Older Revel vs Newer Magicos

the studio 2 is a much better speaker than the studio 1 and probably still has a higher ceiling than the A3 goes, but room acoustics and component matching still matter more than trying to plug and play a new pair of speakers.

Not even close. The Magicos are a far better speaker. If I were a point source kind of guy I would buy a set of Magicos. They also make the best subwoofers available in the Q series. 

Trust your own ears. 

I have heard the Salon 2 many times but never the Studio 2. Keep in mind the “2” is much better than the original. Anyway I think the Salon 2 is without flaw. Spending major money can get you more resolution through better parts (crossovers, cabinet) but you are well into diminishing returns.

Harman had the A3 and Salon 3 in their blind AB testing and the V8 Revel own… done by revel… so take it for what it is but I am sure you can find the article.

The 328be is a pretty amazing speaker too and not just for the money.

Having experienced both quite extensively, for my ears where the Magicos excel over the Revel Salon’s is in the openness of the midrange. The Magico opens up a clear window onto the music that can be breathtaking. They are extremely neutral/ flat and ultra revealing because of sheer transparency. The Revels have the ported woofer design and can indeed sound a bit more present in the lower frequencies. The Magico’s sealed enclosure / non-ported woofers yields a little bit less overt presence, but to my ears sound much faster and with superior pitch / timbre definition, although the Revels are marvelous in this regard too. Overall, the Magico is faster and more of a piece imo. I’ve listened to the A5s driven by Gryphon and they are truly wonderful speakers will all the Magico attributes. A technical tour de force given their quite modest footprint. Haven’t heard the A3s but i am sure they deliver much of what I heard from the A5s.