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

@fsmithjack 

If you review my comments you will see they are not a personal attack but entirely suggestions and responses to factual assertions by yourself who claims, "Houston" we have a problem.

I don't recall suggesting you get ATC speakers, as I dont think that would have been at all helpful on my part. So how this has become "the real matter at hand" in your mind is entirely your viewpoint which I don't share. I don't have a problem with your opinions about ATC. They are indeed the wrong speaker to purchase if you intend to flip them after a year or two. You certainly make a good point there.

@csmgolf 

Good point. However, would you not agree that at 40 Hz the acoustic suspension should dominate the overall response in a well designed box.

You are right, mechanical should dominate. My point in commenting is that there are real observations out there that should not be discounted. Too many people say that Magico speakers go through that process to discount it, especially when there are known measurements that show that drivers change over time for a finite amount of time when they are new. They also change electrically over time. What else in a speaker changes electrically over time? Has anyone ever measured that? I know that I have had speaker crossovers modified and Clarity Cap MR installed. The sound absolutely changed over time. What causes that? I don't know. What I do know is that it was a real process similar to hearing a speaker with new drivers. To insinuate that Magico are poorly designed is in my mind absolutely not true. They are meticulously engineered. I have heard the S5 on several occasions at shows, some not so good, some good, and a couple very impressive. What was the reason for the differences? It could be any of a number of things, including speaker break in, system matching and room set up. IME, all of those things are real and matter.

@csmgolf

All good points. Though I am not trying to insinuate anything. To be clear, IF Magico indeed takes more than 600 hours to break-in (which I doubt for such a seriously well engineered speaker) then this is actually a poor design IF the design intent is accuracy and high fidelity. Frankly, I don’t believe Magico change audibly after a few hours of playing loud, which is a far cry from 600 hours or more.

csmgolf - Well said and I totally agree with you. Some people if they can’t have the little tool put on it and measure it and then look at the results and analyze it then it doesn’t exist. 

I appreciate measuments and their critical role. Nelson says it all the time that his ear is the final binding decision maker. We are really just learning how and what to measure in so far as how much those measurements actually equate to actual better perceived sound.

How old crappy - well I shouldn’t say crappy but an old inexpensive Carver amp will measure better than some of the most beautiful sounding First Watt amps that Nelson makes. He finishes them up by ear with the help and guidenance of measurements but he is not a slave to them rather they are a tool he employ’s judiciously

He uses the measurements to get everything close and then tunes by ear. Sort of what we do. We get real good stuff and usually stuff that measures well and then we tune our rig the best we can with matching gear but we can’t even come to even agree on break in never mind actual design or tuning. 

Some people trust the ear. They believe in it because it’s not just the ear but how that ear provides sound and that sound connects and makes them feel a certain way rather than just listening there is an emotional connection.

With others none of that really matters but what’s on the plots and graphs and well the ear and the sound and the feel of the music plays a much more subordinate role to the science.

Fair enough - there is enough room for us all. 

I am more likely to believe something I can see, taste, touch, smell or hear vs what someone else says these things should be. I just experienced it myself why do I need someone to tell me about it and actually that it was not that at all and this is what that really was or should be it is? Does that make sense or as they say does that pass the smell test? 

Ok so I walk into a restaurant and I just tasted some new dish and to me it was flat out terrible. I just didn’t like anything about it. Actually I hated it. Made me nauseous :) 

Well that person just pulls out all kinds of proof from professional tasters and genuine French chefs and industry professionals and authorities on the matter they even did a triple blind scientific test to prove well beyond any reasonable doubt that what I just tasted was in fact was excellent tasting. I might be dumb founded and even question myself a just a little bit in front of all this proof to the contrary and wonder if I may even have a problem with my taste buds or something but only for a split second and then I’ll walk away laughing at them all thinking how crappy that food was and glad to let them have it :) and not doubt myself for another second :)