Magico S5 vs Tannoy Westminster Royal SE

Charles - I agree with you. The Magico S5's are not bad speakers and they do a lot of things well - you know, all the audiophile sound things. But in my room, they just didn't do it for me. The Canterbury GR's do. I'm running (for the moment) a little pair of Cary 300b monos with some sweet tubes. Sounds glorious. I'm eyeing a Line Magnetic 219ia integrated for the Canterbury's.

To be honest, I didn't even consider Tannoy's until I heard a friends big Westminister GR's and another friends Canterbury GR's. I just kept saying, "one more record and then I'll leave." :)

The components that keep you engaged and compel you to listen for longer periods are the ones to own. Emotional involvement is crucial for prolonged enjoyment. I suspect that the LM 219i SET 845 amplifier would be wonderful with your Tannoys. I'm with you regarding the Magico, no need to bash it. As you said, it does audiophile/hifi well but just lacks emotion, natrualness and musical realism for me . Certainly other listeners find them ideal for their taste and that's fine. I'm glad you've found what works best for you.
Charles,

Aren’t you the guy from audio shark who keeps changing speakers like I change socks? So you discover the high-efficacy, SET world? It has been around for some time you know, and yes, it has its charm and can work well as an office system. You are listening to a setup that has about 50% less resolution then the S5 and you call it more musical?
What is next Bose 901? I give you 3 months with these, keep us posted (-;

Usermanual,if anything he's getting more true music resolution and realism with his SET and Tannoys than his prior Magico S5, he had both in his home and would know.If you're satisfied with your Magico speakers why worry concerning his conclusions anyway? You're both currently happy.

Mbovaird, are you using the supertweeters with your Tannoys? I ask this because I've heard they make a noticeable difference. As for amps, you might also consider Class A solid state. Anyway, congrats. They are one Hell of a speaker. Happy listening!