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

Opinions please. All are Used and are the same very good price but The Y&G are $4000 less which is nice.

KEF Blade 2

TAD Evolution One

Y&G Kipod II Signature w/Pwr Bass module

Magico S5


Would love your thoughts any thoughts on any please! Being all used and in good shape these are all within $500 of each other used price but Y&G and those had highest list but know to be good used deals because they are pretty serious speakers.

I think as far as used speakers in the great value - now less than 1/2 price but still new enough to provide great performance these are some different but pretty serious speakers. Please any and all feedback totally welcomed and is super helpful 

Source: Bricasti M1SE DAC 

Preamp: Parasound JC2 Pre

Amp: Pass Labs X350.5 Amp

IC: Darwin TRUTH Balanced

SC: HiDiamond D8 w/Furutech

PC: HiDiammond P3 (7)

AC: HiDiamond HDX2 

Transport: microRendu 1.4 and full suite of UpTone Audio Premium Power Supplies (2)x LPS-1 and (1) JS-2 LPS - (2) Regens - ISO and Amber and custom Canare DC cables for all / Tellarium Q Black Diamond USB cable and Curious Regen Link

Room is 12 x 23 w/Cathedral Ceilings - 15 Foot a peak 

Music: Assorted Music no metal or loud hard rock anymore really - not much Large Scale classical either but everything else.

Likes: Transparency- Delicate-linear-Dynamic-Fast - high resolution-microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless - I know there is a fine Line here but I'm looking to walk it and come out on the right side - but real see through into the music - transparent to the source because I love my DAC - there more everything else sound more like my DAC the closer I'm getting to where I want to go as close as possible - image and sound stage lover - tight bass - hate flab - like speed and transparency as my selection choices might speak to

Coming from: Rethm Saadhana V3 speakers which I love and are incredible but want to try something else. 

Love any feedback about matching or equipment matching or one or multiple of these - what you heard at shows or whatever. Love more Info on these.









128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xfsmithjack
soix
9,361 posts
 
@audiotroy 
The speakers I was referring to are the Nearfield Acoustics Pipedreams.  Seller here has original price as $78k and selling for under $18k with two subs included, so somebody's going to get a deal (no association).  Apparently they were originally made for Harry Pearson.  Never heard the Scaeanas.

audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,736 posts
 
Yes for $18k they are a big sounding speaker, however, the original Nearfield acoustics do not have the much greater sound staging, or the transparency of the Scaena speakers.

So yes they are still good, and on paper that is a good deal but the original Pipedreams was a speaker of its day, I would much prefer a nice good condition set of Infinity IRS Betas over those.

I would take a set of Blades any day of the week.

Dave owner
Audio Doctor NJ
normie57
50 posts
 
Hi all:

I’ve had the original Blades in a 13 x 14.5 ft room for almost 4 years and absolutely love them!  Sound clarity, dynamics and imaging are first rate with no problems with bass overload....perfect bass for my taste. I’ve had many loudspeakers that did overload my small listening room including Revel Ultimate Salon 2. Most impressive, as others have mentioned, is their disappearing act...even in my small room the sound is divorced from the loudspeakers, except with very poor recordings.
Thank you KEF on your advice to proceed with the purchase in my relatively small room. By the way, I drive them with a Clayton Audio S2000 amp and VAC Renaissance 5 pre.

Enjoy!



yyzsantabarbara
4,699 posts
 
Normie57,

How much space do you have between the speaker and side wall? Did you get room treatments? The side firing drivers always concern me when I look at potential rooms to place my future Blades.
fsmithjack's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
fsmithjack OP
712 posts
 
Clayton and Vac - sweet combo, I love Clayton amps. People cry about a little hum but who cares. Hardly no one else gives that much Pure Class a power so there are trade offs for everything / I know they have fixed much of that now but that's is sweet sounding stuff. I think Pass .5 amp have that sound also - the Pass maybe a bit cleaner and more extended but both very much to my liking. I don't think VAC has ever made anything that doesn't sound fantastic. Sure the older stuff was more tubey but you can say that about any of the great tube making OEM's.

My wife took the KEF Blade out of contention which is a shame because I liked the idea of them a lot.

She saw them then said - what - are you crazy. 

I love them but we Audiophiles tend to look at the world a bit different than everyone else I guess but I loved them. 

Had a great dealer that spoke earlier on this post that offered me a great deal but it's looking like Magico S5's.


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