A lot of what’s been posted on this thread isn’t wrong (the ad hominem stuff is) and it’s kind of reassuring that many people are hearing the same thing - they’re just placing a different value on what they’ve experienced and, yes, listening conditions (show/dealer vs. carefully calibrated listening room) and associated equipment matter a lot.
I’m one of those TAS writers that admires the brand. I’m currently experimenting with Atmos (for music) and own ten (!) Magicos (M2s, an S3 for the center channel), S1s, 4 A1s for the height channels, and an SSub.) Of course, most of my listening is in stereo and the M2s work very well for me. What some folks refer to as "clinical," I call "lean", in comparison to many of the excellent loudspeakers I’ve had in my room over the last 10 years. There’s loads of detail and dynamic nuance, as well as speed and a complete lack of coloration. As you might imagine, Magicos can be a great point of reference for a reviewer, both in terms of comparisons to other speakers and evaluating an electronic component preceding them in the listening chain. They sound terrific with "appropriately priced" amplification (that is, gear that’s in a particular Magico model’s price category) but even better with the most elite electronics. That’s a mark of a great design.
I’ve learned that many audiophiles want a speaker with "character" - either to better match other components in the chain, room issues, or just plain old personal preference. No loudspeaker is perfect but, for me, Magicos retrieve most of what’s on a recording, good, bad, or indifferent, and then get out of the way.
Andy Quint
The Absolute Sound
