Magico M9 The new 'norm' in speakers

Anhthig that tall that isnt a line array is probably garbage

What, me troll?  Never.

For the asking price, I could build you a nice lake home with 2 dedicated listening rooms all custom designed for audio use with 2 wonderful systems that could rival anything magico has built. And a small 4-unit apartment building that could be rented to lower-income folks.

You should jump on a pair ASAP!!

Magico has just debuted its new model...the M9. Weighing in at 1000 Lbs ( pity those who have to move it) and being almost 8' tall! 
Luckily, they are bringing this speaker in at a bargain basement price designed to appeal to the masses...and unlike the other models in their line, financing won't be needed. Yes, for just $750,000- you can own one of these new models. 
This is certainly looking like the new 'norm' for many speaker manufacturer's. Luckily most of us have this as pocket change...luckily.

 

 

I got this,..

The NA sayers will always follow their ideology that is based two things: they either don’t have the ability to hear the difference between a $1000. vs $750,000. speaker or they know they never will be able to afford it so to ease their pain they simple bash everything they can’t have.

Jimmy2615 wrote:

"In all seriousness, audiophiles saying this is crazy would be like non-audiophiles saying a $1000 power cable is insane."

I am an audiophile, and I think a $1,000.00 power cord is insane.

Generally, Magicos look nice. The shape of this one's just kinda ugly.

Is that what Polka bands are charging these days?

They have gone electric.

"for $750K I'll hire my favorite band to come and play for me for an hour. Its like I was really there."

Is that what Polka bands are charging these days?

I don’t know if a new reply will bring an old thread to life but please permit a question from a sojourner in these parts: Who or what is Kenjit? The Kenjit Society? How has he risen above the proletarian masses of Audiogon users to merit his own society? A cursory examination—emphasis on cursory—of his posts doesn’t reveal any particular genius.

Not to put them down. Those posts swim well with the typical Audiogon post, which is to say that they drip with wit and wisdom. But how did he get his own society?

One thing is for sure—I’m not spending $1MM on speakers without approval from the Kenjit society.

Any speaker that cost that much money yet tells you at the end of the review to buy a pair of subwoofers is bullshit if I'm going to spend that kind of money I think not only better just put me in a coma with the greatest music I've ever heard it also should do my dishes

I heard the Wilson WAMM's years ago. I never heard a degree of separation of orchestral instruments like I did that day on a DDD recording- nothing special. This was a $95,000 system (4 pieces).
So it "gave me an idea" of what David Wilson was striving for. 
So what is Magico doing these days? My guess is moving a LOT of air in this present-stage-of-engineering with the most inert box you can build. I used to admire pictures of the Q7!- so what do I know? Can you put a Very Good Recording on that system and re-create the sound of that concert hall in Vienna? I don't know, but let Magico do what they want to do. Wilson also will continue to upgrade their speakers, as will many manufacturers in Denmark, Holland, France, the U.K., and so on. Who knows but someday China may produce the best hi-fi company in the world. Luckily I can think back and remember the 1st time I heard Watt-Puppies 3/2's completely disappear in the room. Later I didn't buy the speakers, but I bought the CD!  It's a fun hobby, so buy what you want "after" you buy the groceries, pay the rent, etc. It took me many years to get the system I presently have, like climbing stairs one step at a time.

Welcome to the 15" woofers club Magico!

@daveyf no, dump down the system is not what I'm implying. But I am suggesting that reaching for ultimate resolution can interfere with the enjoyment of the music. I look for the best recordings (or pressings) like any audiophile, but at the end of the day the quality of the music itself and/or the performance is most important to me.

Let's face it, there is so much great music in rather mediocre sound quality you will have to make a choice. Build a system that enables you to enjoy most of the music out there, or focus on building a system that will make the very best recordings sound even better. There's no right or wrong here and your idea of the pursuit of happiness will determine that choice, along with the ability and willingness to pay for it all.

@edgewear  I think that a speaker and a system that is ultra revealing is in fact a major plus. While this system will sound horrible on a lot of poorly recored music, it will also sound amazing on well recorded pieces. Therefore, I believe that one should not be looking to dumb down the system, as you seem to be implying, but instead should be looking to get the best recordings--and encourage the release of these recordings.  

@daveyf, these extreme speaker designs seem to prove you can go too far in the quest for ultra high resolution. If you are in this hobby to enjoy music of all sorts you’re looking in the wrong direction. The aim for highest resolution turns into an extremily complex balancing act, which can be very easily disturbed. This explains the endless serial upgrading, audio nervosa and other audio related mental states. It’s a dead end, unless you enjoy sitting in front of a million dollar system and two dozen recordings that sound really good. Of course I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.

In my view this forum should be about building a system that sounds most convincing to you with all types of music you enjoy. Nobody seems to perceive sound exactly the same, so there’s no objective reference to start with. This approach comes down to system synergy tailored to your personal taste, which is one of the fun parts of being an audiophile.

It shouldn’t be about ’whatsbest’, which usually comes down to ’whatsmostexpensive’. In that universe 750k speakers are probably perceived as a new ’norm’. To me it’s just another level of lunacy. But there’s a rich sucker born every day (not minute, I’ll give you that), so there’ll be plenty of demand for these things.

@edgewear You bring up an interesting point. As your system gets more and more resolving and accurate, you will unfortunately hear more of the recording, warts and all. Since the vast majority of recorded music is done so poorly, you are now stuck listening to only the best recordings in order to fully enjoy the music. BUT if you are trying to re-create as close as possible to the sound of real 'live' unamplified instruments in your home, this is one of the downsides of that goal, IMHO.

Years ago we had a tv commercial in my country about a couple that won the lottery. You see them driving their newly purchased Lamborghini Countach in a typical suburb. The authorities have strategically placed ’bumps’ in the road in such areas to limit traffic speed. Next shot you see the happy couple stop their new supercar in front of one of these bumps (I’m sure there’s an official term for these things, but it escapes me). The iconic door swings open, after which the wife crawl out of the car with several grocery bags. This lifts the car just enough for the driver to ’take’ the bump. Then the wife gets in again and they drive on, most likely to repeat this procedure at the next bump. End of commercial.

I was reminded about this when I first heard one of those big Wilson speakers (the model before the Alexias, can’t remember their name). They were at a dealer demo room after a weekend show, with Peter McGrath playing some of his own recordings. It was loud and sort of impressive, even in a fully packed room. On Monday my friend who worked at the dealership allowed me a few hours alone with these things. I brought a stack of my own cd’s and we listener together. Most of these normal commercially available cd’s just sounded terrible, so both of us were very underwhelmed to say the least.

So we came to this conclusion: such extreme speakers are great for only the very best recordings, like an F1 car is made for the race track. But they’re totally unsuited for average recordings (the overwhelming majority), just like the Lamborghini was a painfully wrong choice for that suburban environment.

I’ve heard many of these extreme speakers (including Magico’s) over the years at shows and demo’s and always came back with that same feeling. If you are an audiophile with a wide musical taste who puts music before sound, such speakers are pretty useless.

The statement products at axpona I see and hear never do anything that makes me want them. Huge statement products set the bar so high no matter how they sound they don't measure up. How about the F1 audio magico with what 4 subs? The kef muon?  IDK, makes audiophiles look like idiots blessed with more money than brains, not that I can talk.

Wished I had an extra $750k cash lying around somewhere to upgrade to the M9.
I currently own a pair of Magico M6 driven by Naim Statement NAP S1 monoblock amps & Naim Statement NAC S1 linestage analog preamp.
There’s big jump in price going from the M6 to the new M9.
The M6 retail for $176k/pair. And the M9 are quite a bit bigger and taller too.

We should start a chat listing one thing each of us has owned (ever!) that is NOT audio and that might be considered extravagant by the rest of us. Let's get judgmental. 
Sorry, I'm just afraid to admit that if I had a 750K windfall, I would probably spend it on audio (including the listening room).
Maybe hearing aids.

Andy, I think you are undercutting it by at least $500K. IMHO there is no loudspeaker worth $750,000 and certainly no system worth 1.5 mil. Maybe I'm just not rich enough. I can understand $250,000 for a system which is about what my ultimate dream system would cost. Underline dream.  

I was dreaming while posting that.  

Clearly, I misspoke stating eight feet tall. 

Coming from a land that is metricated, when I see 2.03mt tall = 80 inches = 6 foot 8 inches tall , not 80 feet nor even 8 feet

Andy, I think you are undercutting it by at least $500K. IMHO there is no loudspeaker worth $750,000 and certainly no system worth 1.5 mil. Maybe I'm just not rich enough. I can understand $250,000 for a system which is about what my ultimate dream system would cost. Underline dream.  

for $750K I'll hire my favorite band to come and play for me for an hour. Its like I was really there.

You going to hire your favorite band every weekend? Or are you saying that a one time 750K concert and you're done for life?

Oz

for $750K I'll hire my favorite band to come and play for me for an hour.  Its like I was really there.

Not a fan of the line. 

Got it!

@mike_in_nc I wasn't trying to say that trade/economics is the only thing that factors into, or that has resulted in changes to, price choices or policies. I was only saying that many of the recent ones have been influenced by changes in trade/economics.

My followup post was intended to illustrate how those changes in trade/economics are wider and more influential that some might think.

@nekoaudio - Granted, global trade changes have affected prices. But really, don't you think Veblen's theory also has played a part? How else to explain wires for $10k and so on?

They had to out Wilson Wilson. For $50 you can have a Sound Labs Ultimate 745 that will handily outperform the M9. At least it is better looking than the M7. 

Just like practically anyone old enough to be able to afford these speakers, my audiogram no longer merits their purchase. Oh, the irony.

Speakers: 750K
Amp: 100K
Preamp: 50K
Source: 50K
Cables: 50K (interconnects, power, speakers ...)

Total 1Mil System.  Enough said :-)

These speakers and the system that goes with it would be very effective at keeping the bow in my super yacht in the water when my Captain orders full throttle.  You guys have no imagination!  In all seriousness, audiophiles saying this is crazy would be like non-audiophiles saying a $1000 power cable is insane - $20,000 speakers?  Crazy !  Oh wait, they already say that.  It's all about perspective, and financially it's all relative.  There are people out there who have the means - their decision to buy is the same as a 'regular' audiophile buying the $1000 power cable to the reasonable man.  I say kudos to these companies for having fun and not limiting their potential.  Besides, wait 5 years and you can pick up a pair for a measly $180k!

Looks like it belongs on the Dr. Who show.

@rocray  Only good so long as you are on the third floor with non-re-enforced flooring joists.

I wonder how they would sound in my 9’x13’ room?? 

The nice thing about something that costs that much is that almost no one will ever hear them in a situation where they can really tell if they're great.  No dealers will have them on display.  Anybody can claim anything they want about them.  They are primarily vanity products that appeal to people who care more about having stuff that others can't than whether the performance is actually better than something that costs 95% less.  

@mike_in_nc companies in countries that don't have direct tariffs imposed on them have still been hit with materials cost increases because of the global impact those trade changes have had.

For example, even if you made everything from US materials in a US factory your costs would have increased because changes in competition allowed US suppliers to increase their prices.

Another example is a product that sources materials from a country where global economics have resulted in price increases (possibly moving between multiple countries as the material is processed) before final assembly in a country and into a product that is not itself subject to tariffs.

I suspect the rebalancing of international shipping costs is actually more fair now, but has resulted in higher costs for US consumers because it was unfairly beneficial for US imports instead of exports before.

Dubai has fallen on hard times so not sure how many they will sell!🙊

@nekoaudio : Interesting point. I know that when some users were complaining about Auralic’s increases, the CEO pointed out that they only partially absorbed the cost of tariffs.

On the other hand, it’s my impression that Bryston’s prices were steadily going up long before tariffs were imposed. And some increases (Parasound JC1 to JC1+) seem higher than I’d expect from tariff and inflation alone (and of course there are no US tariffs on Canadian electronics). So yes, I am sure that tariffs have caused some increases, but I’m dubious that they have caused the bulk of them.

My impression is that manufacturers are observing that in audio-land, Veblen’s theory holds (that a higher price makes a product more desirable), and they are jumping on the bandwagon. This is encouraged by The Absolute Sound, whose only ranking of products is by increasing prices.

@mike_in_nc many of the recent price increases have been due to the changing trade policies and their impact on materials and shipping costs.

I had bought the ticket to Axpona 2020 but the cancelled ticket will be good for 2021 event.

Thus if I go ahead with Axpona 2021, then i will have a chance to listen to this speaker.

But it is unlikely that sincere audiophile will buy this speaker since they know well enough how hard it is to optimize this kind of monster speaker.

It will be more likely that some billionaire buy one to brag about it.

We will see the pair of speaker with price tag of 1M$ pretty soon.

Then it will be easier to brag about it.

Recently I had spent 4K$ on Nos 6sn7 tubes for shootout.

It was kind of wine tasting.

Now I had settled at Russion tubes called 1578 Melz and 6h9s which cost just 300$.

But after tube rolling, my system sounds much more dynamic with clean details, wider and deeper soundstage.

Thus it is unlikely that I will change my speakers in the near future.

If I upgrade my speaker, then I will go to Vintage Western horn system which cost around 300K$ (modest price tag compared with M9).

I shall have bought one Vintage western horn about 13 years ago when I have 1M$ of cash.

But I had spent the 1M$ on stocks and lost half of the money 3 years later on Lehman crash.

I’m sure they sound fantastic and are quite the statement piece.
I think the issue is that people have a hard time fathoming $800K speakers.

Don’t know why. After all this is a high end audio site and you don’t get much more high end than that. 

I’ve heard systems costing that much. Very nice but way overkill for most rooms though the bling factor is quite high as expected.

I see lots of armchair critics here talking about something they have not heard. I am sure they will sell every one they make, there are a lot of very rich people in this world. This is the same as the Audiophile group I am in on Facebook. As of last count, there were about 60 posts and 90% of them are negative. One guy said it’s “junk”. If I had the money and room for them, I would own them and a few other Uber expensive speakers as well. Too many jealous people in these forums.

Here is an idea, listen to them before you condemn them. Without seeing and hearing them, anything said is pure speculation and probably way off.

@tablejockey    LOL, best post here so far, IMO.