Magico S5 vs Tannoy Westminster Royal SE

Another point to add is, whilst the S5 is transparent sounding. It is also a bit forgiving (certainly more so than the Q3) of less than reference sources and recordings which is a plus. If anything, running high end ribbons or ESL's would demand even more of your upstream equipment.

I piled onto the "Tannoy love fest" here a while back. Still have and love my Tannoys; still stand by what I said. However, since then I've heard the Magico S1 in the same setup I'd heard the S5 (and compared to Kensington SE), except this time with a modded VAC integrated (their current 80 Watts/ch model plus "special" factory upgrades).

It was gorgeous. Not as much bass impact as the S5, obviously, but perfectly integrated and coherent from top to bottom. Superb resolution and top-end extension that enhanced musicality rather than detracting from it. No possibility of fatigue. Best sound I've ever heard from that size of speaker. Preferred it easily over the prior S5 setup (S5's bass struck me as unnatural). I was just shy of being blow away. Of course, the VAC amp may have contributed in a not insignificant way.

This is the first non-Tannoy I've auditioned in a while that I walked away thinking I could be very happy with in my main 2ch. It would be somewhat difficult for me to choose between the S1 and my beloved Kensington SE (similar pice-points, though now the SE is discontinued). When it comes to the musical satisfaction yielded in conjunction with a good upstream, these 2 speakers aren't all THAT different.

S1 + upgraded VAC integrated + Clearaudio Innovation compact and a simple Ortofon Cadenza Red. This is all nice stuff, but holy COW that sounded great together.

Goodness Mulveling, you weren't the only one to pile on the S5's. That was a group punch on! Moving forward, i'm pleased you gave this series a second chance. As I said in an earlier post "I am not sure which amps you heard those S5's with? however the S5's are best matched with warm, tube-like solid state amps and then they sound magical. I've heard the S5's with both Vitus and Dartzeel which both have excellent synergy. You could also try cables like Jorma Prime which are very well balanced, natural sounding, harmonically rich & have a liquid flow which I think would compliment the S5's very well. Siltech Royal Sig series also work well with Magico. As always, it is a matter of synergy."

Fyi, I asked Jon Baker from Magico if he felt the S5's bass was as well integrated as the S1 and received this reply -
"Both the S1 and S5 bass are equally integrated. The difference between the two is really more of a function of ones acoustic environment.". You need to keep in mind the S5 has BIG 10" long throw bass drivers which require a long time to play in and open up. Most owners report they need a MINIMUM of 250hrs to play in, and i've heard a couple of other owners report like the Q3's the S5's continue to improve right up to 1000hrs. All i'm saying is, consider if your earlier audition of the S5's was optimal before judging those speakers.

I find the tweeter on the Tannoy's not to my liking. Too forward. To me, the S5 is a better speaker and very SOTA. The tweeter on the S5 - despite being beryllium - is as smooth as silk. Very well integrated and the S5's bass is outstanding. Tight. Fast.

You missed the point Melba. And that point is that there are some significantly more revealing and detailed speakers that are much less sensitive to having the exact right electronics. The reason: those are lower distortion. The point is NOT whether or not the Magicos have deeper bass or play louder. The point is that they are higher distortion and that is the main reason for sensitivity to upstream components, NOT some "great transparency" that makes them so tricky to match.