I’d take the 9H any day for so many reasons. It’s not just about having good bass in any room. It’s about having the best possible bass in every room. The Magico can’t possibly have as good of bass when it’s all said and done.
I’d say go listen to both, but usually Paradigm dealers don’t have them set up well, whereas a Magico dealer is more likely to have the Magico speakers set up decently well. Plus, every one on here will recommend Magico because of the psychological prestige the brand has, and how Paradigm isn’t “high end.” So dumb.
Oh, the Magico will also require massive amounts of power if your listening loudly, or listening to music with heavy bass content. On the flip side, you can probably power the 9H with a button cell battery. If you like the sound of SET amps, you can play the 9H in the 100db+ realm, with bass extension down below 20hz. There is no tube configuration in the world that will do that with the Magico.
Anyway, another vote for the 9H. If you are in the Chicagoland area I have two friends with 9H’s who actually have them set up properly that I’m sure would be happy to have you over for a listen. I also have a friend in the area with the S3 MKII (and a3 in another room), who would also likely do the same.
Keep in mind, Magico makes some of my favorite speakers on the planet easily. Definitely in my top 10 if not top 5 brands. However to deny the performance per dollar you get in the 9H vs the S3 MKII is just pure buffoonery.
