B&W 805D2 or Magico Q1?


Has anyone compared these two speakers? with all of the over-the-top reviews for the B&W's and the reputation held by Magico for their pursuit of a new paradigm of perfectionism i am left wondering if there is any real competition or should i just trust the numbers, i.e. $24,950 vs $5,000...? i am not trying to start a fight here either, but theoretically what more can "anyone" do with a woofer and a tweeter with a single crossover and a rock-solid cabinet?
just as an aside, $5K used to buy you a (new) state-of-the-art FULL-RANGE B&W speaker system that could play at LIVE SPL's. of course they couldn't compete with Wison's or Sonus Fabers for resolving fine detail, but umteem improvements later we (supposedly) have a whole new ball game out there.
french_fries
If you are going to spend 25K on a speaker, why not just get the 802 or 800 Diamonds? You will get a full range speaker that sounds terrific ... like real music with correct overall tonal balance and timbal accuracy, sound like you would hear at a really good orchestra hall like Avery Fisher in NYC or in Boston.
there's no argument that the Q1 speakers are expensive, and lack the birch-ply and matching stands that the MINI's had, which i thought was really stunning.
OTOH there's nothing wrong with the clean lines of the newest monitor from Magico especially if it CLEARLY outperforms what has gone before. but i can't get past the thought that the new 805D2's are so well made. and at $5K a pair (stands are extra) these are not the economy model, and a number of reviewers are really in awe of what it does regardless of size and cost.
admittedly the last B&W's i personally auditioned relevant to this thread were the silver signatures, which threw amazing images and looked a lot cooler than my 801s3's. but i never auditioned a small speaker that cost anything near what the magico's are going for.
even if i did go back and review what the crossover is all about i still
am at a loss to understand (keeping an open mind) how the Q1's get out of the way to such an extent that they don't have any competition in that size category. but i don't (completely) rule out the possibility that they transcend the current standards for really excellent loudspeakers and enter into the "musical instrument" realm.
We need to factor in the resistance to termites and other wood boring insects (and warping) when considering new Magicos...I think they'd make great outdoor speakers to put by the pool. Now if only Magico would make a speaker that looked like a rock...
"i think i got it"--- like in the movie with rex harrison. these speakers are designed for "European" style apartments owned by millionaires who like to live 4 blocks from the opera house. they have Soulution amps and preamps, a hand-built turntable, and an equally exotic CDP. their wires are all (real) gold plated.
a picture out of a B&W advertisement with ultra-modern Italian furnishings complete the picture. this of course is no match for their country estate which has a great room- 40 x 60 x 25 in which the top Kharma speakers pump out enough sound to comfortably reproduce the sound of Boeing 747's on take-off.
no, i am NOT being cynical here, but in America if you have MONEY you can afford a MUCH larger room. except perhaps in Manhattan there is an apartment small enough to fill the bill not far from Lincoln Center...
If your loaded and want a second system but only have a small room for it maybe Q1 would scratch that itch.

I like the looks of the Mini much more. Though I would take sound over looks any day. I would think you could get both at that price.

If your crossover parts cost $5,000 alone it must sound awesome. I would like to know what combination of crossover parts for a two way design would add up to 5k? Don't get me wrong I think good parts are important but the implementation is probably more important.