Magico speakers too clinical and fatiguing?

Unless you hear Magico speakers in a dedicated listening room where every detail has been addressed you’re probably not going to hear their potential.

A good buddy who has S7’s and VAC 450iQ mono’s/matching preamplifier told me that the relationship of amplification and speakers is reversed from long standing traditional thinking regarding Magico speakers. General consensus has been to spend twice on speakers as amplification. With Magico it’s the opposite. Spend twice on amplification as what the speakers cost and you’ll be on your way to getting it right.

Right......Not too long ago, i had a Schweikert that could sound magico/magical without all these stringent requirements somehow, same went for an older TAD reference i had before that...or my current TAD, Borresen, whatever.

But, when it comes to Magico... omg, how could it ever be Alon’s fault?!...it’s not his aluminum box that looks like a couple of aircraft stringers, spars, whatever came together....Alon must know everything, an unmatched savant of our times.

With the great Magico, it is always the customer/ listener’s fault, his room, his not so adequate amplification, dacs, etc.. and the fact that he didn’t listen on a blue moon day 2 minutes before midnight....Oh no, what a faulty guy Alon’s unhappy customer must be. Alon’s box however is just perfect deserving of a standing ovation any day, all day.

Problem is nobody has this pristine perfect acoustically designed room from which to hear these perfectly acoustically designed speakers. And then even when you do start hearing them the way God intended they’re probably too clinical and fatiguing. When you are in a showroom you don’t hang around and listen to something for very long so it’s very difficult to judge and usually the show rooms are not very good.

Long time reader of the forums but I have only been back in to home stereo systems for about 6 years. I’m retired now so can enjoy some behind time.

Also know from reading the forum that a lot of you are way more gifted in hearing and evaluation but as Forest Gump would say (I do know what good Sound is.)

I have been to many audio shows and dealers and many amazing systems experienced.

One of most musical was with Ken Stevens CAT gear with the Magico S5 MKll

Not rich so I’m limited in purchases a little bit.  No CAT gear yet 😂

Presently rotating in same med to large room between:

(1) Tannoy Canterbury GR on Townsend platforms bi-amped with McIntosh mc75’s and MC830 mono amps and C70 preamp Aurender streamer and Berkeley Dac with Cardas Clear cabling.  Mostly stream. Some LP with Linn Sondek and Marantz SA10 SACD player. Sounds great! 

(2) Magico S5 MKll on casters using same equipment and cables as the above system with exception of the amplification being done with McIntosh MC 2301 mono tube amps rated at 300 watts. Sounds great also!

Not al all fatiguing to me even after 6 hours continual listening.

I find I leave the Magico’s in rotation longer than the Tannoy Canterbury GR.

I’ve not heard any that much better than either at the shows without a much higher entrance fee

Magico S5 MKll sounds pretty sweet with tubes.

@rforddaddyo 

what Tubes do you use on the MC 2301? How do you like the biamp config? 

@vuch 

This.

The deeper I go into this hobby/obsession the more convinced I am that the room and setup are vital. Before deciding to spend 6-figures on gear, one really needs to consider the limitations of the room. A bad room can create all kinds of sonic issues/limitations.