Magico compared to Tannoy

I am mijostyn's friend who picked up the Magico S7s yesterday.  Obviously I haven't settled in with them yet, but right out of the box I was blown away. I fired up the Dead's Dick's Picks Vol 29 5/19/77 from the Fox Theater, Atlanta, and as soon as I heard the opening banter on Track 1, it brought tears to my eyes, as I thought I was sitting at the sound board. As a veteran of 200+ Grateful Dead shows, this was the first time I felt like I was actually back at the show as opposed to simply listening to a recording. Miniature image? Hahaha, 300lbs of aluminum enclosed speaker with 3 10" woofers and a JL Fathom  f133 sub per side was anything but. They move a lot of freaking air! And at 4 1/2 feet tall they present a realistic sound stage. Sorry, I haven't heard Tannoys in about 50 years, so can't compare.

I was a dealer for Tannoy but it has been a number of years ago. It was my impression that the midrange was not realistic or musical. The Kensington uses the compression horn for not only the highs but also the midrange and the upper base. A little thin...if you ask me. Compared to another speaker that I favored it sounded like a car speaker. I was using really nice tube amplification, Sophia Electric 300B, and Art Audio, and a couple of other ones. 
I have heard the Magico's at a number of show, the RMAF and a show in Vancouver BC. To me they sound over dampened and hard, and not musical. 
I hate to speak without a frame of context so below is a quote from a review at our room at the RMAF, can't remember the year, but you will get the idea.

deHavilland/Kubala-Sosna/Esoteric/Sounds Real room. "Oddly enough, I believe last year, this room was my runner up. The sound was largely how I remember, but even better. I have my reasons for voting this room "the best" and here they are. It played music for me. Its presentation was very big and wide and spacious, yet intimate. It was as if the music was being played just for me. The timing and pace were right on as was the instrument and vocal definition. No, I don't think this system could fool you into believing that an entire orchestra was right in front of you, but then I didn't hear a single system at the show that could. The front-to-back and side-to-side special cues were intoxicating. At the core of the system are the deHavilland KE-50A monoblocks, which were driving Wilson Benesch Curves. The CD player was an Esoteric X-03SE and the preamp was a deHavilland Mercury III with all cables by Kubala-Sosna (which is new to me). The sound was so damn good I told Kara that if they had a turntable there, it might just push me over the edge. Seriously, as amazing as this system sounded, I wonder what level a solid analog front end would take it to. Here's the icing on the cake for the whole deal - the entire system's cost: $50k. $50k! A lot of dough? Yes. Yet for "Best of Show" at an audiophile event - 50 grand is nothing. Kudos to Kara Chaffee and company for setting up an amazing system with amazing components. The system just shined." 

Thad Aerts from The Hi-Fi reader

Not nice to bad rap MAGICO #1.

I believe both are good but designed for different audiences, IMO the Magicos are equivalent to F-1 race cars whilst the upper end Tannoys are for the Bentley and Rolls aficionados. Different strokes for different folks. Both are good for their respective customers. As always, YMMV.

Gammaman, finally got you to say something! Welcome.

The size if the image has nothing to do with the height of the speaker. That is a visual trick. Close your eyes and the image is no bigger than the Watt/Puppy's not that the S7's are not better but the bulk of the sound is coming from the tweeter and midrange driver just like the Watt/Puppies. They should be at ear level by the way. They are still point source speakers. If you put both sets of speakers in exactly the same position and height the image will be exactly the same size. This is not to say that the image of the S7 is not superior. I suspect it is. To get a front row image you need a Line Source, just like the Dead used at their later concerts after the Wall of Sound became to much of a PITA to move around. From what I read (being a John Curl fan) McIntosh amps were blowing up left and right. (That was a dig folks, he uses Mac amps but he is eyeballing JC 1+'s so there may be help for him yet.)

Anyway, can't wait to hear them. We will set up my Dayton Omni Mic and see how they do. I do not recall. Does your preamp have EQ capabilities?