Raidho D1 audition



Two weeks ago I have heard the Raidho D1 speakers in a hi-end shop in Amsterdam (A10 audio). Surprisingly, but luckily for me, I was the only one attending the "morning" demonstration. I could listen all the CD that I brought with me sitting in the sweet spot and without any disturbances.

The D1 where driven by the Jeff Rowland Corus preamp and the 625 power amp. There were two CD players hooked up, i.e. the dCS Vivaldy and an EMM labs single box retailing at roughly 30k euros (I did not asked which model it was). The dealer told me that the system was optimized for the dCS player, meaning he has used his most expensive cables costing around 30K euros. He did not mention which brand of cables he used and I did not bother asking as I find it silly to use cables that cost as much as the pre-power combo (we all have our prejudice in this regard).

The D1s sounded certainly nice, very detailed and fast but also with a very full midrange. Resolution-wise, one would have a rather hard time to find speakers that are more transparent in the midrange and highs (IMO of course). Speed-wise, while very fast, the D1s are not as fast as horns or electrostatics. The stereo image and soundstage were quite good (given the fact that the listen room was filled with other electronics and speakers) and together with the very detail and full midrange made for a rather impressive presence of the speaker in the room. That is, voices and most instruments where rendered with full body and size with a confidence typically associated to large speakers (at least in my experience).

I could not really judge the bass output of the D1s, as the room was quite large (given the D1s' size), plus the position of the speakers in the room was not chosen to give the best bass response but rather a good stereo image and soundstage. Nonetheless, it seemed decent. However, given the level of performance in the midrange and high departments, it would be a pity to not add one or two top of the line subwoofers (in fact as many as necessary) to achieve a world class performance also in this department.

I have quite a bit of experience with moderately high priced monitors like Dynaudio C1 (mk 1&2), Focal Micro Be & Diablo, Wilson Duette and Vivid Audio V1.5. Among these monitors, the Focal Diablo sounds the closest to the D1s, i.e. fast and detailed. The Vivid V1.5 has also a similar presentation. While the D1s sounded much better than any of these monitors, I find it hard to say how much better it really is. Not only I have listen these speakers in different system and room and at very different times, but one should not underestimate the effect made by the dCS Vivaldi in the D1 demo I had. (The Vivaldi was a marvelous cd player to say the least, though at 90K euros ones should not be surprised.) Maybe I should also mention here that the dealer told me that in his opinion the D1s are above the Magico Q1 (while being cheaper here in Europe). Since I have never listened the Q1s, I can not make any comment in this regard, but the dealer carries Magico speakers for a long time and has first hand experience with the Q1s.

I would conclude by saying that I was quite impress with the Raidho D1 speakers. 17k euros (including stands) is certainly a lot of money for a monitor with limited bass, but the reality is that 17K represents only a fraction of the price of other expensive monitors, e.g. TAD CR1. (I would be really interested to hear from people who have listen the TAD CR1 monitor and also the Raidho D1s).

Finally, I should acknowledging A10 audio in Amsterdam (www.a10audio.nl) for putting together a very nice demo.
nvp
Nvp,
I had the opportunity to listen to the TAD CR1 monitors last weekend in Bangkok. I had the whole listening room to myself for about an hour. The sound was good but not exceptional. Speed, transparency, detail, imaging and sound stage were all under-performing -- due to the lack of room treatment and the cheap cabling in the system, IMO. The system had low end Nordost and Kimber cabling. I had brought along a cable and a tweak to test and they made a huge improvement in the sound. All parameters took a huge leap forward. I feel that the TADs are capable of producing world class sound with high quality "accessories". Unfortunately, for purposes of comparison, I have not heard the Raidho monitors yet. Maybe soon in Singapore.
Thanks for the write up Nvp.

The listening environment sounds far from ideal, particularly your observations about room size, speaker positioning and the proximity to other loudspeakers. I think it is saying something to come away impressed under such circumstances.

A couple of questions if I may?

First, did the dealer say how he arrived at his opinion that the Raidho D1 was better than the Magico Q1?

Second, do you know how many hours the D1 speaker had been run in for? Deliveries of the D1 have been pretty recent.
A10 Audio was and is not a Magico dealer.
I know the Magico dealer in Amsterdam Concerto Audio very well because I am a client of his shop.
I had the opportunity to listen to both but a Q1 is an other world in my opinion
A10 Audio was and is not a Magico dealer.
I know the Magico dealer in Amsterdam Concerto Audio very well because I am a client of his shop.
I had the opportunity to listen to both but a Q1 is an other world in my opinion
I don't believe A10audio were ever a Magico dealer. The M5 on their web site is a used one (I know, I tried to buy it some time ago).
I've been kindly invited to visit the Raidho facilities in Denmark next week. Hopefully, I'll be able to audition all three speakers from the D-line.
Kiwi_1282001, the dealer told me he has set up Q1 speakers (how often or
how many I do not know). I do not know how many hours the D1s have been
played before the show. I believe the pair belonged to the dutch distributor.
Regarding the room, the situation was certainly not bad, the D1 were out into
the room far from any room boundaries and/or speakers and other
equipments.

Sabai, last year in Munich I was extremely impress with the TAD Evolution
speakers and this under show conditions. I was told that the TAD CR1 are
even better. This is why I am curious about them.

Maxgalla and Windmolen, now that you have mentioned it, I remember
reading on the Concerto Audio's site that they are the only official dutch
dealer for Magico speakers. Since A10 audio has Magico speaker in their show
room for some time now, I did not put much though into this. However, I have
never said that A10 audio is the official Magico dealer. I merely reported what
I was told, i.e. that Alex from A10 audio has first hand experience with the
Magico Q1 speakers.

Windmolen, if you have experience with the two speaker why not elaborate a
bit on the topic. I am sure many (including myself) will be interested in such a
comparison.

Sidekick_i, how does one get to be invited to the Raidho factory? :) Please
report back, here or in a separate thread. Happy listening!

I promise to report back from the Raidho facilities! I'm planning to make a small photo reportage as well.
I know a dealer in US who carries both Magico and Raidho line. His take on the D1 vs Q1 is the D1 is a more refined speaker with better resolution and staging/imaging, and better rendition of timbre and microdynamics. The Q1 is a more balls to the wall kind of speaker that can pressurize a room to a greater extent than the D1. So if you want to rock out, the Q1 may be the speaker for you. If you listen more to jazz, classical, vocals, etc, the D1 has the advantage. But he said you still won't be disappointed with rock on D1 because it will rock when called for.
>>I know a dealer in US who carries both Magico and Raidho line

I will be in the US next month. Can you tell me who the dealer is? I would love to audition them both in the same room.
Hi Nvp,

Dynaudio C1s are my current speakers. I am very interested in the Radho speakers, mainly the C1.1 and C2.1. Would you care to share your thought about comparing the C1, C1 II, and the Raidhos?
I've recently been visiting the Raidho facilities in Aalborg, Denmark.

The day offered a tour including an overview of the Raidho design philosophy and impressive line of production. It's a relatively small company with very ambitious goals combined with skills and craftsmanship of the highest level.

In a relatively ordinary room without any acoustic treatment other than thoughtful proportions and rigid wall structures, the C- and D-series performed in a way that can not be described as anything else but world class. Realistic, homogeneous, balanced, engaging, enfolding and highly musical, where the speakers tend to disappear completely (especially the C- and D monitors). All models played with a very high grade of resolution, with great transparency and realistic dynamics combined with warmth, body and authority that impressed me greatly. The performance was among the best I've ever heard on small-scale music (which I primarily listen to myself ), but they handled complex symphony orchestras and live rock just as easily. The units are also compact and stylish with a finish better than most. I was very, very impressed.
Nvp,
I auditioned the Raidho C1.1 monitors in Singapore last week -- with no room treatment or tweaks. They were stunning. As difficult it is to compare 2 different speakers in 2 different systems, my opinion is that the TAD CR1s I auditioned a few weeks ago in Bangkok are totally outclassed by the Raidhos. The Raidhos are on a whole different level. YMMV.
Hey Sabai, I'm glad you like the Raidhos. I like the Raidho C1.1s a lot, but comparing TAD CR1s to the C1.1s in two completely different systems and drawing a conclusion or opinion is of limited value. I've auditioned both (not in the same system) and prefer the C1.1s, but I don't think CR1s are totally outclassed or on a whole different level.
Dracule1
>>I know a dealer in US who carries both Magico and Raidho line
I will be in the US next month (Actually next week, by now). Can you tell me who the dealer is? I would love to audition them both in the same room.
Dracule1,
I was not making a direct A/B comparison, of course. Just my impressions. For my ears, the TADS do not have the same sound stage/imaging quality of the C1.1s. Which is why I say they are outclassed. The TADs are amazing speakers but the Raidhos do some thing that no other speaker I have ever heard even comes close to achieving.
Hi guys,

I'm sorry for the very late reply.

First I would like to mentioned that I though a bit about the posts of Maxgalla and Windmolen above, and I find them rather dubious. They seems to have subscribed on Audiogon only to point out that A10 Audio in Amsterdam is not an official Magico dealer. Furthermore, the next day after my last post here I got a mail from the dealer (who put together the D1 demo) with details about his experience with the Magico Q1 speakers. Apparently, he has set up (together with the Magico distributor) the Magico Q1 speaker for an audio show using his own electronics (Zanden and Soulution), and also listen to the Q1s more than once in combination with Soulution electronics.

At first I was a bit surprised by this whole turn of events, but then I've realized that Magico speakers are advertised rather aggressively on most of the hi-fi sites I visit. It seems they train their dealers (at least the dutch ones) to be just as aggressive. :)

Coming back on topic, here are my answers to the posts "addressed" to me:

Sidekick_i, thanks for the report about your tour of the Raidho factory. Did you have the chance to compare the D and C monitors. If yes, can you elaborate a bit on the differences?

Sabai and Dracule1, thanks for sharing your experience with the TAD and Raidho speakers. I agree with Dracule1 that comparing two speakers in two different systems that are also in different rooms is of limited value. Unfortunately, often this is the only thing we can do. Also, based on my limited experience with the Raidho D1 and the TAD Evolution speakers, I agree with Dracule1 that the C1.1 (or the D1s for that matter) can not totally outclass the TAD CR1 speakers. In fact, based on the experience I had last year in Munich with the TAD Evolution speakers (hooked up to top of the line TAD electronics) I find it very hard that any system at any price can totally outclass that TAD system. (As mentioned before, the TAD CR1 model is supposed to be better than the Evolution model.)

Wenrhuang, when I had the C1s in my system I have liked them very very much. The two brands have very different presentations, quite opposite IMO. I would call the Raidho presentation transparent, while the Dynaudio presentation dark. IMO the Raidho C and D monitors are much faster and more detailed than the Dynaudio C1, but the Dyns have a more fuller sound. Which one would one prefer is a matter of taste. I should also say that, compared to my current speakers (Avantgarde UNO G2) both my previous monitors (Dynaudio C1 and Focal Micor utopia Be) sounded slow and "boxy" (almost broken). While I did not compared directly the Raidho D1 monitors with my UNOs, my guess is that they will compare better than the Focal Micro Be and the Dynaudio C1.
Daz_bike,
I have no idea. I was so stunned by the sound I didn't bother to look. Makes no difference to me. Like when I heard the Joseph Audio Pulsars. I was so impressed that I bought a pair used. If it weren't for the Raidhos I would not think of giving up the Pulsars.
Sabai, I can't fault you there. The C1.1s are very special indeed. I will be auditioning the D1 soon.
So you're saying the D1 knocks the Pulsars out of the nights sky? ;) I just had a brief audition of the D1s which were just taken out of the box. The only significant difference I hear is the increased bass slam of the D1s. They aren't broken in so I will have reaudition after couple hundred hours of break in.
Nvp,

I tend to agree, it is quite often that a discussion involving Magico turns into mudslinging, but it is hard to keep an honest conversation going when so many posts and opinions about Magico are fabricated out of thin air. Take for example your post, you choose to write “the dealer carries Magico speakers for a long time” when, apparently, this dealer was never a dealer. Or how about Dracule1 here, claiming that he “know a dealer in US who carries both Magico and Raidho” where it looks to me that there are no such dealers in existence (I would like to hear both product at the same room, so I am looking ). I am not sure why so many audiophiles insist of comparing (more like fantasizing) whatever product they seem to like to Magico. Blaming Magico, or its dealers for “aggressively advertising” is a bit ironic, when it was you who actually brought the Magico brand in to the conversation.
Thanks Sabai. Sounds like there was good synergy with whatever system was driving the speakers. Hopefully it wasn't a gazzilon dollars type system ....

Razmika, when one goes to a well organized demonstration into a shop that is stuffed with a lot of expensive electronics (beside the ones demonstrated) and also finds a very friendly and accommodating dealer, one does not ask the dealer whether or not he is an official dealer for all the products that are displayed in the shop (IMO of course). As mentioned before, I have seen Magico speaker in that shop for quite some time now, i.e. 2 years or so.

I do not think I've made any bad comments or untrue, for that matter, about Magico speakers. If anything, I have politely asked the guy who claims that has experience with both speakers (D1 and Q1) to elaborate. I have reopened the discussion about Magico because I have found the situation strange. On the one hand, the two poster mentioned in my previous post subscribed on audiogon only to point out that A10 Audio is not an official Magico dealer, and on the other hand, the dealer who organized the demo was also informed that he is not an official Magico dealer and consequently he wrote me (without being informed by me about my "review") to explain the situation in more details.

I've taken the time to shared me experience here in the hope that other will do the same and we can all have a constructive discussion about the Raidho D1 speakers and maybe also about their direct competition, e.g. Magico Q1, TAD CR1, Raidho C1.1, etc. So, I do not quite understand your tone.

Regarding your visit to USA, you should realize that USA spans almost a third of a continent ...

As a happy owner of D1, the sound change tremendously after 60-70 hours
At first I feel the bass is not tight and the impact is not good,after 50 hours
The bass become clearer but still not tight ,the remaining area are really stunning, after changing IC to HF ct1 from my Manley Chinook to hovland
Hp200 ,source is luxman new TT with dynavector xx1mk2 carts, bass became tight,fast and the impact is real like in my system. Very satisfying.
Just to share my experience.
Nvp,

Thank you so much for your input. It gives me a good understanding of how Raidho would compare with the Dynaudio.

I have been using the Dynaudio C1s in my system for 8 years, I used a Gryphon integrated amp with it originally, and the sound was quite dark and slow. After many changes, now I team the C1s with Linn Solo amplifiers and Crystal cables, and it is now much faster and more neutral. I am thinking there is a risk that if I go with the Raidho speaker, I may need more change in the rest of my system.
Dracule1, how does the C1.1 compare to the D1s? When you mention extra slam, can it be compared to the c2.1s?

Regards,

Boon.
05-25-13: Starfi3ld
Dracule1, how does the C1.1 compare to the D1s? When you mention extra slam, can it be compared to the c2.1s?

Regards,

Boon.

Hi Boon. I may be able to help. I own the Raidho C-1.0 and the Raidho D-2 and have auditioned the C-1.1 and D-1. I have highlighted the differences between the C-1.1 and the D-1 in my Blog
WRONG Razmika ...... there is a dealer in Coral Gables, FL (Audio Salon) who is authorized to carry both Raidho and Magico.
>>WRONG Razmika ..
Mmmm... I looked in to that. At the time this was written (March), he had not yet received his first demo unites form Magico and he has never heard the Q1, nor does he have them now nor before. Yet, it did not stop anyone from calming that he has
JV, lost his exclusivity on Magico so he goes out and find Raidho; something else he can champion. A nice small 2-way, MDF box, ceramic woofer, and a ribbon. Nice but nothing else. These have been around for some time, but apparently no one cared until JV said it is OK. It really is OK, but it is not a Magico (Nor a Vivid). Not in spec, value, nor performance. If you wish, go and visit the dealer you are talking about and hear the C1 or D1 next to the cheaper Magico S1. Once you get over the “ribbon” sound, which is impressive for short terms listening BUT extremely colored and enjoying for the long terms , it will be an easy choice. BTW, the so called "diamond" woofer, is also a bit of marketing BS. You can vaporize carbon on just about anything. It is not very expensive, and at this level, not very effective. Definitely not to be confused with drivers like the Accuton diamond domes.
Hi Razmika,

Please illuminate what evidence you have to substantiate the claim that the diamond layer applied to Raidho D-series mid/woofers amounts to marketing BS?


08-07-13: Razmika
[ ]
BTW, the so called "diamond" woofer, is also a bit of marketing BS. You can vaporize carbon on just about anything. It is not very expensive, and at this level, not very effective. Definitely not to be confused with drivers like the Accuton diamond domes.

I hope I’m wrong but the above comment has the look and feel of uninformed mudslinging to me.

To begin with, the diamond layer has nothing to do with vaporized carbon.

The process is made by a particle accelerator and has nothing to do with vapor deposits. The layer built by Raidho is structurally very close to pure diamond and is approximately 140 times harder than the ceramic material on their ceramic cones. Pure diamond would be 200 times harder. The fact that it’s “only” skin layers can be looked upon like building a composite sandwich material, using the incredible strength and hardness on the outside skin layers, separated by a softer and damped aluminum/ceramic core. This really has two major benefits that you just can’t achieve with a solid diamond material the first is being stiffer and better damped for a much lower weight, second is the ability to use diamond on the bigger drivers. Raidho claim that the Diamond membrane has its resonance breakup above 20 KHz and the Ceramic driver is at 12.5 KHz which reportedly was already better than any other manufacturer.

More details can be found on Raidho’s D-Series CES 2013 press release. Suggest you have a read.

To your other point on Accuton’s diamond domes – yes indeed Accutone have a small tweeter (not a woofer, like the Raidho D1 employs) which uses a different CVD process to apply the diamond.

Why you’d apply diamond to a tweeter is open to much debate, but what we can be more certain of is that the Raidho ribbon has a weight which is approx. 1/30th of the Accuton diamond dome and because of that it has approximately 30 times more speed and micro resolution as the critical current required to make the diaphragm move is also 30 times less than any dome!

Little wonder then that audio reviewer after audio reviewer (Valin, Gregory, Thomas, Fritz, Kershaw et. al.) report the Raidho tweeter to have incredible resolution sans listener fatique.
The process of building a VERY thin layer of carbon on a surface is quite common (See drill bits), “particle accelerator” in this case is simply a more sexy name to a vapor deposit. The 10 um thick carbon they add can hardly be called a “diamond” layer (you really can’t have much more than that due to the substantial increase in weight it will add). BTW, Young’s modulus of Ceramics is 435 vs. diamond 1220 GPA. Only 3 times stiffer, not 140 or 200.
Anyway, I am not trying to rain on your parade, these are fabulous speakers, try to enjoy them without having the need to justify how much better they are then a Magico or a Vivid, cause they are not.
I can put in a good word about Audio Salon in Coral Gables (Miami). I was just there this past week and had the chance to hear the Raidho D2 and the Magico S5. John the dealer was very kind and patient and made the experience great. Both speakers were great speakers and about as different as sounds come.

If I had to choose between the two, I would choose the Magico S5 because of the amazing presentation. They are cold and dry and as expressive as a Kandinsky painting. They don't cuddle you up in sound but rather just express what is being played with the highest degree of spatial / tonal precision I have ever heard.

The Raidhos were also excellent but in a different way. They took a bit to grow on my ears. Once I had understood their sound, they become more and more interesting. They are fast and sweet.

Sorry for the short review but if I HAD to pick, I would pick the Magicos - based on 30 minutes with each speaker. They soar. However, the Magico dryness might cause a detached feeling after a while which might cause me to yearn for the Raidho.
Awesome thread. I love the side banter. Nothing to add but reading this reminded me of the time WWF Hulk Hogan was called out to calm Tonga after his disqualification from a match. Hogan was the only one who could bring him back to his senses.
The Magico are not dry, nor they are cold. The simply let you hear what was in front of them.
>> They are fast and sweet.

They are colored, and that will cause a “detached feeling after a while”
Michaelkingdom, thanks for sharing your experience with Magico S1 and
Raidho D1 speakers. Though, I fear this thread has run its course for quite
some time now.

Razmika and Kiwi, the reason I usually post on audiogon is because I like to
share my experience with other and I like to get feed-back from other in the
hope that we all learn something useful. Aren't we bombarded/confused
enough by dealers, reviewers and advertisement with all this hi-tech crap? I
honestly, do not understand what are you trying to achieve.

Kiwi, you obviously have experience with the Raidho C1.1 and D1, yet you did
not bother to write here a single line about these speakers even though quite
a few people seem to be interested in this comparison. You could have written
a few short lines, (and, of course, also direct us to your blog) and not expect
us to read your entire blog which is quite extended. On the other hand, when
Razmika "attached" Raidho, you have written a rather extensive
post. If you are happy with your Raidho D2 speakers, why are you so
defensive?

Razmika, the first post about Audio Salon was by Mes on Apriel 8. He only
claimed that that respective store in Miami carries both brands, i.e. he did not
claimed that the store has both the D1 and the Q1 models on the floor. In
fact, except Dracule1, nobody has claimed somthing like that. My guess is
that Dracule1, did not answer your question because it was too brief/naive,
i.e. you should have mentioned at least the state were you are going as USA is
big (but of course I can not be sure about this). Also, IMO all of the
contributors here that said something about Magico vs. Raidho, did it in a
rather benign way making rather clear that they were talking about personal
preference (I too made it very clear in my opening post that it was the dealer's
opinion and that I can not make any further comments as I did not listen the
Q1s.) Consequently, I do not understand your attitude. Finally, from your
comments above I get the feeling that eventually you have listen the Raidho
D1 speakers, and also that you have experience with the Magico Q1s
speakers. Why don't you share with us your experience about these two
speakers?
Hi Nvp, In reply to your note:

First, for a comparison between the Raidho C1.1 and D1 I linked Boon (who asked) to the page on my blog that covered that. Just scroll down to post #116. Not too hard for you I hope? The post was way too wordy to cut and paste here.

Second, after chiding the thread about “mudslinging” and fabricated Magico opinion, Razmika disingenuously (as in hypocritically) goes on to state that Raidho’s diamond woofers are “marketing bullshit”, “not expensive” and “not effective”. That should be called out because the comments were reckless, ignorant and demonstrably without factual knowledge and precisely an example of what he was asking others not to do.

Finally, this is a forum not a physics lab. Forums are about opinion - you are wasting your time trying to bring method and order to that. Reality does not speak for itself here. Magico’s are “cold and dry” and Raidho’s are “fast and sweet”. The reality is neither statement is meaningful since there are too many uncontrolled variables. One of the biggest problems in subscribing attributes to loudspeakers comes down to the unavoidable fact that the speaker is at the end of a chain of other components, and that chain (particularly the amplifier) will impose its own character on the signal the speaker reproduces.
>>That should be called out because the comments were reckless, ignorant and demonstrably without factual knowledge..

And what kind of information do you have to counter my factual knowledge? Are you disputing Young’s modulus or the fact that the same process is used on drill bits? Please explain to us why a 10 um thick carbon is consider a “diamond” when Accuton pure diamond diaphragm is about 250 um?
If you have nothing to add but to regurgitate Raidho marketing scheme, at least have the curtsy to tone down your attack on me.

Hi Kiwi, your answer is fair.

I've read your blog twice, i.e. the discussions about Raidho. Also, if I remeber correctly I have actually advised Lapierre who pm me to contact you about Raidho. I think I am not the only one here who would have preferred to read here a few short bullet points highlighting the main differences. Like you said, your post is wordy. I am certainly not criticizing you as I often write too long posts :). Moreover, your experience with these monitors seemed to be a bit limited as you did not compared the monitors in your room so I can understand your reluctance.

Regarding Razmika, he behaves like a 5 years old, i.e. asking stupid questions and invoking silly arguments because he did not received the answers he wanted immediately...

Regarding your remark about the physics lab, I believe you are hinting to the fact that I am a physicist. Indeed I am. Unfortunately, while our labs/experiments may be well organized the results are often chaotic. Consequently, the situation in the lab is pretty much like the one in the real world, i.e. it takes many months to actually learn something useful.

Regarding the hi-tech and ground breaking science that goes into all these speakers, IMO opinion it is 90% marketing mambo-jambo. Neither Magico nor Raidho has the technology and/or the proper understanding to develop any of these technologies. In fact these techniques are around for quite some time and are rather well understood and mature. Razmika was right when he said that chemical vapor deposition is a common technique, but then so is finite element analysis employed by Magico. IMO opinion neither Magico nor Raidho brings anything that new to the table. On one hand there are many manufactures putting expensive drives in rectangular boxes, and on the other hand ribbon tweeter are expected to outperform dome ones as they are much much lighter. Of course, I am bashing here the ridiculous advertisements, not the way the Magico and/or Raidho speakers sound.

Paul
Nep and Kiwi,
You are way out of your elements, both in knowledge and in manners. A bit difficult to argue here when AG posts replies, if at all, once every 24h or so.
Razmika, I assume that in your last post you were refereeing to me, and by
mistake you typed "Nep" instead of "Nvp". I certainly
do not want to argue with anybody here. On the contrary, I am trying to have
a civilized dialog. I certainly did not attack anybody here, neither did I say
anything bad about any speaker manufacture.

I would very much like to know how did you arrive at the conclusion that
Raidho speakers are colored and Magico speakers are not? What type of
measurements did you do? Where did you performed these measurements?

Also, since you are so knowledgeable and I am so ignorant and impolite, I
would very much like to know what is the relation between the Young
modulus and:
1) the level of odd and/or even harmonic distortions in a conical membranes
2) the eigen modes of a conical membrane
3) the degeneracy of the eigen modes of a conical membrane
To elaborate on my audition a little bit, I was impressed by both speakers tremendously. I found the Magico S5 to be the most thrilling 2 channel experience I have had in terms of spacial presentation, imaging, separation of instruments. It was easy to independently follow any instrument separately from the rest. That being said, I did find them to be without warmth - which may be a good thing. I also found them to be great at intellectually defining the music while not drawing me in emotionally. From the very first minute I heard them, I was amazed and my opinion of them did not evolve over the listening experience. I was just as amazed at the end.

The Raidhos were a different story. The depth of their presentation was not immediately apparent. On first hearing them (within 3 minutes of switching off the Magicos) I noticed more conservative, less apparent dynamics. They sounded warmer, cozier and less over the top. BUT, after a few minutes my brain adjusted to what I was hearing and the presentation really opened up. The soundstage was deep and wide, the midrange had a rich sweetness and the tweeters revealed every noise unmasked. I, personally, found myself enjoying them immensely.

This is what I heard. I liked them both. Cheers!
I have a strong music background having trained in classical guitar mostly and regularly attend live performances at very good halls for classical, jazz, big band music. The Raido D1 is the closest thing to the real thing I've heard as long as you don't play them at 105+ dB continuously and are willing to as sacrifice sub bass. The D1 play at a different level than C1.1. It is more dynamic, has greater purity in the midrange, better sound staging at high volume, subjective more extended bass, and is quieter between notes. Most importantly,it is the most tonally accurate speaker I've come across for vocals, stringed and wind instruments, and percussion within its volume limitation. It is only equalled by the finest electrostat and ribbon planar speakers (eg, Quad 57, CLS, Apogee). The Raidho tweeter is one of the most accurate no fatiguing tweeter available.

The Magico I've heard are better suited for rock and the like where bass thump and dynamics are the primary virtues. They are not tonally accurate as th Raidho.
>>It is the most tonally accurate speaker I've come across

Interesting. In MC measurements of the C1 there is a 5dB broad depression, starting at 1K all the way up to 5K where a bump is starting, climbing 4dB up till 10K. The swing from 2K to 10K is almost 10dB high! There is no evidence that the D1 will be much different in fq response (It is mainly the tweeter climbing behavior, which is typical of ribbons). It will most definitely not have “more dynamic, or subjective more extended bass”. Even Raidho doesn’t claim it (It starts to roll off, quite rapidly after 50Hz). Great speaker nevertheless, but I would not claim it is “more accurate” then just about anything else. Now before the flames begin, please consider objective data availability to any claims made. BTW, you are the first person who said that “Magico are better suited for rock and the like where bass thump and dynamics are the primary virtues”. This thread is hilarious.
Michaelkingdom,
You touched an important point here. Our auditory memory is very short. Our brain will adjust to just about anything. People “preferences” is mainly what they are used to, not necessarily what is good. When I A/B a products, I usually keep it short, so my brain does not have much chance to interfere and “color” my judgment.