Magico S3 NFS Spinorama and comparison to Revel F228Be

[MarkS]

I had the opportunity to listen to their setup in München a few days ago. It was the S3 + the S-Sub MK II, I think.

It was far from the worst sounding room and far from the most expensive.

Now there's something for Magico's marketing materials: "It was far from the worst sounding"!

 

[Axo1989]

Now there's something for Magico's marketing materials: "It was far from the worst sounding"!

Haha, works for me, we Australians go for understatement.

 

[MrOtto]

"2-way and a sub, that's not a concept we support. Too big of a bridge to cover properly. Fullrange and sub, yes, by all means."

 

[AudioJester]

Epic.

My dad was a German solider in WW2. He shot down a P-51 that had strafed his regiment in Normandy commanding a flak in a suicidal way (which he clearly survived, even though he admitted he was entirely intending to die in that battle-lust moment). He lovingly built P-51 models for the rest of his life, I have vivid memories of assisting him - those were quality time moments between dad and son. It got him the Iron Cross first class, which he exchanged for 2 or 3 potatoes with a GI while on the POW boat to Canada. He never moved back to Germany after WW2.

Our P-51 models did win a prize or two in those model competitions. I don't know why but typing this made me shed a tear. Those guys were something else. He did meet the P-51 pilot (he did bail out and was fine, even though lost a foot - my dad lost an eye) after WW2 and they became life-long friends. RIP, guys. In a twist of fate, they died within 48 hours of each other.

Wow, what a story.
How did they find each other?

 

[ahofer]

comparison between a Magico A5 and Revel F228Be

Jeez, only like a $15,000 premium on the Magico to the Revels. Better be superior. I wonder why they didn't compare the 328 (which is still cheaper)

 

[Sal1950]

Jeez, only like a $15,000 premium on the Magico to the Revels. Better be superior. I wonder why they didn't compare the 328 (which is still cheaper)

Since there are small measurable differences between all speakers, no matter the cost, I believe we've entered well past the point of diminishing returns. Unless you have a really large room and/or desire high playback SPL's, it can be very hard to justify the cost of many speakers once you get past something like a $1000 or so a piece level.
JMHO

 

[pablolie]

Wow, what a story.
How did they find each other?

Something made me look this up again, and I thought I had answered the question, but didn't. German military was known to document stuff extremely thoroughly, especially when awarding high-ish decorations to lower ranks. My dad got the iron cross first class for that action. Cost him 2 or more extra years in prisoner camp (I think he wasn't released until the end of 1948) and he had traded the decoration for food and some cigarettes right away anyhow. The Mustang pilot (I know I have his name somewhere, because his daughter wrote a letter to my Dad to announce he had passed - pretty much at the same time) however sought him out based on that after the war, he was stationed in Europe. They met in the 1970s in the Normandy after having written notes to each other a few times.
My dad refused to move back to Germany after the war, other than to visit his mom a few times.

 

[fpitas]

Fascinating story!

 

[Justdafactsmaam]

Wish all audiophiles would have experienced at least once a good multichannel setup, then they would know what they are missing. By the way due to current space limitations I also just have stereo systems but I also know what I would do if I had the choice.

Where can we experience a *good* multichannel setup? Honest question. So far all of my experiences with Dolby Atmos setups (including a half million dollar Focal system) have been less than convincing. Way less. Is there any place in Las Vegas or Los Angeles where one can audition state of the art multichannel?

 

[Anton D]

Something made me look this up again, and I thought I had answered the question, but didn't. German military was known to document stuff extremely thoroughly, especially when awarding high-ish decorations to lower ranks. My dad got the iron cross first class for that action. Cost him 2 or more extra years in prisoner camp (I think he wasn't released until the end of 1948) and he had traded the decoration for food and some cigarettes right away anyhow. The Mustang pilot (I know I have his name somewhere, because his daughter wrote a letter to my Dad to announce he had passed - pretty much at the same time) however sought him out based on that after the war, he was stationed in Europe. They met in the 1970s in the Normandy after having written notes to each other a few times.
My dad refused to move back to Germany after the war, other than to visit his mom a few times.

I really want to thank you for posting your story.

Those times are unimaginable, to me. The humanity that emerged for your dad and that pilot are reassuring.

I still can't believe the ceasefire of Christmas, 1914 happened, and the war was allowed to continue.

We see so many 'reunions' of previous combatants who shed their opposition to become close - a fantastic thing.

Thank you again.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Exactly zero of the ~500 recordings I own (on CD and LP) were recorded multi-channel.

Toole may like the gimmick of upmixing, but I have no interest in bothering with it.

Better read the link. Fascinating.

 

[617]

Just when I thought the discourse on asr couldn't get any stupider

Can we please get back to 'transient response'

 

[Champster]

The Magico S3 would be amazing if I had the coin for it to replace my salon2. But honestly, I’d rather just keep my speakers and buy a new car .

That’s exactly what I just did and took delivery of my new Tesla the same week. Life is good… Don’t hate on me.

 

[Titurel]

And as a jazz and classical music lover, I have never ever, not once, sat in the *middle* of the band or orchestra.

I spent most of my professional career in the midst of performances, in the back of, in the middle of, and immediately in front of the orchestra or band - facing the audience. I have never heard any system mono, stereo, or mult-channel that came remotely close to recreating that (aural) experience, nor a system which recreated my experience when sitting in the audience. It would be like comparing apples to hamburgers to bourbon. I enjoy all of them but would have little trouble telling one from the other.

Extending the logic of upmixing promoters, it might be difficult to appreciate jazz fully without a miasma of cigarette smoke.

 

[Lsc]

That’s exactly what I just did and took delivery of my new Tesla the same week. Life is good… Don’t hate on me.

That is awesome! I have actually been eyeing Tesla lately especially with the gas prices being what they are.

 

[YSC]

The comparisons only matter if the person who is interested in buying speakers consider both active and passive. This whole “you don’t know what you are missing” is a bit cliche and unnecessary imho. Every thread turns into this….actives may be better but I’m getting too old to hear the difference anyway. The Magico S3 would be amazing if I had the coin for it to replace my salon2. But honestly, I’d rather just keep my speakers and buy a new car .

Sadly we are not the target for the Magico, their audience don't have to choose between the S3, a (few) hyper cars and some yachts, they have all of those easily

 

[traind]

Sadly we are not the target for the Magico, their audience don't have to choose between the S3, a (few) hyper cars and some yachts, they have all of those easily

Magico S3s are certainly high priced and I am skeptical they offer noticeable additional sound quality in a typical home vs measurement led designs priced significantly lower. However, their $50k usd pricing per pair does not require a hypercar or yacht owner to purchase. If they clearly demonstrated superior sound to lower priced options then an economically successful enthusiast of much more moderate means might go for them instead of buying a new truck for $65k+.

 

[Tovarich007]

Magico S3s are certainly high priced and I am skeptical they offer noticeable additional sound quality in a typical home vs measurement led designs priced significantly lower. However, their $50k usd pricing per pair does not require a hypercar or yacht owner to purchase. If they clearly demonstrated superior sound to lower priced options then an economically successful enthusiast of much more moderate means might go for them instead of buying a new truck for $65k+.

I completely agree with your skeptiscism about a real superiority of the Magico vs. the Revel.
Anyway, they're both very good. The build quality of the Magico is second to none (not sur all this massive aluminium is necessary) and they're made in the U.S. by a small independent company, which can partly explain the difference in price.
I agree also when you write it's no need to be billionnaire to buy a pair.
Of course, you need to have very comfortable earnings.
And preferably, you have to be a real music lover and a fan of audio technics to fully appreciate this kind of speaker and put some substancial savings on such a buy ; it's always a pain for me to know that some very rich people buy luxury things only to show off their social and financial status if they don't know nothing serious about music and audio.

 

[Axo1989]

Magico S3s … If they clearly demonstrated superior sound to lower priced options then an economically successful enthusiast of much more moderate means might go for them instead of buying a new truck for $65k+.

I don’t need that caveat to prefer Magicos to a new truck or Tesla (or the worst of both, a Cybertruck).

 

[Digital_Thor]

I always find that the Magico speakers have a 'sound' to them... Like a signature something.
Once I measured the Q7 and noticed they do something with the cross over between midrange and tweeter, which sounds a tiny bit like you listen to a speaker where they maybe crossed the speaker a bit too low or the midrange has a bit of break-up. I've noticed that a bit with bigger Focals too.
Listening to the new Magico in Vienna this year... There's a hint of that same sound.... Almost like they want you to notice that you are listening to a Magico. With limited possibilities to actually measure them personally, it's difficult to pinpoint what it is.
Great speakers for sure.... But I'm never going to have a chance having one anyway.