Yes,
Jonathan Valin mentioned the Q3 on a TAS conference call last night. It will be launched at CES and he speculates that the pricing will be in the low $30Ks. I agree with the suggestions that they will phase out all wooden enclosures for an all aluminum full line of speakers in the future.
Who knows about a Qmini in the future. It could be a very nice speaker in the $20K range. |
It's funny how the Q3 resembles my old Eggleston Rosa which I replaced with the Mini II. The Egglestons had a similar aesthetic to the Q3 - black floor standing monoliths (granite sides) with five drivers on the front baffle,. They were narrow and deep and sloped back. I liked the look, but prefer the look of the Mini IIs. Now that I'm living with the smaller wooden cabinet Mini in my formal living room, it will be hard to go back to a black monolithic look. Of course, sonics trumps aesthetics, so time will tell. |
Scar972,
I also love the wood/aluminum look. If you have heard the V2 and V3 and like their looks and love the way they sound in your system, you should go out a buy a pair while they are still available. I almost bought a pair of V2's until I heard my Mini IIs.
I agree with Ebm, the Mini is wonderful, it's just very expensive. The V series will be replaced, it is just a matter of when. You should be able to save some money by finding a good deal on a used or demo pair, especially once the new Q's arrive. |
This Q1 may only be an early design. It sure is a departure, aesthetically. |
I own the Mini II and love its look and sound. I remember reading all about how important the massive base and the unique three roller bearing coupling between the speaker and base are to its sonics. The top plate is angled at precisely 17 degrees, weighs 110 lbs etc. etc. That base is really is a thing of beauty, is very massive and is very effective sonically.
I guess Magico discovered a way to get better sound with a more typical stand bolted to a bookshelf speaker aesthetic. Or, they will be much less difficult to manufacture and should therefore be less costly. I think the wooden cabinets were very expensive to build and not quite as stable a material as all aluminum.
I'd love to hear a pair and know what they will cost. |
I've never heard the Stenheim monitor. It could be a wonderful sounding speaker. This thread is about the Magico Q1 and it's aesthetics. The Stenheim actually looks like a similar aluminum box, though I have not seen an image of its stand. The design philosophies however seem very different - sealed vs ported, difficult load vs easier load, bass extension, perhaps internal bracing/damping? How much do the Stenheim's cost and have you actually heard the Q1 (or Mini II) to make your assertion that they "totally destroy every Magico and YGA"?
The Magico owners I have met did audition their speakers and probably read the reviews, too. I heard the Mini in three systems before I bought mine and yes the reviews are excellent. Congratulations on your new speakers. Nice plug. |
Mover,
I'm sorry, but this is a thread about the new Magico Q1. It is not a plug for Magico by Magico owners. If you want to compare small all-aluminum monitor speakers, could you please start another thread? Thanks. |
Newton,
That is an interesting proposal, but I think Magico is committed to phasing out the wood. It is too expensive and unstable a material. I would have loved to see a Mini III with the new tweeter and a modified crossover in the same cabinet. Or an all aluminum Q1 with proportions like the Mini II, just with flat sides and the same stand in all black aluminum with rectangular top and bottom plates, curved in front to match the baffle. In other words, a massive mini Q1 with the curved baffle and inset drivers of the Q3/5 but retaining the scale of the original Mini without the horizontal curves. The Q1 just seems too small. But the sonics may be tremendous. Time will tell. |
Lapaix,
This is all hearsay, and is mostly conjecture on my part, but I heard from a fellow Magico Mini II owner who was told by a dealer that Wolf had a quality control issue with the Birch ply enclosures. The top veneer cracks at the inside corners where it meets the aluminum baffle. I have seen this on two Mini's and apparently the dealer had to send back both of his demo pairs for this repair. Mine are fine, and I haven't heard of that happening to others, but Wolf is such a perfectionist, that I can believe something like that would drive him crazy. The horizontal layers also move with temperature changes. I've noticed this on my pair here in the Northeast and I'm sure this happens to all solid wood speakers, MDF less so. I also heard that the wood enclosures are made in Europe at great expense. The aluminum moves also, but less so and I think the costs are lower as it is all made in house now.
I agree with you on the Q1. I love the looks of the other aluminum/wood Magico speakers. |
You are referring to my "Magico diverse and passionate opinions" thread. It drew a lot of responses and got a lot of views. I returned home from the weekend and, poof, it was gone. It must have offended someone, though I thought it provided some pretty interesting information. Isn't the exchange of information what these forums are supposed to be about? |
Holenneck,
Thanks for link. I'm sure the Q1 will sound better than the Mini II. I would be nice if it were also more efficient and costs less.
Has anyone heard the Q3? |
Sirspeedy,
I'm another who agrees with your opinion. I own the Mini II. I love the sound AND the looks. However, there may not be enough people who have heard it or have owned it, for it to be a "true" classic. I'm afraid it is, or was, a true niche product.
Sbrown,
How do you know? |
Sbrown,
This thread is about the replacement for the Magico Mini II. It is called the Magico Q1. The Q1 design has not even been finalized, to my knowledge, let alone released for sale. A very few people have heard the prototype. Where and when have you heard it? Or are you talking about other Magico designs? |
Thanks Chris,
It looks the same as the prototype from CES. I'm curious about the price and what it sounds like. |
It's interesting that there was a lot of written by Magico about the precise 17 degree backward tilt of the Mini to time-align the drivers. The V2 and V3 also tilt back slightly, but the Q1, Q3 and Q5 appear to have vertical front baffles. Also, I wonder if the Q1 will be 90 dB efficient like the Q3.
The Q3 is probably more expensive than the V3 because it has an extra driver and the cabinet is more substantial. That does not seem to be the case with the Q1, so it may be less expensive than was the Mini II. |
Sirspeedy,
Do you mind listing the partnering equipment in that system that you helped set up? Was it the Mini or the Mini II? And you are not alone in thinking the Mini has a great "look". I fully agree, but then I own them. They aren't full range, but in my room they do a great job from 40Hz on up and sound much bigger than one would think. |
I was kind of hoping they would be more efficient, like the Q3 is. They look to be more extended than the Mini II, but almost as difficult a load. Only 120 lbs. |
