Magico Mini II vs. Magico V2 comparison

Thank you guys for all sugestions.
I am waiting for audition of one more monitor speaker and will decide what to do.

I have no information about damping factor of the JA80 (manual does not include this parameter), but output transformer seems to be oversized 10x compared to nominal output power. Also both monoblocks uses 8 power tubes (KT88 in my case), still rating output power as 60W. Many other manufactures (like Audio Research I have owned before) rates their amps using 8 output tubes as 100 Watts. I understand that we cannot judge power only on amount of tubes used, but still I think that 60 Watts for Jadis is conservative rating. I think that this amp works well even with difficult loads because can deliver enough current.

Back to the topic.
I am really impressed by performance of Magico V2. I am sure that if you can buy this speaker in US with some discount at retail prices it is really worth that money.
However the prices of Magico in Europe are ridiculous as I mentioned before. For example suggested price for V2 is about 32.000 $ and Mini II funny 56.000 $
I am sure that you agree that for that prices enthusiasm for that brand can be a little moderated. For comparison Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento which is indeed great monitor also can be purchased for about 14.000 $

I have no doubts that Mini II is in different league but what I am trying to do is to judge if the difference in price are worth difference in performance.

Here is the list of speakers I have auditioned. These are speakers from different price levels, different sizes and efficiency. As I mentioned before the V2 was the speaker that impressed me the most of all in my own system. Other speaker that impressed me in terms of unlimited dynamics were Wilson Audio but I found them not as delicacy and refined on the mid and top as Magico, but definitely greater bass. Next very good speakers were old Guarneri Hommage – here I got the very musical and involving sound but not at comparable scale to Wilsons and Magico. I think that speakers like SF monitors are for a little different listening habbits – more intimacy contact with music.
Few speakers I have auditioned were to large or to expensive – I auditioned them to become familiar with “house sound”. The biggest disappointment were Avalon Indras that sounded literally as broken in my system. Even Ascendants II sounded better. I suppose that Avalons are quite interesting speakers but very fussy about placement and associating equipment.

Here is a list – I hope it helps someone (the @ indicated auditioning in own system at home):

Thiel Audio CS2.3 @ (owned for 8 years),
Thiel Audio SCS4 @
Thiel Audio CS3.7
Magnepan MG 1.6
Wilson Benesch ACT @
Wilson Benesch Trinity with Torus sub @
JM Lab Diablo Utopia @
Living Voice Auditorium II
Wilson Audio Sophia 2
Wilson Audio Watt/Puppy System 8
Avalon Acustic Ascendant II @
Avalon Acustic Indra @
Harbeth M40.1 (also great but too big for my room)
Harbeth SHL 5
Vandersteen Quatro @
Sonus Faber Guarneri Hommage @ (this speaker leads me toward new GM)
Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario
Sonus Faber Stradivarii
Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor M @
Audio Physic Caldera
ART Loudspeakers Emotion
Lowther Audiovector (different world of speakers)
Lowther Bel Canto @
Magico V2 (the most jaw dropping from the list)

The GH compared to Cremona Auditor M were much more transparent and clear sounding with better high and better bass control. Cremona seems to have more bass extensions and is more universal speaker. Also Cremona have more sweet midrange but GH is more neutral sounding speaker. Both are great but Guarneri is the class for its own.

As for the Diablo Utopia I do not like them in my system. These were over technically sounding speakers. These speaker almost killed all beautiful tonality and richness that Jadis is capable of produce. The bas was extended and tight but overall sound was uninvolving. But it can be system or room mismatching.

---> Mariv26
You are probably right about these prices. But if, for example V2, costs in US 18.000 $ for me it means that it is probably worth that kind of money. Or rather it means that you cannot get it cheaper. If I live in Europe and have to pay say 32.000 $ for the same product I will always ask the question for myself if that products is still worth the European price. The alternative is to purchase European products living in Europe.

@ Ebm
In my room Magico V2 worked very well with 60W Jadis. Jadis is very conservative rated at 60W and has enormous output transformer. So there is no problem that 60 tube Watts were to short for Magico, but probably more Watts will be even better.
I suppose that Magico monitors may require even more power than V2.

@ Bvdiman

The height of the ceiling is near 9 ft. Yes, the transparency is the most noticeable advantage of V2.

The foloorstanding V2 do to suits my room and now I have hard decision to make. Mini II in US are very highly priced, but in Europe (where I live) the pice for Mini II is just ridiculous!

That’s why I also think about Guarneri Memento. It does not have such transparency, but maybe is would be possible to correct with proper cabling.

James63

What concerns Thiel I have to mention that I was a great fan of Thiel products for many years. I very admire the Jim Thiel’s passion of making the good sounding speakers. He was faithful to the idea of coherent source and developed all their products in this direction.

It is not easy to compare CS3.7 to Magico V2 because I have auditioned them in quite different conditions. The room was twice as big as mine, the electronics were different (all Ayre system) and cabling were MIT. The room was undamped with hard stone floor so it was much more live than mine. However Thiel excels in tight and quite deep bass and pin-point localization instruments in the sondstage. I suppose that in such conditions CS3.7 were able to create more deep soundstage. Magico V2 auditioned in my setup excels in extremely high quality trebles – presentation of high tones were mind-blowing. I also did not heard the speaker so free from any colorations as V2. The sound was so neutral and well defined. Thiel are also neutral but not as imposing. I did not try CS3.7 in my system as this model is to big for my room and do not have enough space to breathe.

I also found all Thiels to have their own house sound. My taste has changed a bit and now I found Thiels sounding a little dry to my taste. However I still claim that Thiels have one of the best price-performance ratio in the market.