Magico S5 vs KEF Blade 2 vs TAD Evo One vs YG Kipod II Sig w/pwr bass

fsmithjack-
it would be interesting to read about the B.A.T. VK-32SE and Pass Labs power amp. Keep listening and writing your findings

Thanks guys - latest updates - switching as much gear as I am can gets pretty hectic but I’ve got it tied up pretty tight sonically from a mental standpoint but it’s takeing some work but it’s fun and part of the hobby. The process of acquisition and liquidation in search of the ideal match is part of the gig. It’s all good! 

So I’ve beem running my Magico S5 Speakers all day - all night for about a week and a half. Not always loud as I’d like because of WAF but they’ve been running and burning in pretty good.

That said they absolutely are not broken in. Come to find out they had around under a 100 hours or so on them and many have said they need 700 - 1000 hours of break in.

Many people may not  agree but the oldest Magico Dealer in country has told me minimum of 700 but they also keep getting better up to about a 1000.

I’ve had numerous owners because of my posts reach out to me with first hand accounts and with different models and same model - newer / older / higher / lower and all say the same thing so I’m happy because now they probably have around a couple hundred to 250 hours on them and already the high frequency that was drilling into my brain has subsided but in all fairness it wasn’t just the break in.

I switched speaker cables and it made a gigantic / much more than Speaker Cables should kind of difference. My others were super bright but they were special also in their own super revealing kind of peel they layers like of way so I am kind of nervous because the new ones are a vast improvement match wise I might be giving up a bit as well.

Cardas Clear Reflection 3-Meters. I like them and they need to break in also which kind of stinks. Already would like a bridge closer to my old cables so maybe switching to the regular Clears but I’ll give them a chance to break in more first. I have a Cardas Dealer willing to give me what I paid for them toward a pair of Clears to no big financial penalty there either way.

To move to these cost me $150 and to move to Clears will cost me another $500 so good little jump there so I want to give these a good fair chance because many say they are VERY close sounding but the smidge cleaner or brighter might just be what the Dr. orders. 

That said I know I’ve thrown more variables into the mix. Oh well ;) 

I’m not a timid person and I aim to enjoy this hobby and even as others say I am doing too much at once and need to slow down and just do one thing and wait 2 months then do another.

I’m from an another camp. The camp that saws if it sounds like crap because it’s a bad match then try something else.

Simple stuff really. My ear, my brain then my gut all get together and if they reach a consensus I’ll run it up the ladder on here on the forum to get some objective or subjective feedback but in the end it’s the ears, brain and gut that are the final arbitrator and who’s decisions are binding and final :) 

That said I’m not buying everything brand new at retail prices either so I creamed on resale when a change doesn’t pan out - hence my lack of timidity as I hedge many of these changes by buying smart - if I think it makes sense to make a move I make it but also with an eye toward it not working with a built in exit starter and if it doesn’t I don’t - I try not to force anything and I let the equipment come to me so to speak and if it doesn’t work then we shall try another and move but I’m not throwing darts either. 

I try to buy decent enough stuff that it will work well with most gear to give myself a fair chance at having it work out. 

My BAT VK-32SE Preamp - is a BAT Certified Preowned w/1-Year full Warranty from BAT, has new tubes, optional phonostage and remote and should be here hopefully by Wednesday. 

Awe yes a new item. At the recommendation form on here Audiotroy told me how my HiDiamond HDX2 is more of a Network Distributor then a Conditioner and a high quality Conditioner for Preamp and DAC and my assorted Linear Power Supplies can really make a difference. I love my HiDiamond because it did no Damage but that’s also not optimizing anything. I got an incredible deal - one of my best scores I think on a PS Audio P10 which is exciting. This is brand new so more break but I’m excited because I have not really been using a geniune Conditioner so looking forward to that.

Also, got another great deal on a disc spinner. I have tons of CD’s and a lot of good ones but haven’t had anything to spin them in quite some time. Sever based Audio rules the day but I thought it would be cool to spin some silver discs every now and then and picked up:

PS Audio PerfectWave Transport for a great deal. If I don’t like it I’m sure I can get all my money back but I’m looking forward to trying it. It was well thought of a few years ago.

To fund there changes I’ve been crazy busy selling all my current gear, cables and the like on Audiogon. It’s been good. Stuff selling quick. Making a lot of FedEx and UPS runs but can’t conpalin. 

So burning in my Magico S5’s and Cardas Clear Reflection Speaker Cables and waiting on my BAT VK-32SE Preamp and my PS Audio P10 Conditioner and PS Audio PerfectWave Transport and really enjoying this hobby. Next week or maybe the week after depends on my current stuff for sale selling I’m going to upgrade my Bricasti M1SE DAC with their great new Ethernet based built in network sever player and life is good.

Wanted to give you guys a update on the my rig re-fit. Once everything is all broken in properly and matched up nice just right we’ll be ready for winter worth of some great music! Then when all is well it will be time to sell my old Speakers to fund my getting back into some vinyl as well but need everything else all settled first before slithering down that deep old rabbit hole :) 

Thanks guys!! 

UPDATE: I wanted to update my 3 threads. I appreciate very much all the feedback and help during this process. The folks on the GON are the best!

Guys my speakers were not even close to broken in. As in Brand New or very close to it.

Goodwin's told me this, they called it cold, and told me not to worry and promised me they would change dramatically.

You know how it goes though - you hear what you hear and that sort of supersedes everything else but I was trying to be patient although I'm pretty impatient by nature as my words have made pretty clear but I am learning and growing as an aphile.
 
I was inclined to be believe them as they are the Magico pro's but I was worried because I was so unhappy with how they sounded at that point.

I just didn't think when I bought a used 2 1/2 year old pair of speakers they would need Full Blown brake-in but I was wrong.

Also, I thought that even if they did need break in I doubted they would evolve so much to make that much of a difference. I hear all the talk about break in being over rated and it is more a matter of us getting used to them verse them actually changing but I also would think if anything does need break in it would be speakers with the CAP and drivers needing it.

All this said I am utterly amazed at how much they have changed. Sure I made a speaker cable change that made a nice difference but that is not where the true evolution was. I am probably around 350 hours on them or so and for a good 8 to 10 hours a day out of 24 for the last week and a half I have really given them some nice volume and some good old SPL's and given them a chance to stretch out.  

I am told the 500 - 600 range is when they really settle nicely but I am very impressed and so happy how they are evolving. now These are some very serious speakers. So much better than I thought they were going to be. PS Audio P10 landing today and BAT VK-32SE close on its heals.

As always I am going to plug my Amp via wall direct and hope to get a dedicated 20 amp set up for it and the P10 down the road in the near future but I am over the garage and getting in there means removing fire proof sheet rock etc so that may be a little while out.

Do any of you guys think it is worth plugging my Pass Labs X350.5 into the P10 or just stick to plugging into the wall.

Why did I chose the P10? Couple reasons is one many people like them and i got a such great deal on brand new one thought it was worth a try. Audiotroy told me a conditioner and another server are needed. Although I am pretty happy with my server but am open to new ideas and growing. What do you guys think?

Thanks

This is concerning. If properly constructed, speakers do not need 600 hours of break-in. An hour or two at most. If the sound is still changing after 600 hours then it is unlikely the design has any stability or reliability to begin with and you can expect ongoing change for practically the life of ownership.

What is more likely to happen is that you will get acclimatized to the new sound over such an extended period.

Honestly, either you need to see an audiologist or there is something faulty with your new speakers or setup. Your speakers are world class - you should not be experiencing these issues.

+1 The same, by the way, applies to electronics. I would think it is all in the mind.