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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.









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fsmithjack OP
712 posts
 
Thanks Shadorn,

I guess you guys are right - I just never looked at it like that but I am learning and even now from this post! Thanks for all the great feedback.

For me if it's a single paper driver cone with wizzer in plastic PCB pipe or Aircraft Alluminum alloy with carbon fiber and Beryllium drivers its still all about making music that comes out. 2-watt SET amp or 700 watt SS amp it's just what does the music sound like and what one sounds better. Not different everything is different but what's better. Not to my ears or preference but objective what sounds better is what I ask? 

The rest is just the rest and if I just listen and let me ears do the decision making then I'm good. 

These sound more alike than different which is the crazy thing. 

I could go on all day cataloguing the difference in our Audiophile terms and that would be fun and great but for me the question is what gets you closer - gets you right in there - right there or right up to it as close as possible and there are so many different ways to get to the exact same place is how I see it. The journey is fun also! 


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dbphd
1,631 posts
 
Dave (audiotory),

I'm using an Ayre KX-5 Twenty preamp and VX-5 amp to drive LS50s with the idea of eventually replacing the LS50s with something like Blade 2s.  Would that be a good match?  I had originally planned to replace the LS50s with my KEF Reference 107/2s, but they need the KUBE to realize their potential, and Charles Hansen discourages inserting anything between the Ayre preamp and amp.  Other option is Wilson Sophia 3s.

db
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fsmithjack OP
712 posts
 
HELP !!!!!!!!!!! 

Magico owners, fans or anyone that can help? 

I am told Magico can be super revealing of a problem or weakness upstream which is fine is that is what it is and when you know the weakness???

I am so bummed out!

Shoukd say super bummed - got my Magico S5 set up and I mean everyone says how incredible they are -

I mean I don't think any of these are big time bottlenecks or weakness causing system sound problems being exposed by Magico or are they??? 

I have a first rate source - Bricasti M1SE - first rate amp - Pass Labs X350.5 which is known to be a pretty warm amp - HiDiamond D8 Speaker Cables which are not Nordost Oden but are very nice copper cables that cook over and over to get all impurities out of when they manufacture the cable and are quite compitant, Verestarr Grand Illusion Signature IC's which are also very nice and even a bit warm and these Magico's are burning a whole right through my head like a lazier beam.

 I've been setting them up and measuring and tweaking and they are giving me a royal head ache now?

How can this be? I spent a ton of money and time and was so looking forward to these?

These are top rate speakers? They make me want to buy a Cary preamp an old school CJ tube amp and get Cardas Golden Cross Cable Full Loom? Which I can't do and I'm sure would sound like crap?

Even my non audiophile wife said these don't sound as nice as your other speakers - how come? Msybe she sensed it from me but I'm like - really ?? 

Any advice? Maybe my brain needs to adjust but there is going to be some serious adjustment- my last speakers were total opposite of laid back - they were ultra revealing but I wasn't expecting this?

Bummed to the extream but also hoping a tube pre and maybe a cable change can get these to settle down?? Maybe need to be driven a while also? Just back from Magico and had some service so maybe some new parts or something needs to break in??

I ran them low volume 24 hours before any critical listening if you can call it that? I need to do something and change something just not sure where the heck to start ??? 

bar81
791 posts
 
Anything with a berryllium tweeter is going to be touchy in the highs.  What kind of power conditioning do you have?  What room treatment?
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fsmithjack OP
712 posts
 
I have no room treatments - my room is decent size though / 24x15 set up on long wall with 16 foot to the peak cathedral ceilings - you can click on my member id and see my room with old speakers - tons of room on both sides of speakers and side walls and plenty behind them also. I'm thinking my pure silver IC might be the culprit - I plug my Pass Labs X350.5 straight into the wall - that's what Nelson says is best / for everything else I use the decent HiDiamond HDX2 which uses good parts and good copper cable - same as my speaker cable - my power cable is one of those super open ones also the Veretar Grand Illusion II / so thinking the Verestarr cables might be a bit much but not sure / pricy trial and error process here that's why I'm asking for help! Thanks !!! 
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