Is neither an option?
I don't like ports anymore, so no to Joseph Audio and I don't recommend low efficiency of Magico. (I wouldn't buy metal in any case).
I recommend selecting high efficiency speakers, to keep power needs minimized, to keep options to try tubes affordable.
If you know your power needs are going to be smaller, reducing amp cost, that gives you more money to spend on speakers, by far the most important choice. |
Magico A3 by a fair margin as long as you have the power. If you want to go loud on limited power then Klipsch Cornwall III's |
MAGICO A3s are a great sounding speaker however this being said you need top flight amp, preamp and great copper cables.Great cables are Furutech or Purist copper.Enjoy whatever you get there is usually a wait of at least several months on MAGICO.
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https://youtu.be/Ma7dvPyr5T0Read more about these, I've never liked a speaker as much. Had a wilson, a focal, a bunch of other speakers (not top of the lines but still). These need little power, so natural/neutral sounding, will fill your room with amazing sound provided its not super huge (up to 40m2), they have very decent bass even they are single drivers! |
navyachts What amp do you have nobody knows yet, this should be the first criteria, before any suggestions are made. As the Magico’s need an amp with guts (current) as they are 3ohms in most of the bass/upper bass and also 3ohms in the upper mids. https://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/508Magfig1.jpgWhere the Perspectives are an easy load and don’t need a muscle amp. https://www.stereophile.com/images/614Jopefig1.jpgNot to say you need a lot of watts with the Magico’s at 87db a 100w will do, but it need to be a muscular amp that can do current into 2ohms to be comfortable. The Perspectives how ever are an easy load, but are only 84db and would like an amp of 150w or more, but it can be a light weight mosfet, tube or even a Class-D, my preference in that order. Cheers George |
Speakers first, equipment to follow.
Thanks so far. |
Navy,
I assume you have heard them both?
I have had the Pulsars in my home but the only
time I heard Magicos was at shows where they sounded
clean but uninvolving. i.e did not draw me in.
The Pulsars, on the other hand are a speaker I loved.
They work well in a smaller or medium-sized room
and make some bass too.
Are you secure enough with yourself to consider a no-name?
If so look at Fritz. $3500 may be as good as the Joseph. I only
think this. No personal experience.
Keep us posted on your progress.
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If you go the Klipsch route, the Cornwall IV would be my recommendation, as a significant upgrade over the IIIs, which I think, mijostyn might have meant. |
Raven Audio CeLest towers. www.ravenadio.combought these on a lark due to the 45 day trial. After recovering from Covid-19 and the CeLest stayed in the Sonus Faber Olympica II went in the kids game room. |
I have heard neither, I am only relying on the opinions, experiences and good faith of people here on these forums, of which I totally respect. Like most people, I don’t think there is a lot of opportunity to hear the multitude of speakers that are out there on the market. That is unless you want to purchase online and start doing 30 day trials, but if you don’t hit it right on the first or second try, it’s going to cost you an awful lot of money in return shipping. I’m totally open to suggestions but from what I’ve read here is the Joseph Audio Perspective’s and Magico A3’s seem to be highly touted by the mass majority, as being excellent sounding speakers. Spending less would be great but that will bring on 20 or more suggestions of other speakers that I will have never have a chance to listen to. If some of those choices are comparable to the aforementioned in SQ bring them on.
Of course there’s the associated equipment, but again, as outlined in many a forum here, it seems advisable to pick your speakers first and then match the amplification and accessories as such. We’ll save that for Part II.
A quick sidenote, Tekton comes in highly regarded as well as Magnepan but I was trying to keep away from such imposing speakers.
Also prefer no subs, so something with good bass reproduction.
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Interesting skypunk, I was also looking at the Raven speakers which are offered in a bundle with their Nighthawk MK3 integrated amp for under $7000. There are very few reviews though regarding the Celest towers. Only yours and one other here on Audiogon.
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I have heard the Magicos with a £30k Krell preamp. Seemed fine, but as someone on here has written - not too involving. I put my own research company, TrueFidelity £8k, preamp in and it blew the socks off the Krell. Looked inside the Krell, and the big box was crammed with unnecessary and interfering rubbish.
So again - as is written above - it depends what you want to drive your Magicos with. Overall I considered it to be a very competent speaker, but expected much more for the price
If someone said they would swap the Magicos for my B&W 800d3s I would need a serious dosh of money coming my way! And then I would swap them out ....... But Magico owners still like them, so as usual it is personal listening preferences and budgets |
I would second @skypunks recommendation to take a look at Raven Audio - their Avian series amps are outstanding and at the price point you're looking at, the Corvus Reference Monitors would be very hard to beat. They have a 45 day trial period and if you don't like them, send them back. |
elliottbnewcombjr - Is neither an option? Your suggestions? chorus- Thumbs up on Fritz but I don't think he offers a floorstanders. contuzzi - Neither? And your suggestions?
Really good & interesting comments by the others, thank you. |
JA Perspectives , listening to them now and acoustic instruments sound like they should as if I'm sitting in the hall listening to them play. |
I have heard Magico A3s and Joseph Audio Pulsars on a few occasions in a few different systems at audio shows. Magicos, to me, sound a touch antiseptic--not involving. The Pulsars were transparent, dynamic, colorful and truly wonderful speakers. If the Perspectives are anything like the Pulsars--I would run to the Perspectives and not look back. |
What size room and what flavor music? Then whats your budget for components. Sometimes a sealed box will give you better bass, but a bigger room might need more. |
Yes, I mean't the most recent version of the Cornwall. I have heard the 3's and everyone says the 4's are even better. If you love tube amps these are tops. Add two subwoofers (or more) and you will have a system that will loaf along at concert levels with representative low end which is critical for the "live" effect. |
I have heard both, although with different equipment. If I had to choose between these two, I'd pick the Joseph Audio over the Magico. |
I got to hear my music on both the Q7s and the Perspectives in different systems. Obviously the Q7s are much more speaker and I respected them a lot for what they could do, but I loved the sound and expressiveness of the Perspectives more. For me, I think there’s something about that JA crossover that just draws me in like no other speaker. But that’s me. I think the Vandy Quatro is also worthy of strong consideration in this price range. Best of luck.
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I love the pulsars and perspectives; some of my favorite speakers in fact. I have heard both and they draw me (and many others) in like few other speakers can. With that in mind, the Fritz Carrera BE’ are a match sonically and are very handsome (more so in person than in photos. It would be wise of you to strongly consider them. You might be able to demo a pair and then if you fall for them like I did, have Fritz build you a pair in any finish that you heart desires. You could go all out on an an exotic finish and still be well under what the Joseph Audio’s would cost you.
I agree with Chorus about Magico; clean sounding but not involving. |
Wow, such great input so far, thanks all! |
you know your room, tastes, budget, so I give advice regarding functions and features.
also I'm 71, semi-retired age 62, fully retired 65, so I have not heard much new stuff in many years. So it is 'ideas' and other active members, and use specs to guide you to an audition.
I'm all set with a wonderful pair of very efficient speakers from 1956, horn tweeters and horn mids, 15" woofers restored cones, custom rosewood enclosure. R2R been done, spare deck in a box. I did change back from McIntosh SS to tubes early last year, and upgraded my turntable recently, now I am done until ....
even an audition, so much is variable, if I zeroed in on something, and I could return/exchange something, I wouldn't let a less than ideal listen in a showroom be the final determinant. at a certain point you get an instinct about showrooms, sales persons, iow, it would be a shame to miss something great because of .....
I don't like ports, I would rather see a full range if the room size and budget allows, or a very nice pair with no real low bass, coupled with a stereo pair of self-powered subs, located with the small mains, front firing. bass is, and bass overtones are directional.
you want the signal split at a crossover in the sub or before the sub, so no low bass is sent to your main amp and the mains don't try to make low bass. then adjust, move, get it right in the room. For my small home theater, I have a single self powered sub adding dinosaur stomp of Jurassic Park, otherwise the mains handle full range. It is amazing how often I need to put my AV receiver back to DIRECT (often 2 channel), the cable providers send weird mixes, receivers make up surround, the import of this is, the 2 channel original very often sounds best, so, your home theater mains want to be full range, enough clean ballanced bass for most video.
so, efficient speakers to reduce your power needs. self-powered sub to reduce your power needs. crossover to take bass load away from main amp and main speakers.
that sets you up to afford a moderate size tube amp, a wonderful thing. |
Lots of opinions, but hardly any firsthand experience. I have the Magico A3 for almost two years now. The A3’s are superb, but if you are like so many here who prefer colored sound, and that is fine, you may want to go elsewhere. You need to try and listen yourself, objectively at their price they are unbeatable.
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