Road trip to demo $10,000 speakers

skyscraper
how ya doin' out there? Did your speakers arrive? Give us an update.
Happy Listening!

Did you get your speaker cables sorted out?

Thanks Elizabeth. It’s been a long wait since October 3, but I’m excited the day is close at hand. Every time the phone rings I think it’s the shipping company trying to schedule delivery. They’re over a hundred pounds each, so you and Jafant should come over to help me move them up a flight of stairs to the entertainment room. Take care,

Mike

Jafant, the dealer checked with Magico a couple weeks ago and they said they should be ready to ship the end of this month. Can't wait. Thanks for asking,

Mike

skyscraper

did you take stock of the A3's ?  Give us an update.

Happy Listening!

Congratulations, We can't predict what you'll like only what we heard and considered stand out products, but we all have priorities we listen for         and hifi is a compromise. You should be set for at least 10 years.

Same to you Jafant and many more!

skyscraper

Happy Holidays!

Yes, Audiotronics has the big La Scala IIs up in their main listening room, which is where I bought mine... in fact they had my cherry Heresy IIIs and distressed oak Forte IIIs in there for about 3 months after I traded up. I think they finally sold the Heresy IIIs as they were not there when I went by yesterday to check out the PrimaLuna Dialogue integrated they have now. 

The PrimaLuna was impressive - my rig before the 509X was a Luxman CL40 valve pre and PrimaLuna ProLogue 4... so I wanted one final comparison between a top shelf tube integrated and my "best in class" solid state integrated. The Dialogue sounded very nice, but I did not come away with any buyer's remorse for the 509X. 

Definitely try to remember to ping me when the A3s come in... Would love to hear what they sound like. And if you ever want to check out my 509X/La Scala II/Hegel HD30 setup you're more than welcome!

Jsqt. Thanks. When I get my Magico A3's in February and my new system set up, I'll send you a pm if you'd like to come over and give them a listen. I was over Audiotronics a week or two ago listening to them demo a couple of speaker cables on their Klipsch speakers. Maybe they were LaScalas like yours. I didn't note which model Klipsch model they were though. You're fortunate to have the Luxman 509X. That's the model they are using to demo the Magico A3's at shows now. I really wanted one, but had to reign myself in and drop down a model after spending so much on the Magico's. Luxman's have such a nice build quality.

I think somebody mentioned to me there was some type of audio club in Roanoke years ago, but probably long gone by now. 

Mike

Tseliot. thanks for your good word on the Luxman amp and your tip on the Audience cables. I bought my first, to me, pricey power cord today for my newly purchased used Shunyata Denali 6000S power conditioner. I called Shunyata and they recommended, not surprisingly, their own Shunyata Venom cord, which they were running a sale on for $175.00 (usually $300) through their online dealer network. 

I’m not convinced it will work any better than a shielded hospital grade 12AWG power cord, but what do I know except I don’t know, so I’m going to get one of those too.  Then I can do a side by side comparison. I don’t think the Venom power cable would be any worse, and its not a fortune thrown away if their performance is the same. I’ll be trying the same experiment with returnable Rocket 88 speaker cable versus some Belden cables. I wish you were close by and I could demo your Elrod Power Cord too. I really need to hear the difference between various types cord and cables to convince myself what’s real and whats hype, before I throw real money at them.

How do you like your Audience AR6 power conditioner?  My Shunyata Denali is the first power conditioner I've ever owned. Before I started reading on this site I'd not even heard of them before.

Hey Mike!
I just discovered this thread, a great read and congrats on the new speakers. I am also in Roanoke and have spent tons of money both at Audiotronics and Command AV up in DC (great guys). I just picked up a Luxman L-509X and it sounds pretty incredible through my La Scala IIs. Wish there was an audiophile group or something here in the Roanoke area, we should connect somehow!

Skyscraper,
Your Luxman amp should have plenty of power for the A3's. It is a good choice. We all have budgets, and I am sure you can find quality speaker cables within your budget. The prior SE version of the Audience speaker cables, available on the used market, would work well for you. IMHO, MIT and Transparent cables are overpriced for their performance, both new and used; Audience cables are fairly priced. The other speaker cables that would work are Jena Labs, which I use in my BR system. They are superb, but not easy to find used..
I use an Audience AR6 power conditioner with an Elrod Silver power cord. I have always loved Elrod PC's. They are something special.

Good luck.
Neal

@ieales -- Thanks for the thoughts about my room setup.  But I'd also be very interested in your thoughts about the comparison between T Refs and 7s in a less problematic setting, as it seems you may have auditioned both in typical dealer listening rooms(?)

However, as I felt I shouldn't hijack this thread that @skyscraper started, I started a new one at https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/anyone-compared-goldenear-triton-7-with-triton-reference  Very interested in your comparisons if you get a chance to reply there. Thanks.

I heard the References, 2+ and the 7s. Family resemblance was good.

I don't think the Hsu sub would be a good match in your room and layout.

IMO, the key to great imaging with a sub is to have good phase linearity for seamless integration. Without a crossover to roll the lows out of the 7s, a continuous phase control on the sub and freedom to place optimally, it's well nigh impossible.

Additionally, the LF processing maybe playing havoc with the 2ch playback.

@ieales -- Thanks for responding. As I said, my knowledge about high-end is quite limited, so you may already have identified some things that I can tinker with about my current setup to improve it. To clarify, what I have currently are the GE Triton 7’s, not the GE Triton References. Which was the GE Triton that in your experience was only bested by B&W 800 D3s & dual REL subs? -- was it the Triton References..?

My current setup:
GoldenEar Triton 7’s, crossed over at 60 Hz to:
Hsu Research VTF 15H MK2 sub. It has plugs to keep the two ports open/closed; currently both ports are open. (When I initially set it up I thought it sounded best that way, but I should probably experiment again with closing the ports).
Source: AIFF files on a Mac laptop, ripped from CDs at 16 bit, 44.1 KHz.
Connections: Mac optical out --> Toslink --> Marantz AV 7704 pre/pro --> Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 3 --> speakers.
Room: short description: irregular shaped, approx 8000 cubic feet.
Longer description: L-shaped open-plan main living space (living/dining/kitchen). Horizontal area of L is the living area where the music system is; this area is a rectangle approx 25’ (length of lowest line segment of L) x 16’ wide, with arched vaulted ceiling of average height approx 12’; so 4800 cu. ft for this area of the L. Vertical area of L (not including horizontal area at all) contains the dining and kitchen, and is a rectangle approx 25’ long x 16’ wide, with 8’ ceiling, so 3200 cu ft. for this area of the L, so total 8000 cu ft in total for the room. Unfortunately, this is the only possible "listening room", as I spend very little time in any other room except to sleep.
Speaker placement: Triton 7s are approx 7 feet apart on wall at base of L, roughly centered wrt the vertical part of the L. So, approx 3.5’ and 10.5’ from lower left corner of L, along lowest line segment of L. Hsu sub is *approximately* in the lower right hand corner of the L.
Not much flexibility in placement, because of furniture and needs of other family members (wife and kid).

Not sure how much sense that made, sorry...

What I like about current setup:
good lower end, decent midrange, upper end not too bright ("neutral", I suppose), non-fatiguing -- that was a big reason for choosing GoldenEar.

Why I’m thinking about upgrading:
-- I would like bigger/deeper "soundstage", and greater midrange "presence" -- hope I’m using those terms correctly. The current lack of those may be a function of T7 speaker size relative to room size, which is why I hoped bigger speakers like the GE Triton Reference could help.
-- I would also like a bit more clarity and detail in the midrange and upper (which I’m beginning to think may require going non-GoldenEar).

I very recently auditioned the GoldenEar Triton Reference at a dealer, repeatedly swapping the T Refs out with [Triton 7’s + JL Audio sub]. (The dealer was great, left me in there by myself for over an hour to play my own music from laptop --> toslink --> preamp, and swap speakers back and forth as I wanted). I also had a second opportunity the next day to compare TRef and [T7 + sub] swapped back and forth at another dealer, but for a much shorter period of time, and with interruptions.

On both auditions, I thought the Triton Reference had maybe 40% bigger soundstage than the [Triton 7s + sub], and at most 5% more midrange/upper detail/clarity. To me, those improvements feel too small to justify replacing $1.4K speakers with $8.5K speakers.

Hence the rabbit hole of other speakers...

Not sure if that made enough sense for comments/thoughts...

-- otinkyad

Freesole, good luck with your choice and the same with convincing your better half. Choosing a speaker will be the easiest of the two tasks I'd imagine.

Otinkyad, you're very welcome. Don't hesitate to ask if I can be of any assistance. Others on this site know way more than I ever will about this equipment, so it's nice to be able to give back in some small way. 

Mike

@skyscraper love your analogy, sometimes when you know, you really do know. I'm thinking about the A3's too and am looking to make a decision on a pair. Just need to convince the wife ;) 

Skyscraper, thank you for your very detailed reply. This is *extremely* helpful information -- thanks again!  I may pick your brains with additional queries down the road, and hopefully you or others will be able to reply when you can.  Happy listening when your Magico arrives!

@ otinkyad - What is it you don't like about the current setup? When navigating the swamp a while back, the [hate the name] Golden Ear Triton series were only bested by B&W 800 D3s & dual REL subs.

Which Hsu sub do you have? [ported is a NoNo]
How is it crossed over to the 7's?
Location relative to the 7's?
Room size?

That’s exactly how I felt Freesole.. I didn’t get to hear the Proacs. They were to be my next stop to audition on my trip to DC, but I was so impressed by the Magico’s I just had to have them. Their sound was just so crisp and clear, and had an un-speaker like quality I couldn’t easily describe. Even some extremely expensive speakers I’ve heard didn’t have it. I’ve heard Quad electrostatics with that quality, and an old Ohm tower years ago that had that aspect in the upper frequencies, but not top to bottom.

On a much, much smaller scale, it was a little like when I met my wife of many years for the first time, thinking "wow". Sounds stupid, but it is analogous. When she was available a couple of years later I couldn’t marry her fast enough. Couldn’t buy those Magico’s fast enough either, which is why I forgot to go to the Proac demo. I’m hardly the impulsive type either, but knew I’d found what I wanted.

I expect I’ll be happy with those A3’s indefinitely too, plus write one check and you’re done, no courting involved. Real life should be as straight forward. Take care,

Mike

@skyscraper Congrats on your A3's! I heard them just the other week on Hegel gear and they were mighty impressive. As always though, it is hard to tell how they will sound in my system, in my home but it left an impression on me that I am finding hard to forget. 

I also am considering the Proac D48R. Did you get a chance to listen to those and how would you compare them to the Magico's?

Otinkyad, The speakers on my list were:

Aerial Acoustics 7T $11,000.00
Legacy Focus SE $10,600.00
Magico A3 $9,800.00
Monitor Audio PL200 II $11,500.00
Paradigm Persona 3F $10,000.00
ProAc D48r $10,900.00
Revel F228BE $10,000.00
Spendor D9 $10,000.00
Vandersteen Treo CT $8,400.00
VonSchweikert Endeavor E3 Mk2 $8,000.00
Devore Gibbon Super 9 $9,9000

There was also a Joseph Audio model I had listed, but the closest dealer was just too far away in Pennsylvania. I had the Golden Ear Triton Reference on the list too but no dealers nearby either.

I’ve since thrown all my notes away, but some of the things I was looking at was how clear and detailed their presentation was, what equipment was being used to demo them. You have to insist, and best call ahead of time, if you want them demoed with equipment similar to what you have or plan to get,. Otherwise they often use way better amps and sources than you’ll ever be able to get. Some refuse to even do that.

I took notes on how tight the bass response was, the quality of the upper midrange and treble response. Also their appearance, size, and how well they’d fit into our home without clashing with its furnishings. A lot of the towers especially are big, garish and imposing looking. I also had to find out how close they could be placed to a wall, as I had to place them close as possible, and whether they were ported or not, as I was avoiding ported ones due to the wall closeness issue. I had dealers move the speakers as close to the wall as possible, even when I could see the were getting annoyed as they can weigh a ton and took notes on that.

I also took notes on how each recording I brought along sounded as well as a couple I had them pick out, that they knew would show off the speakers well. There might of been other things I’m not recalling but that should give you a good start. Also overall impressions and anything distinctive about their sound. I also noted how well they sounded at varied sound levels and from outside the room for reasons explained in the thread by others.

Happy hunting. It’s a lot of fun. Watch out and note if some dealers are getting slick or not being helpful, because you might have to deal with them again if you have any problems. I ran into a couple of them.  I noted how the speakers would be shipped if not in stock. If you're hours away from the store they can find out for you if the manufacturer will direct ship to your house. Magico will they found out, which is what I'm having done. Hope this helps.

Mike

skyscraper,
I'm in a similar situation to yours when you started this thread (looking to upgrade speakers with a max $10K budget), and so have followed your journey with great interest and have learned a great deal from all the discussions, especially as my knowledge about high-end audio is quite limited.  
I don't mean to re-open the discussion, but wondered if you'd be willing to share: (a) the list of the 11 speakers that were on your long shortlist, and (b) whatever template (set of questions/criteria/whatever) you used to make comparison notes on speakers.
[In case this is relevant context: I only recently auditioned my first (for me) high-end speakers (GoldenEar Triton Reference), wasn't very impressed by the improvement over my current GE Triton 7's + Hsu Research subwoofer, and so am going down the rabbit-hole, and thinking about many of the same speakers you were.  But auditioning for me will require many separate trips over an extended period of time, as I'm in a small midwest town, and different speakers are carried by numerous different dealers scattered in a 3-4 hour radius.]

Thanks,
otinkyad

Neal, thanks for the advice. I did recently end up getting the Luxman 507uX Mark II with 210 watt per channel into 4 ohms which I hope should be sufficient to drive them. That adventure was documented on my recent amp thread which ended up morphing into a speaker cables thread. I did call Krell which Magico recommended prior to settling on the Luxman. Magico is currently demoing at shows with the Luxman 509(?), I think, which is one model higher up their line of integrated amps.

I looked up a review of your Audience 24SX cables. Sounds like you made a good choice there, although one that’s unfortunately over twice my $1000 budget. Magico recommended Audioquest Rocket 88’s, and MIT or Transparent speaker cables. I might end up with the Rocket 88’s because Magico uses them at their show demos, or their next one up their line, Castle Rocks, if I can find a pair used for the same money.

I’m looking forward to their arrival in February, but not to having to haul both upstairs. Glad to hear you like your’s. I’ve been researching Shunyata and Audioquest power conditioners to give them a yet cleaner, noise free sound. Take it easy,

Mike

Names2, I’ll check out your site.

Omargaffar, sounds like you’ll have a great sounding system with all those goodies. Any idea when your are supposed to arrive?

Inna, thanks for the info on the LAST record treatmnet..

Mike

Skyscraper,
As one of the earliest purchasers and recipients of the A3's, may I offer a few suggestions to maximize their startling sound quality:
1. They take a long time to break in -- 100-200 hours -- so be patient if they don't sound as good as they did in the showroom. They will, if not better.2. They have deep, taut and musical bass, but you need an amp with the "cojones" to bring out and control that bass. I use a Krell FPB 300cx, which certainly does the trick. I would look to the used market for this amp or its equivalent. Don't stint on quality power.
3. They are sensitive to speaker cable. I use Audience AU 24 SX cables and they interact well with the speakers. I am about to substitute my old Nordost Valhallas and check out how they sound, but I expect they will be too "hot." I would characterize the A3's as "lively" speakers, which is not to say any frequency range is emphasized, only that they are not "laid back."4. Though they weigh 110 lbs. each and are a (grizzly) bear to move, speaker placement and toe-in make a dramatic difference in their sound. Find  a strong helper and experiment until you get the sound you like; you spent a lot of money on the speakers and it will be well worth the effort.
Enjoy. I am still discovering the A3's wonders. With the present aluminum tariffs, I do not see how Magico can hold the price on these, which are a fantastic audio bargain to begin with.

Neal

skyscraper

Thanks for the update. Luxman is gaining serious ground here in the U.S.
I would not mind getting an audition myself.  Happy Listening!

Hello. I know how important listen to quality music even you on a trip. I use one site https://www.bestadvisor.com/best-computer-speakers . There you can choose and buy a speaker. This site has different kinds of it. And about the price, very wide choice.

As a bonus, records treated with LAST sound a touch better. This is a good test for your system and your hearing. I only treat records that I play quite often, once a month is often enough.

I like Needle Doctor and Elusive Disc more, Music Direct okay.

Congrats, skyscraper. I have A3’s on order, too. I’m pairing them with Odyssey Khartago monoblocks and a Rogue tube preamp for a bit of analog magic. Sources are a Clearaudio Concept turntable through a Musical Surroundings Nova ii and a Bluesound Node through an Arcam irDAC. My rig already sounds great to my ears, and I suspect the A3’s will be spectacular. 

Mike, I think I got 60 records or so out of the smallest bottle.

Inna I read a Stereophile review of the LAST record preservative. Very interesting. About how many records can you treat with one bottle of LAST? Music Direct claims you can clean 80-90 albums with one bottle, but they sell three different size bottles and don't specify which one they're referring to.

Mike

Thanks Glupson,. Your post was a pleasure to read. Like you, I do like the retro looks of the Luxman. And who wouldn’t love those big old VU meters. The Luxmans are solidly constructed as well. The quality control is obvious inside and out and bodes well for how well the Luxman should stand up over time. The aluminum clad Magico’s looked solid as a rock too. Which Luxman amp do you have?

You were exactly right about streaming only audio stores. They must be doing well to afford to turn away analog fans.

I can’t wait until February either to hook those Magico’s up either. Gives me something to look forward to.

Please feel free to chime in on my other thread. I need to be enlightened on modern audio cables, where that thread on amps has ended up landing. I’ve been sorry to discover my retro zip cords just aren’t cutting it anymore. Take care,

Inna, you are correct, My old Dahlquist DQ10’s will get a few months of high quality input, before they’re supplanted.

Mike

He can start making his new amp work right away - he's got speakers and cd player. 

skyscraper,

Thanks for your trip report. I guess we all felt like we were getting ready for the road trip with you and are now happy when the mission has been accomplished. You are making me want to go and audition Magicos which no review so far has incited me to do. And all the reviews were really good.

I am with you on being cautious about products from China but will echo whoever mentioned that Revels are from Indonesia. I have no idea what that practically means and I think Magicos are obvious better choice in your case (don't you see how happy you already are and you do not even have them yet?), but I do have Revels although 208 and not 228. No quality issues whatsoever. Everything seems to be done as good as it gets. I did audition 228 recently and they are even better when it comes to build. And sound, of course. I am writing this just in case someone is looking for speakers and having similar doubts. And I dismissed Sonus-Fabers as a piece of low quality junk (build, not sound). I am sure Magicos are in their own league, though. Congrats!

Being 66, you will love your Luxman. Admit it, you liked the looks. I confess, I have one, too and it hit the receptor that still has Rotel RA-414 of my childhood carved as "the amplifier". Decent sound does not hurt, either, but I just love looking at it while it is playing.

In some crazy self-indulgent way, I am glad you found my warnings about streaming true (I was the one who repeatedly mentioned that "problem" earlier in the thread). The dealer you had bad experience with is the one that made me decide to let you know about it in the first place. Well, I did not buy from them, either.

How do you manage to wait until February? You even have a new amplifier. You are way more stoic than many of us would be in your shoes, I guess. I will follow your other thread and chime in if there is something useful I think I could contribute.

Congratulations again!

Inner sleeves are by MA Recordings. You, of course want to put your just cleaned records in new clean inner sleeves. You only need to LAST records once, this stuff has been proven by many for 30 years or so.

Bjesien, Thank you. I’ve Magico A3 speakers on back order, due in this coming February. I’ll hook the Luxman up to my old Dahlquist DQ10’s in the meantime. I’ll post how it sounds when the Magico’s arrive for sure. I spoke to a Luxman tech today who informed me they are using the Magico A3’s to demo their amps at audio shows. I was pleased to hear that, so they should be nicely matched.

Inna, thanks for the advice on record cleaners. The salesperson who sold me the Luxman recommended the Okki Nokki too. I do have 99% of my records in soft plastic, not sure if they are Mylar, inner sleeves. They probably do all need a good washing though, since they’ve been around for so long, even if they have been treated well. I’ll have to get some of the Lyra stylus cleaner you recommend. I ran out of stylus cleaner many years ago and have been dry brushing since. I might have used rubbing alcohol once or twice on my B&O’s stylus. Also I accidentally located my Zerostat antistatic gun that’s been missing for a decade or so, so I’ll start using that again too.

Mike

Skyscraper congratulations on the Luxman Magico combo, it will sound very nice.  I see you picked up the amp, do you have any speakers to hook it up to?  I didn't read the whole thread so assume you do and it would be nice to get your impression on the Luxman.  Enjoy!

And, yes, after you have cleaned a record, though it may look dry, you better air dry it for 25-30 minutes just to be on the safe side. Turn a coffee mug over, put it on the table and place a record on it ! Make sure it is clean and dry not to damage the label.
When vacuuming off do two and half revolutions at a time, no more or you can damage the machine and get static on your records. 

Mike, in the mean time one thing you could do is to clean your records. The best value with excellent results is Okki Nokki $500 cleaning machine with Audio Intelligent fluids. You will want solution #15 - precleaner followed by three step cleaning solutions - enzyme, archivist formulation and pure water. Also get MA Recordings inner sleeves directly from them and four Disc Doctor brushes - one for each fluid. Ultrasonic machines could get you a little further but they are not necessary and expensive.
The key to really clean records is soaking them with #15, then enzyme, then archivist solution. And the last step is double water rinse, yes double or triple. Soak for 5-7 minutes with each fluid except water, vacuum off. Repeat if the records were very dirty to begin with. Last step is always water rinse, this is very important. When spreading fluids do five revolutions clockwise, then five revolution counterclockwise, then again five revolutions clockwise. Not too much fluids but not too little, you'll figure it out.
Also get Japanese mylar outer sleeves. I also treat all my records with LAST record preservative, after cleaning. You can do it on the machine too - three revolutions counterclockwise.
It sounds very labor intensive but it is not that bad, and you don't have to do it often. I personally clean records with three steps after 10-15 plays, I use #15 precleaner only once. In addition get Lyra stylus cleaner, great stuff. Clean the stylus before playing each side or at least before playing each record. Besides good sound it will significantly prolong the life of both stylus and records. Be careful with stylus cleaning, back to forth gentle motions under adequate lightening conditions. Really clean records is big system upgrade. Pay no attention to how records look, you can't see dirt in the grooves, clean them all equally well.

Ozzy, when researching tubes versus solid state amp for the Magico A3's I've  found opinions all over the place. I've read where people point out the Magico A3's perform well, and may even have been designed utilizing solid state amps. Alon Wolf does recommend the solid state Hegel H360 to go with them.

On the other hand, I've read that the A3's are not "warm" sounding and would definitely benefit from pairing with a tube amp. I'd be interested in hearing what your opinion is if you demo your Carver Raven 350 tube amp with them. I ended up purchasing a Luxman 507ux Mark II solid state integrated amp to go with them since Mr. Wolf had recommended the solid state Hegel integrated. But I did not demo a tube amp with them and would have liked to have in retrospect. (I didn't get the higher output Hegels themselves because I mistrust Chinese manufacturing practices.)

I looked up your Ravens and they were listed as providing 400 watts into 4 ohms which is well above the 50-300 watts into 4 ohms impedance that Magico recommends for the A3's, and exactly the maximum output of the Hegel H360's. (My Luxmans max out at 210 watts into 4 ohms) So you would think they'd have enough juice to power the Magicos, but maybe other factors are just as important.  I really don't know. 

I'll bet your Raven 350's will last forever. My Carver designed Phase Linear equipment is still running strong after forty years and my sisters all-Carver outfit the same. Good luck and happy hunting. Keep us posted.

Mike

skyscraper, yyzsantabarbara,

Thanks for the reply. I agree that the grills look quite nice. 
First I need to hear the speakers, I also want to hear the Focal Sopra 3's,  the dealer I'm going to has both on display.

If both speakers are impressive, then the following weekend I will bring my Bob Carver Raven 350 tube amps to try with them. 
I am a bit concerned with both of these speakers impedance and whether they will work well with tube amps.

ozzy

Ozzy, I was informed they should be in February when I got them a couple of weeks ago. Apparently they’re selling quite well which is a good sign I suppose. I paid one half down on them.

Where will you be going to hear them? I was fortunate that the dealer I went to had the optional grills so I could see them. They look nicer with them if you can afford the $600 up charge. I bet you’ll like the A’3’s. I honestly liked them more than some other more expensive speakers I’ve heard. Very revealing, exacting sound with a tight punch that sets them apart. I’m no reviewer, but you’ll see when you listen to them. Only my uneducated taste though. Have fun.

Mike

@ozzy I also did a recent road trip and decided to buy the A3. I did not order it, I will order in early 2019. I doubt a full payment is required. My dealer had none in stock.

I was going to get Mark Levinson 585 to power it but now will switch to the Lynngdorf 3400 because I will need room correction. Never heard the Lyngdorf but the ML 585 is great with the A3.

Please post your opinions on the demo and the amplification used.

In my demo I heard the following with the A3:

1) Mark Levinson 523/536 - Fantastic sound
3) Mark Levinson 585 - Really good sound
3) Benchmark AHB2 + DAC3L - Very good but not at 585 level

skyscraper,

How long will it take for the A3's to arrive?
Also, did you have to pay in full in advance? I hate that.
I'm going to audition them this Saturday.

Thanks,
ozzy

Thanks Chrissain. I would have liked to have heard the Revel’s. I read very good reviews on them too. We both made good choices. 

Mike

No you didn't say that, someone else on the thread did that. Sorry for the confusion. Revel has their own factory in Indonesia, so the quality control is very high. I have heard nothing but great things about Magico s3 speakers so congrats on your purchase, they look awsome.