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Auditioned Magico A3 - VERY DARK...

So today after waiting for months to try and listen to the Magico A3, I went to Scott Walker audio at Anaheim and listened to the Magico A3, connected to some VAC Tube amp, being fed from a Sony audio streamer, here are my impressions:

- They look fantastic, I wish they made them in silver too, but they are just great in brush black aluminum
- They're quite small and could fit everywhere
- Fit and finish is impecable
- The bass they generated was nothing but amazing for such a small cabinet, you could hear the drums, the down beats and incredible depth of bass at an amazing level
- Imaging was INSANE, you could literally place everyone and everything...
- Sound was VERY VERY DARK!!! This was a bit of a surprise, the top end lacked for my taste to a quite a degree
- I felt like the combo of the Tube amp and Magico lacked resolution, while bass and mid was great, the top end absolutely lacked resolution
- The sound was extremely laid back, again dark
- It does NEED POWER, like he had to crank the volume up, to get good sound out of this, so be aware of that

Overall, I "personally" did NOT like the sound, it lacked details and resolution at the top end, while it was great at the bottom end.  Now, the rep and I think this is mostly due to Tube amp, and connecting it to a solid state amp would bring back resolution, but we simply didn't have time to do that today.  I look forward to listen to these at another time with some decent solid-state amp, but as-is, I was NOT as impressed as I expected and wouldn't have purchased one and I strongly believe Tube and Magico A3 do NOT go well together! 

Anyone else with similar impressions?! Curious to know what others may think, or maybe there was something else in play?

Thoughts?
alexb76

Showing 3 responses by jkscherk

jkscherk
43 posts
 
As another actual A3 owner, I'd also attest to the POV that they are not dark at all.  As one other member said, they do not have a tipped up high-end of the spectrum to make them sizzle like many of their peers do that get much of the attention and adulation.  Those might be great to make you take notice, but listening to them for extended sessions will make your ears hurt.  I can listen to the A3s for hours.  I've gone through lots of speaks from conventional drivers to planars to electrostatics.  So far these to me are the best balanced transducer I have found.  Anyone shopping in this price range should try to give them a listen;  but make sure they are broken in and have a well-matched setup upstream.  That doesn't necessarily mean high $!

I have seen a common theme of people hearing them with Constellation gear and coming away with that 'dark' sound feeling.  I wonder if that's a bad pairing?  
jkscherk
43 posts
 
I am really looking forward to what the setup at Axpona is going to sound like.  I'm sure they'll have some A3s around there somewhere.  Those rooms are notoriously bad so it will be good to see how they interact.  I'm still lovin' mine!  :-)
jkscherk
43 posts
 
If it come into play, and I'm sure it does, I am using the just released Peachtree Nova 500 integrated.  Gobs of power and very neutral-sounding unit.
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