Hello Hce4,
Thank you for that comparison to the V3. There is a pair here for sale right now, but I'm afraid my 16'X 15'X 7.5' room is too small. I'm very impressed with the V2 and am trying to find the money. One other concern is the cabling which I heard in that demo - MIT Magnum MA speaker, MIT Spectral 350 ULII IC, and MIT AUT IC phono. That would add considerably to the cost. I don't know how much the MIT cables contributed to the overall sound.
Another thing is my Pass Labs electronics. I don't know if the XA100.5 has enough power and if they will sound significantly different than the Spectral gear. At least my SME front end was the same. I may ask for a home audition which should answere these questions. Thanks again, Peter |
Thanks Peterayer! It seems Spectral and Magico make for a musical system. Everytime I hear Spectral, I marvel at its ability to sound realistic and alive. Everytime I hear Magico, I get the same feeling, but with an added sense of richness, so it makes sense that they'd go well together.
I've auditioned the V2, and compared it directly to the V3, at a dealer's shop recently. The supporting electronics consisted of a VAC Phi300 amp, a VAC Renaissance Sig. II preamp, and Metronome Kalista CD tranport/dac/power supplies. Top shelf electronics indeed.
The V2 gets close to the V3, and I'd say it's a great buy, but the V3 does do just about everything a little better. There's more extension up top and down low, details are easier to discern, and music has more "weight" and body. That being said, the V2 is dynamic, textured and very clean. I was expecting mini-monitor type sound with good bass, but what I heard was a full range floorstander that sounds "big enough" when needed, and only smaller when compared to much bigger and more expensive speakers. Good sound all around! |
I agree I also liked the V2 at CES. I thought this sounded way more musical than there bigger sibling. This is one speaker that finally approaches the musicality of the ESP Concert Grand. |
Hce4,
We heard the Spectral DMC 15SS Pre, the Spectral DMA 100 S series 2 stereo amp, the Nagra VPS phono, SME 10/A tt, and the top Spectral CD player, but listened mostly to vinyl. It was truely something. |
What Spectral amp and pre and cd in particular Mariv26 and Peterayer? |
Not sure what is there to compare, but please keep us posted. |
I am in error: it was the Magico *M6* I heard, not the M5.
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It was not a reasonable or genuine 'audition:' when I heard the M5 it was with a music server unfamiliar to me. Nonetheless, they did not sound as sweet, in a musical way, as the V2.
The M5 may be able to handle greater volume of music, namely operatic scale performance and complex symphonic passages, or fill a larger listening space but I generally listen to smaller scale music.
For that type of playback, the V2 speaker, on first and careful listening, was stellar. When I've heard them again, compared directly with Verity Parsifal Ovation IIs I will comment again. It should be a reasonable comparison, as it will be in the same room with the same electronics and cabling. More to come.
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At the CES the M5 somewhat, unfortunately, stole the show from the V2. I thought that given its price, the V2 was the real star at the show. Magico has been criticized in the past for its models high prices, and here you have an absolutely exquisite speakers for what I consider a rather reasonable price. Definitely, a must hear. |
Recently I heard Magico V2s in a dealer listening room with Spectral electronics and MIT cabling.
In 19 years I have heard engaging systems that verge upon Musical only three times. The other commercial experience included componentry unaffordable to me, namely Kharma Exquisite speakers with Lamm monoblock amplifiers.
The Magico V2 / Spectral / MIT system *with proficient setup* can attain this level with far less outlay. It's more than "worth a listen;" for those on the quest, it's 'required reading.'
Cheers, David
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I just hear the V2 at a nearby dealer. I called ahead of time, and they were kind enough to set up a system, not unlike mine, for a lengthy audition. I asked that they locate the speakers on the long wall so as to approximate the distance/orientation of my room. They also hooked up an SME Model 10/A table (which I use), Dynavector cart, Nagra phono, SS 100W Spectral amp and preamp and MIT cables.
My friend and I were left alone in the room for a couple of hours with five of my reference LPs and one CD. This was simply the best audition I've heard in a dealer's showroom. I had heard plenty of well-regarded speakers(Wilson Alexandria and Sophia, SF Elipsa, JBL K2, Harbeth, Magico Mini, B&W), but for whatever reasons, they usually left me unmoved. This time was different. Whether it was room setup, system matching, or something else, the V2 in this system was truely involving. I simply could not bring myself to lift the stylus out of the groove until the LP was finished.
I started with the 45rpm reissue of Brown/Ellington "This One's for Blanton". Right scale, superb detail and incredible impact. During Beethoven's Violin Concerto, I got a real sense of the space in Boston Symphony Hall. Massed strings sounded as though there were actually many separate and distinct violins playing together. The layers of musicians and depth was very good. For the first time, reproduced classical music sounded believable to me. I also listened to some female voice that put the singer in the room with us.
I could go on, and maybe I just had'nt heard a really good demo before, but these speakers are definately worth considering if one is in the market for a $15-20K set of speakers. I want to listen to a few other speakers in this range, but these really did sound great. It was an experience I will not soon forget. |
Info is now on the Magico website and at 6moons.com. 89db, 4 ohm load, 32-40khz, $18,000. |
I saw that ad too. It looks like the V3's baby brother, ie. a floor standing 2-way for $15-20K. But this is just a guess. I'd love to know more... We may just have to wait and see. |
