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My findings on Magico V2.....what now?

Hi guys, I've finally managed to make a 250km trip to audition the Magico V2. The V2's were driven by Soulution 740 preamp and 710 power amp (each costing $40k and highly acclaimed by JV of TAS). The source used was a Soulution 745 disc player. So...the sound was G-R-E-A-T...but I sat there in the auditioning chair like a rock. To my surprise, I found myself unmoved and unstirred. By the 4th CD, I started to get bored. I felt almost none of the wonderful emotions I got when I auditioned the Avantgarde Uno G2 driven by Audio Note Meishu SET amp.

Should this experience be conclusive and enough for me to make my decision? Should I explore the V2 with other amps, say, the Pass XA100.5? As great as the Soulution combo is, they sounded sterile to me. And unfortunately the Magico dealer carries only a couple of brands for amps so I can't make any A/B comparison.
jtein
mariv26
29 posts
 
If you prefer the colored sound of an Avantgarde/Audio Note setup, you would definitely not like the Soulution/Magico sound. Try listen to the V2 with a tube amp, see what you think. Some coloration may do the trick.
audiolui
295 posts
 
I listened to the Magico V3 with VAC tube pre/amps (140w)combo and I didn't get connected with music either. Perhaps the amps can't drive the V3? Not sure. Nothing wrong with Magico speakers. They sounded like high end speakers. I guess I need to try it again.
mariv26
29 posts
 
Funny that you mention the VAC combo. That is how I first heard the Magico few years back at the show. It was clearly a magic moment. In fact, I believe that Kevin Hayes, the owner of VAC has a V3 himself.
peterayer
1,382 posts
 
I just heard the Mini II with ASR and the M5 with Solution, both with Brinkman turntables. Sterile is not how I would describe what I heard. For me, it was the closest I've heard to the sound of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Very clean and detailed, with incredibly accurate scale and staging. The equipment simply dissapeared. Completely involving. However, I also heard the V2 with Moon? electronics and a VPI table and it did nothing for me. The V2 with Spectral and SME was great in a different setting. I think it has a lot to do with set up and associated equipment.
bvdiman
491 posts
 
I've read the Hi-Fi Avenue blog whereby a Malaysian dealer connected their V2+Soulution combo demo using their own home brew cabling throughout--could that be the same dealer? Did you try connecting them with other cable make as well? Transparent as they are--the Magico and Soulution, that in my humble experience a single cable can make or break the resulting sound.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue47/soulution_710.htm

Above is link to a review of the amp with particular mention to cable sensitivity. Imo, when transparent meets neutrality ie. V2+Soulution, every little bit of dialing-in effort into getting the set-up just right matters--big time.

But then again, if the Avantgarde Audionote sound floats your boat, my guess is that the Magico-Soulution combo might not be to your taste/liking regardless of further fine tuning. I loved my Tannoy+Ongaku set-up from many many moons ago, as I recalled, they too sound awesome for my taste then, yet could not be more different than to what I am currently used to--taste evolved.
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