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

Opinions please. All are Used and are the same very good price but The Y&G are $4000 less which is nice.

KEF Blade 2

TAD Evolution One

Y&G Kipod II Signature w/Pwr Bass module

Magico S5


Would love your thoughts any thoughts on any please! Being all used and in good shape these are all within $500 of each other used price but Y&G and those had highest list but know to be good used deals because they are pretty serious speakers.

I think as far as used speakers in the great value - now less than 1/2 price but still new enough to provide great performance these are some different but pretty serious speakers. Please any and all feedback totally welcomed and is super helpful 

Source: Bricasti M1SE DAC 

Preamp: Parasound JC2 Pre

Amp: Pass Labs X350.5 Amp

IC: Darwin TRUTH Balanced

SC: HiDiamond D8 w/Furutech

PC: HiDiammond P3 (7)

AC: HiDiamond HDX2 

Transport: microRendu 1.4 and full suite of UpTone Audio Premium Power Supplies (2)x LPS-1 and (1) JS-2 LPS - (2) Regens - ISO and Amber and custom Canare DC cables for all / Tellarium Q Black Diamond USB cable and Curious Regen Link

Room is 12 x 23 w/Cathedral Ceilings - 15 Foot a peak 

Music: Assorted Music no metal or loud hard rock anymore really - not much Large Scale classical either but everything else.

Likes: Transparency- Delicate-linear-Dynamic-Fast - high resolution-microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless - I know there is a fine Line here but I'm looking to walk it and come out on the right side - but real see through into the music - transparent to the source because I love my DAC - there more everything else sound more like my DAC the closer I'm getting to where I want to go as close as possible - image and sound stage lover - tight bass - hate flab - like speed and transparency as my selection choices might speak to

Coming from: Rethm Saadhana V3 speakers which I love and are incredible but want to try something else. 

Love any feedback about matching or equipment matching or one or multiple of these - what you heard at shows or whatever. Love more Info on these.









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Showing 7 responses by yyzsantabarbara

yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
KEF Blades + Luxman m900u + Luxman c900u. The amp and pre-amp are $15K each now (price lowered).

I have heard all of these separately for long periods at stores or shows. I have not heard them together but my feeling is this will sound great. There are at least 2 people on A'Gon who have mentioned that they have this combination.

A dealer gave me the following info on the Blades:
"Price aside the Lamm 1.2 references are amazing (27,000.pr) the Burmester stereo amp 956 (19k) is really good and my favorite stereo amp for the blades, and lastly the Pass 60.8 monos (13,500pr) sound sweet with the blades"

I heard the TAD Evolution One, I did not like it as much as I expected. However, I have a feeling that the way the speakers were setup (extreme toe-in) was the reason it did like them that day. The room was also massively big so that would have had an effect.  I should have really liked this speaker but setup and room effects can mess all that up. These speakers were demoed with Audio Research gear. Someone on A'Gon is selling a pair now for about $14k and that price is pretty good. 

I heard the Magico S3 MKII and Magico S5 MKII at the last LA Audio Show, I was shocked at how much I like the MKII version of these speakers, especially the S3. The S3 and S5 were in different rooms with different gear. I was never a big Magico fan until I heard these 2 at the show. I have heard other Magicos before such as the Q7 for several hours.

1) Blades 1 or 2
2) Magico S3 MKII or S5 MKII
3) TAD Evolution One
4) YG

yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
You should also have a listen to the KEF Reference line and do a comparison to the Magico non-MKII versions. I think you maybe surprised at how good the KEF’s sound. The price is also a heck of a lot cheaper.

At the same LA show I heard the KEF Reference 1 (bookshelf) powered by the new Wyred4Sound monoblolocks and I was totally into the sound. I really like the stuff KEF is doing these days.
yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
" Really, KEF? Not even in the same zipcode as Magico or YG. The TAD is just plain harsh, so even though it’s detailed, it’ll drive you batty. I’ve also seen people recommending Focal... Must be jokers, for sure..."

Jokes on you buddy, Go for a hearing test, get’ em fixed, and then go and listen to everything listed here. The Blades, to my amazing ears, are the best of the bunch. They disappear to the point where you do not even know they are there,. All the other speakers do not do that, Even with mid-level amplification the Blades do that.

The Magico’s are alright but nut in the class of the Blades in this disappearing act. The Thiel CS 3.7 was also good at that. My second choice over anything listed in this thread.

BTW - $$ do not represent the best. Individual tastes matter and also marketing.
yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
I was thinking of writing exactly what tDimler wrote above. With your DAC I do not see the need for a preamp (at least in the short term).

I was going to suggest the Revel  Salon2  since you mentioned the Studio2 above. I had the Revel Salon 1 in a large room for many years. I enjoyed the heck out of back then, it had the best bass. The Studio2 is maybe too small for your room. However, I find that the KEF LS50 ($1.5k sort of similar on top to Blades) has better top end than my old Revel Salon1 ($20k speaker). The used prices on the Revels are pretty good. You can enjoy something like that until the next iteration of the Magico's come out and drop the price of the MKII's.

BTW - A speaker I really want to hear is the Yamaha NS 5000. It is supposedly the only speaker in the world that is using the same material for all 3 drivers. Check out what Doug Schneider said about them from the Tokyo show. He made a passing comparison about them and the Magico's. Yamaha is another big company that can put money into research.

yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
Normie57,

How much space do you have between the speaker and side wall? Did you get room treatments? The side firing drivers always concern me when I look at potential rooms to place my future Blades.
yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
Fsmithjack,

You may find this interesting. Talks about the Blade and KEF's answer to people who do not like the look.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-reference-5-loudspeaker

yyzsantabarbara
4,989 posts
 
@jtgofish Where did you hear the Yamaha? I have been looking online as to when it will arrive in the USA. I have called Yamaha USA to ask but no luck on both fronts. I was hoping to hear this speaker and compare it to the KEF Ref 3 for my home office. I will likely be working from home all the time starting next year and I want to upgrade my office system from the KEF LS50 to something with more bass. Keeping the LS50 for the bedroom.

The new Luxman 509x integrated looks like a super unit to power the office system. I made 2 A'Gon thread on the Luxman and the Yamaha if anyone has anyone info to share on either piece.
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