2-Way Advice: Magico S1,YG Carmal,Diablo Utopia


Guys I've been considering a speaker swap. Have found that I love 2-ways.

I didn't really know this until I started listening to different speakers and kept liking them more, much more than the fulls.

They present a different perspective that I prefer. I don't listen real loud and have a med size 2500 cubic foot room and I much prefer tight and accurate, faster more defined bass and don't need the real deep low stuff. I love how they image and disappear and make the music more alive to me. Listen to Jazz, Acoustic, Blues, mello rock, Indie, some classic, the usual phile stuff..

I have it boiled down to a few and really would love your opinions. Buying used and they are all over the country and just can't listen to all of them. I know listen first is best and would love to if I could. They are all within $500 of each other price wise with shipping to me.

Have you guys heard any of these and what you might think of these??

Magico S1 Black

YG Carmal 1 Silver

Focal Diablo Utopia III - Silver

Sonus Faber Guameri Momento

Langerton Configuration 217

Tannoy DC10A

Ascendo System F (Only non 2-way I'm considering)

Any info or feedback or recommendations would really be appreciated!!!



128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xfsmithjack
since Andrew Jones has left TAD, I wouldn't be inclined to purchase a pair unless signficantly discounted, used.
Keithr, that's interesting news. He was still with TAD at CES in January. When & where did he go?
I was offered a decent deal in the great looking Tannoy DC10A. I love the look also. Do these sound like the Sterling. Is there a chance these are superior to Caramel and Magico S1 or Sonus Faber Guareni Evolution.

No, the DC10A is not even close to the Sterling. The Sterling belongs to the Prestige range of Tannoy which IMO is the real Tannoy. Only the prestige range carries the construction and design that Tannoy has carried for decades. Anything below the prestige range are just market (mass-market) driven products, dont bother. Yes, a Sterling can upset any of the speakers you have listed, it is a real Tannoy after all. It is not an overnight creation of some hobbyist speaker designer.

I own a pair of Sonus Fabers Olympica III's which I bought after owning the Joseph Audio Pulsars. As much as I loved the sound of the Pulsars[make no mistake,they are a great 2-way] the SF's are just in another leaque.The Olympica's are way more refined,but at almost twice the price,they better be.

The Pulsars are image champs, but for my tastes, they were not a speaker that could go loud and keep up on some material. I guess I prefer a bit larger speaker. In the past I have owned Advent, ADS,Legacy,Merlin,Talon,JA,as mentioned,and now the SF Olympica III's. I am not saying the SF's will be my retirement speaker,but,they are the finest sounding speaker I have personally owned.

Once set up properly the music just flows from these.They are sound stage champs and a pure pleasure to listen to. Voice and instrument are pure heaven... which have an organic... natural sound, that to my ears, just plain sound right...giving most material spot on tonality and gestalt. Be aware though,they are power hungry.Feed them some high quality watts and you will be rewarded for the effort in doing so. They are rated at 4 ohm impedance but I believe they drop into the 3-3.5 range,so high current will be needed to open up the virtues of these speakers to the level that will make them worth the price of admission. I'm not saying less watts are a deal killer on these but control of the drivers are key here.By the way, they sound just as good at low volumes as they do at high levels,no break-up and they love to go loud. But as usual, room size plays a key role in this.

I can give a hearty recommendation if you love Italian craftsmanship and beauty from a company that most other speaker builders aspire to be.By the way,they build everything in house,to their specs. Not to many speaker companys doing that anymore.

Good luck in your search Fsmithjack.