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Speakers that will bring me down to me knees crying with joy

Ok, so I had to write something ordinary in the title, but it´s really what I want. I live in Sweden and here we have a few really good Hi-Fi dealers which can offer great brands, but not everything is available. I´ve taken a break from this hobby the last 2-3years so I´m not up to speed on every new set of speakers.

What I have listened to in the past:

TAD Reference One - Really awesome speaker, it was paired up with TAD´s electronic and I found the sound a bit cold, just a bit. 

Giya G1 - I can´t get past the design 100% but the sound was good, but the setup might not have been the best or optimal for me. However I could see wanting to listen to them again in a different setup if possible.

Raidho D3 and D5 - Now this is the speakerbrand is, together with Sonus Faber Cremona M, that made the best emotionally connection with me. I was actually visiting Raidhos factory in Denmark with a dealer who brought me there. The sound from the D5 were super awesome, but they are very hard to get by used, but they could be the best speakers I´ve heard.

Focal diablo - Really awesome little speaker; sounded really good, I would like to hear the new speakers from Focal.

B&W 800D - Paired up with classe electronics; I found them pretty good, but it was too long ago when I heard them.

Magico S5 - I really really wanted to love this speaker, it looked so perfect 2x10" etc. it was paired up with electronics from Devialet. I experienced the sound to be too cold for me, could have been the room which was very small and weird.

## So what is important for me; well emotions emotions emotions; I want to feel something when listen to music; if we´re talking about chosing a "colorless" speaker and pair it up with tubes" or chose a speaker like Sonus Faber use to be, made everything sound lush, then the first option might suite me the best. I don´t want a ruthless system that make 65% of CD´s sound like shit because they are extremely analyzing. This is what I find the hardest to balance. But I like my music loud and I´m mostly looking a bigger speakers because I want that BIG sound which can bring me to my knees I want to be overwhelmed and washed with sounds. I have all my music in FLAC / WAV.

Any suggestions?
the_spaniard

Showing 9 responses by melbguy1

melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
Hi Jwm, not directly. I heard a full Ypsilon system at the Melbourne Hifi Show and really enjoyed the sound. But how much of that came down to the superb Continuum Caliburn tt I can’t say. And not having heard those amps in a familiar room with familiar speakers, I haven’t got enough of a handle on the sound to compare the two brands. But if you mainly listen to digital, with all due respect to the Ypsilon Dac 100, I think the Vitus MP-D201 would have the wood on the Ypsilon, but that depends on your system and personal preferences. I believe the S7’s were paired with Ypsilon amps at the Warsaw Audio Show last month, however I couldn’t find any commentary on that room. But as I have often said, one should not rely on sub-optimal show conditions alone before drawing any conclusions.

In the end, much of this comes down to what gear you can access through your Dealer and whether you’re biased one way or the other toward tubed or ss gear. Then you have to look at how that gear synergizes with the rest of your system including the room.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
I think your experience with the S5’s could be partly blamed on the Class D amps you used (Devaliet). I’m not a fan of them. The best synergy i’ve found with Magico for my ears is with Vitus Signature series gear. Soulution 7 series also pairs extremely well if you like that sound. For me, Vitus sounds organic and tube-like in presentation, but with plenty of control and resolution. Vitus gear is also ’forgiving’ and tames bright sounding speakers & their dacs make garden variety cd rips sound very musical.

To answer your question, based on your stated preferences..If you’re looking for a speaker which will bring your knees crying with joy, look for a pair of Magico M Projects and pair them with a Vitus SS-102, SL-102, SP-102 phono pre (if you run vinyl) & MP-D201 dac, some Siltech Royal Signature series cables & Stillpoints isolation. If the M Projects are beyond your reach or can’t be sourced, the new Magico S5 Mk2 or S7’s might be the answer depending on your budget and room size. FWIW, I just ordered a pair of the new S5 Mk2's & will be running them with Vitus Signature series gear.

melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
the_spaniard OP1 posts12-28-2015 2:03am

thanks for your feedback guys!

The Magico S7 looks awesome and on paper is something I would love. 3x10" bass drivers just wow! I´m just a bit worried that they would sound thin, but that might be the amplifier. Too analytical, thin and bright is something I hate.
The S5 Mk2’s use almost identical drivers, cabinet technology and x-overs to the S7’s, so they should sound similar. My pair are due to arrive in early February. Of course I will post my first impressions once their in situ & i've had a chance to sit down to a couple of long listening sessions.

Magico’s latest speakers very much reflect the sound of the connected gear. They can sound average through to magical depending on the upstream gear and cables they’re paired with. Vitus, Pass XS series and Soulution would fit the latter.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
audiolabyrinth3,668 posts12-28-2015 5:34am

I believe the Raidho
Speaker’s are your best bet, that’s what I’m going to pursue, magico?, forget about them, they are cold sounding and unevolved! I listen to the q3 speaker’s all the time, their better than the afterthought s series!
...and if you believe that commentary from a disingenous shill who owns $500.00 vintage speakers, you need your head read.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
Taters, get real. You know as well as I do that labyrinth’s comments are at best ignorant, and at worst disingenuous and intended to white ant a manufacturer (Magico). Keith himself has stated several times in his TL thread he owns JBL L7 speakers which go for $500.00 on the used market. So that is fact. It is irrelevant whether he mentioned his speakers in this thread. It is entirely relevant however that members know what speakers he owns so his comments can be put into perspective. If you still disagree with me, our conversation is over.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
Well I think the responses show the high efficiency camp will never agree with those who like dynamic sealed box designs, and vice versa. I don’t personally agree with some of the discriptions used for dynamic speakers in this thread, but that’s just my view. It's like tubes vs ss, both camps are inherently biased. You'll never get a completely straight answer out of either, so the bottom line? Use your own ears & buy whatever floats your boat..
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
xti161,193 posts12-28-2015 4:39am

"Magico’s latest speakers very much reflect the sound of the connected gear. They can sound average through magical depending on the upstream gear and cables they’re paired with. Vitus, Pass XS series and Soulution would fit the latter."

Same holds true with Raidho’s along with placement
Having heard Raidho speakers I agree with that view. The only issue I have with Raidho is I think they are way over-priced given their average build quality. I just don’t see the money in them. But I accept they may be secondary considerations to others.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
@taters all good.
melbguy1
1,438 posts
 
fliz32 posts12-28-2015 3:24pm

To my ears, nothing approaches the realism of a really high efficiency speaker. The dynamics of something that’s 100db/1w/1m or better is unmatched by anything less efficient.

Moving lots of air is key. Mid-bass is where all the body is.

I agree with WAJ and have a pair of his ’A’ list speakers.
Fliz, i’m not an audio engineer, but from what I understand, higher efficiency speakers presents a lighter load to the amplifier, requiring less current and dynamic power from the amplifier, thus allowing even SET tube amps to drive more efficient speakers with impressive bass and dynamics.

I agree that the more difficult route is designing something like a Magico S5 mk2 which is a sealed box design using 2 x 10" bass drivers (equivolent to a 14.5" unit according to Martin Colloms). The two tens handle the low, mid & upper bass, crossing over to the midrange at about 200Hz - instead of one larger bass driver as used in many hybrid designs. The S5 Mk2’s moderate efficiency (89db @4ohms) suggests these speakers are still best matched with ss amps with robust power supplies & good current to control the speakers.

Stereophile define dynamic as "Giving an impression of wide dynamic range; punchy. This is related to system speed as well as to volume contrast". The S5 Mk2’s new 10" bass drivers have massive magnets which help saturate the structure around the coil which prevents eddy currents forming, which in concert with the lighter and stiffer hybrid carbon Nano-tube/Nano-graphene cone material should reduce distortion & improve dynamics.

Furthermore the excursion rate of the voice coil for the new 10" bass drivers is measured at 15 mm linear movement, twice as much as its predecessor. With the new model’s improvements to drivers, the cabinet & crossover, they should provide excellent sound staging, imaging & dynamics.

Magico speakers in general sound transparent and linear, though the S series are a bit more laid back in presentation than the Q series, sound a bit warmer & have fuller bass. The S5’s for example already have wonderful resolution and texture in the bass and midrange, but to get a sound which is harmonically rich and fluid, one just needs to choose their partnering amps, front end, cables & conditioner/wpo etc carefully. I’ve found Vitus Audio partners particularly well. Just saying there is more than one way to skin a cat ;).
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