Magico Q1 versus ...


A few months ago I heard the Magico Q1 speakers at an audio show. Thought they were terrific. And they didn't sound like a compact pair of monitors to me.

But there's also an opinion out there that they're really not that good, that they're overrated. Well, "overrated" surely has to be a relative thing, so, overrated compared to what?

What do people think is a better or equivalent quality monitor speaker for less money?
128x128wilsynet
I own a pair of Magico Mini II's but have not yet heard the Q1. Reports are that it is better than the Mini. However, if you really liked the Q1, I would at least consider a used pair of Mini II's for about 60% of the cost. They also have a completely different aesthetic which may or may not appeal to you. They should have all of the virtues of the Q1 except slightly less extension in both directions and slightly more cabinet noise, though this is just a guess as I haven't heard them.

The Mini II's are the first mini monitor speaker that to me did not sound small and very lacking in lower frequencies and weight. It is extremely coherent, invisible as a source if properly positioned, very low in cabinet noise, very neutral tonally and transparent to upstream components. They will need excellent and powerful amplifiers as they are inefficient.

I have read, and there is also a thread on this topic, that the Evolution Acoustics MMMicro One? speaker for around $2500 is comparable or even better than the Magico, but I don't know if it is yet available, and I have not heard it myself.

There are certainly excellent speakers out there for less than the $25K that they are asking for the Q1. For the price of a used pair of Mini II's they are hard to beat, in my very biased opinion.

Listen again to the Q1 in non-show conditions.
Dynaudio C1 MKII or Signature. I have read comments that stated they are fairly close. I haven't heard Magico's but I do own the C1 Signature
Also recommended to me recently was the Vapor Audio Cirrus and the Selah Tempesta.
As a Vapor Cirrus owner, I was going to recommend them. Close to a year of ownership now and I still very strongly believe they're the best speaker I've ever heard. There's so much layering of harmonics, so much more insight into the recording, that it's truly revelatory. But what's most exciting about them is that they can reveal so much detail in the music, but do it in a way that's incredibly relaxing and refined.

Xti - interesting you mention the C1 Sigs. My neighbor about 4 houses down has a pair, and we do a lot of listening in each others rooms. Right now he has his C1's up for sale so that he can buy a pair of Cirrus. On their own the C1 Sigs are great speakers, but A/B them against the Cirrus as we've done a couple times, and it's like flipping a switch. The Cirrus make the C1's sound like something is broken.