Magico S5 vs KEF Blade 2 vs TAD Evo One vs YG Kipod II Sig w/pwr bass

Hey Guys - HAPPY THANKSGIVING to everyone.

Your feedback and comments have helped me so much.

I just started a new thread about a couple amps I am considering and wanted to share a link with you guys if you feel like sharing.

Thanks again :)

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/help-advice-feedback-ps-audio-bhk-300-hegel-h30-pass-labs-x25...

Hey Guys - just wanted to thank everyone for the feedback and help.

I purchased the Magico S5 Loudspeakers with all of your help and could not be any happier.

There has been quite of bit of trial and error along with the way trying to dial them in and match everything up nice in my system and there is still much work to do but I am super happy with my decision.

They are so different to what I have former experience with and respond so differently to changes.

Little changes can have huge impact and huge changes small impact and I think that speaks to how resolving and low distortion they are.

They just show everything and a huge change that is a nice fit can work well and not feel like a big change and a smaller tweak that they do not agree with really gets shown in all its glory or lack there of. I am enjoying the process and there is a definite learning curve but I am getting there.

When I started my speaker search and this thread I listed all my other supporting system gear and I think it is interesting now to share the changes that have been made since then to try and get the most out of my speakers and my system overall. I listed them below.

I just got a Mark Levinson No.326s preamp (2 days ago) and have a Hegel H30 amp coming soon next week so plenty of optimizations in the works.

Looking to push my rig to the next level or two. Any feedback or ideas on a pre match for the Hegel H30? Do you think the No/326s will work great or does anyone know of another pre that works great with the Hegel H30? Many have said tube pre's match well with Hegel amps.

You may wonder "why Hegel H30 thought you were happy with your Pass". Yes I was and am quite happy with the Pass X350.5.

A little ways back before I bought my Magico's I was at Goodwin's and heard the Hegel H30 amp driving Magico's with Kubala-Sosna Emotion Speaker Cables and absolutely loved it. I was blown away. It was better than the super expensive Constellation amp. Much better and it was the sound I have been looking for since. It led to my buying my Magico's and my Kubala-Sosna cables and thought if some day I have a chance to get one of these Hegel's I need to try and do it.

It was way too much money for me to buy new but thought maybe if some day down the road a pre-owned one shows up and the seller will take my Pass as a trade and it is a good enough deal where I can afford it then well we'll see. There are a lot of maybes here but thought if the stars line up at some point I need to look at it closely.

I wasn't looking at add another variable because I'm still trying to get the preamp situated but an opportunity arose and I didn't hesitate and pulled the trigger and am really looking forward to it. This is why I am asking for preamp feedback if anyone has any?

Here is the equipment I had when I started this thread not that long ago and below each is what I have now or am getting soon. Thanks   

** Source: Bricasti M1SE DAC
(Same - no interest or desire to change it - I love my source but I am going to send back to factory to add/upgrade their Ethernet player).

** Preamp: Parasound JC2 Pre
(BAT VK-32SE then to Mark Levinson No.326s pre I got 2 days ago)

** Amp: Pass Labs X350.5 Amp
(Hegel H30 amp - will have it in about a week)

** IC: Darwin TRUTH Balanced
(Nordost Heimdall 2 XRL 1m)

** SC: HiDiamond D8 w/Furutech
(Cardas Clear Reflection to Kubala-Sosna Emotion)

** PC: HiDiammond P3 (7)
(Verastarr Grand Illusion II) 

AC: HiDiamond HDX2
(PS Audio P10 Regenerator)

Hey Peter and Jafant - thanks guys!

I'm kind of nervous because I really like my Pass amp. I love it actually and had no real desire to change it unless an H30 in the right situation came along.

A couple times the last few months a Hegel H30 popped up but the sellers did not want a trade in.

I could have sold mine and bought one but then with my luck i would have sold my Pass then the Hegel would be sold so I was happy with my Pass enough where the only way I would pull the trigger would have been if they took my Pass as a trade and the deal worked price wise. I was lucky and everything fell into place but now a little nervous as the Pass is a very pretty sounding amp and the Hegel audition was quite some time ago but my gut said go so i went. Wish me luck :)  

Thanks Jafant - Merry Christmas to you as well. 

Hey Pokey77 - actually my deal on the H30 fell through and I was bummed at first because I was really looking forward to it but when I heard my Pass Labs X350.5 mated to my new pre the Mark Levinson No.326s preamp I was ecstatic.

What a great preamp and the goal was to get the H30 to match with the No.326s for a new amplification front end. The No.326s with its speed and precise imaging is a perfect match for the X350.5's silky warm, bold and round sound. I think if the No.326s was mated to thinner sounding amp it would not help fill it out as as much as some pre's do but with richer, warmer amp like the X350.5 it is the ideal match. Its a match made in heaven and I love it. About as close as you can get to having the tubes and solid state sound while still being fully solid state. 

So happy with the combo that I just ordered the dual mono phono module boards for the No.326s and am fixing to spin some vinyl and on the look out for a table.

Here are below in the link are some of my thoughts on a table.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/help-please-vpi-classic-signature-3d-arm-or-dr-feickert-woodp...

Hope to get one soon as my phono modules are expected on Wednesday via USPS.

I think the leader at the point is the Dr. Feickert Woodpecker with 12" Jelco arm and Dynavactor 20x2 cart. My budget which I have from selling other gear is at $4,500 all in and this is the table, arm, cart combo I am leaning toward.

Do you guys have any idea's kind of stuck on what to do and have been looking long and hard. Need Table, Arm and Cart and want something that can legit compete and be good enough that I want to listen to vs just sticking with my digital. Thanks  


https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/help-please-vpi-classic-signature-3d-arm-or-dr-feickert-woodp...