Magico S5 Speaker - SET UP ADVICE PLEASE - Tow-In - Etc.

Too bad they don't carry Audio Research otherwise you could borrow and try a Ref 6 just to test your tube preamp theory....Maybe you're lucky they don't....

Definitely cover the TV with a blanket just to see if that makes a difference.....
A long thread just on that specific topic.

Fsmithjack, thanks for posting the pix. Regarding my previous post, about sub connections, after looking at the second from the last photo I see that you don’t have them connected to the amp. I also see that your amp doesn’t provide the white signal ground terminal I referred to. After looking at some additional rear panel photos of the X350.5 via Google Images, it appears that some X350.5s were produced with that terminal (such as the one shown here), while others (including yours) were produced without it.

In any event, if you do end up connecting the subs at speaker-level, as I had mentioned the black (ground) wire from each sub should not be connected to a negative output terminal of the amp, since that terminal has a full amplitude signal on it. Connecting the black wire to a chassis screw might work ok, or it might produce a lot of hum, depending on the design of the amp. But the best approach would be to solder the black wire to the ground shell of an RCA plug, leaving its center pin unconnected, and inserting the plug into an RCA input connector on the amp. Of course, to make that possible without using a y-adapter you would have to connect the Bricasti (or a preamp, if you eventually add one) via XLRs.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

You have purchased wonderful speaker i had Magico Mini 2s now have Q3s  the Pass 350.5 is a great match i had Pass 350.8. Im now using Audia flight Stremento #4 Mk2.Im using Furutech top of the line copper cables large gauge copper is a great match with Magico I'm sure Kabals-sosna will be great as well.Im using Furutech power cords as well as i said copper is the way to go.The CJ ET5 is a great match as well but you must get nos Amperex from late 50s that will raise this preamp to a new level.There are ET 5s on Audiogon now at great prices as there is an ET7 out.Look at Symposium stands under your speakers they will give you much better detail and base as well.As someone said your speaker may not be broken in as its at least 500 hrs.You have great speakers  that need the best of everything to sound there best.Enjoy!!

Al good stuff - I was hooking the subs before to the black terminal. Do you think if I ever hook them up again I should avoid that? I did it with my Rethm's and it worked good but your info is great info!

Guys I want to update you on good news I've had with system changes that helped a ton.

Rather than typing it out twice I'll copy my email response to Peter Mackay VP of Sales and Marketing for Magico. He said he read my thread asking for help and he reached out and sent me the S5 manual and Magico set up info and made himself available and said not to worry he will help me get this right which I though was awesome - here is my rnail response to Peter: 

Thank you Peter! I called Goodwins my Local Magico dealer and they were amazing they not only offered to come out to my house and check everything out and help they spoke to me about my supporting gear and mainly my cables - Speaker Cables - Interconnects - Power Cable for source and amp.

We spoke and they recommend Kobala Sosna Expression cables so I drove right over and picked up some SC IC form them to try for the night and I plugged in another PC I had but via my Conditioner vs direct to the wall recomended by an Audiogon member. Needless to say these changes really changed everything. I did the cable change each set of cables at a time.

Each change it got a bit better but when I got to the speaker cables the entire speakers character changed which I've never experienced with cables before when using decent similar prices stuff but my stuff was a very poor match.

Verestarr cables are NOT a good match for Magico's I guess or maybe at least with my gear combo but I'm so happy its changed and sounds so much better.

I still have so much to do - much more tweaking and optimization and setting up proper and refinements and the like and I'm gonna add a high quality tube preamp etc. but now I have a baseline that I can work with.

The balance before was so far off and so bright and uneven but now these Kubala Sosna cables are amazing and I'm quite pleased that the cable swap helped so much and got them within working distance. I spent a coupe hours with lazer / tape measure / levels etc which I'm sure helped quite a bit as well :)

Thanks for reaching out.