bass instrument, be at a stand-up bass, electric bass, synth bass or whatever, is so controlled that it appears somewhere back in the soundstage, totally focussed and dimensionally placed, but still “ just sitting back there.” It’s a base it’s performing somewhere in the soundstage behind the loudspeakers, but it’s not really reaching out and hitting you like real bass instruments do.
One of the things Jeff Joseph has managed to do with his speakers, and certainly with the perspectives, is to offer really well-controlled base so it is nuanced, tonal and holograph placed as well, but there is a warmth to bass that rolls out over you. It has some room feel. Which for me is really great when I can feel the kick drum and bass.
I I even listened to a $65,000 pair of Estelon loudspeakers at my buddies place, and even though they were bigger and went deeper and slammed harder, it was still “ sitting back there” too much for me, and when I came home and played the same tracks on my Joseph speakers, it was like “ahhh” there is that impact and fun I was missing. How much preferred the Joseph presentation overall.
So the Joseph prospector is doing a nice job of being a very well-balanced all-around speaker, but also having a sense of fun.
This could be down to there being a ported design, which possibly interacts more with the room. I don’t know. But I found I prefer it at this point.
Plus, they are one of the most gorgeous loudspeaker designs I’ve seen and am among the best fit and finish of any speaker I’ve seen. They are basically the nicest piece of furniture in our entire house! And the fact that they are small and slim makes them so easy to integrate into a room, and you can get a vast stage.
Once again, you’re gonna get other things from other speakers that the Joseph audios don’t do of course.
But IF the particular tonal voice of the Joseph sound appeals to you, then you don’t quite get it anywhere else.
As for the vivid audio speakers, I think they are amazing, they totally disappear with incredible clarity and detail. I just found them ultimately a bit anti-septic for my taste. For me to Joseph speakers, I have a richer more organic sound.
I hope that helps. |
