@yyzsantabarbara Why do you continually praise your personal system? I have heard the Yamaha NS 5000, it's certainly not a universal class leader at $15k. Coda amplifiers have a sonic signature that will appeal to some not all. There is no need to validate or convince others unless you sell these brands. Why the need to criticize Magico?
Am I no longer allowed to consider myself an Audiophile?
OK, I actually have some pretty decent equipment to listen to. But lately I've been inundated with reviews/opinions about the unmatched transparency of the Magico M9 loudspeakers. But at the same time I have been admiring the new Yamaha NS-5000 speakers (about $15K) which are considered quite awesome sounding in their own right. This brings me back to my 1st wonderful sounding ADS-810-II speakers (2X 8in. woofers, and a dome-midrange and tweeter). Easy to set up, nice wood cabinets, matching stands, less than $900/pair, with remarkable separation of instruments, great for ALL types of music, and only minor limitations. Anyway, as nice as the Magico's are, the required room and a whole lot of other things that are necessary to make them play music makes me want to complain about all the over-the-top gushing coming from various experts. It's not the cost of the M-9's that bothers me, but the "laboratory conditions" you almost have to place them in. OTOH, the Yamaha speakers got favorable reviews from the Abs,Sound in 2020, so what more do you really need if you have a living room (a couch, a coffee table, pictures on the wall.etc.) to really "listen" when the music takes over? I find the bewildering complexity involved with scientifically "almost perfect" sounding million-dollar systems to be what it is- an experimental approach rather than a pleasurable way to relax and imagine becoming a part of the performance. So I would want to go to a dealer and audition the Magico's,no question about it. But I would bring some music with me, and I'm certain it would be an enlightening experience. But I wonder if it would change my overall opinion about recorded music.
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It’s 2026, please don’t drive yourself into psychosis just because the ultra-mega-luxury high-end market exists. You might not even LIKE them that much in person. I’ve heard $500K - 1mil setups that I didn’t like, at all. You’ll see LOTS of show reports to this effect too. They’re not my style and not tuned for me. It doesn’t invalidate their existence, nor the rest of the audiophile market. So far only ultra-rich balls-out stuff I've heard that's made me go "ok yeah, I get it" are VAC amps and extravagant R2R tape decks. |
@dayglow The Magico cost about 10x more and I do not think it sounds as good. However, no need to take it personally, maybe my ears are no good. |
I won’t criticize or I’d be doing the same thing someone else did. Nothing wrong with displaying your equipment , I find it interesting as I’m sure others do and wish everyone would tell what they have. Personally I’ve never been a fan of Yamaha anything , don’t care for their bikes either but that is only my opinion and I’m sure many other folks have like for them. I think Elton John plays a Yamaha piano. |
I have my feet firmly planted on both sides of this fence, but my heart is grounded in the music. Some of my equipment is extremely expensive (at least for me), while other elements are definitely bargain bin selections. This goes for cables too. Regarding speakers: I seem to always be seeking speakers that sound better than what I own. While several different ones sound great, none have motivated me to make a change. For awhile I was certain Sonus Faber, Magico, B&W (have owned three sets in my 2nd system and only have the center channel remaining), Vandersteen (had one pair in the 2nd system and now gone), the Yamaha NS5000 mentioned above, and many more. My Acoustat 1+1, that I purchased for $350 over thirty years ago (I am the third owner), that were refreshed twice over the years pushing the total investment to near $500 (not a typo) are my reference speakers (supported by an active SPL Crossover and a pair of Rythmik F12SE subs). The only speakers that I would replace the Acoustat pair with are a few different TAD models. Of course, the prices are astronomical and I cannot justify the cost. My Audiogon name reflects my approach to buying almost everything, but especially audio. Thrifty Audio reflects my goal of getting the best possible for a reasonable amount. Enjoy what you have and only upgrade if it truly makes sense to you. Being an Audiophile is more a state of mind and absolutely nothing about how much something costs. |
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