Magico M5 Loudspeakers
Jonathan Valin -- Tue, 02/10/2009 - 15:16
Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, I get the Magico M5s!
I will begin posting photos of the install process and the speakers sometime after noon. I will also blog about the installation, with photos of the Elam boys carting them up my three flights of stairs to the listening room, where the Soulution 710/720/740, ARC 610T/Ref 3/PH7/CD8, Walker Black Diamond, and Tara Labs Omega Gold and Zero Black await.
I gotta admit I'm excited. This ought to be a great stereo system--anything less will be a disappointment.
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HI Jonathan:
have anyone experienced the following situation:
Using martin logan clx with audioresearch ds450 mono amplifiers sometimes when the units are playing loud tends to shutdown one amplifier and sometimes both amplifiers, I know the martin logan clxs drops really low but not to cause this fine amplifier to go into protection mode, can anyone have a similar experience with this loudspeakers?
Suheil,
The CLXes, as you know, are an unusually difficult load. They drop down to 0.7 ohms at 20kHz, near a short circuit. Although i haven't triggered the protection circuits of any of the amps that I've used with them, I haven't ever played the Logans really, really loud, I would imagine that if you were playing the CLXes at thunderous levels you could shut down the DS450s. Unless you're experiencing this problem at less-than-extreme volumes, my advice would be to simply not play your speakers quite as loudly.
Jon
I've seen Magico M5's going for as low as $20,000 on Audiogon lately. Even after shipping and import tax, that would be less than a Focal Scala Utopia, one speaker that I am considering locally, along with the less expensive B&W 802 diamond.
Would the Magico M5 have any worse qualities (other than weight or visual aesthetics) than either the Focal Scala or B&W 802 diamond? I'd like to drive it with a Devaliet D-Premier, which I've found the cat's meow, sonically with Totem speakers.
The other speaker that I am considering is the Sanders 10c, but this is more of a system purchase, in the same price range ($18,000), but already including amplification.
I quite like and admire the sound of the Totem Earth speaker, sonically, but do not agree with the price.
The 802 diamond can be had for $15,000.
The Scala, $24,000 (or perhaps $30,000, the MSP)
The Sanders $18,000 (including a second Sanders amp), or $23,000 with Magtech mono-blocks for the stats, digital x-over, cables, stereo amp for bass).
The M5, at $20,000 seems like a bargain - how would it compare?
staxguy,
The M5 at $20k!!!
Good heavens, i would jump all over that!!!
IMO, this M5 is better than the Focal and B&W. Indeed, it remains one of the finest speakers I've heard (and WAS the finest multiway I'd heard until the Q5/Q7 came along). Plus, I'm told that Magicos do very well with Devaliet amplification. (FYI, Magico is showing the Q7 with Devaliet at the upcoming Munich High End Show.)
Even if you didn't like the M5s (which I doubt), how badly could you get burned at $20k? This was a $90,000 loudspeaker!
Jon
Uh, try $36,800. Just out of curiosity, what is your motive in posting such a phony BS price?
So much music...so little time.
I see four sellers with four prices currently:
$20,000
$22,000
$36,750
$38,000 (your listing?)
The $36,750 and $36,800 prices seem car-lot prices (The Audio Gallery, NextLevel AV), while the $20,000 and $22,000 prices seem private-sale prices.
I mean no disrespect, but it was the $20,000 price that interested me in a non-production (but legendary sounding) loud-speaker. I was interested in how it compared to brand-new speakers (B&W 802 diamond, Focal Scala Utopia) that I could find locally which I have been considering.
Also can get Wilson Sasha W/P or Wilson Sophia (but find them grainy, tingy and boom-boomy) for new for similarly less than $40,000 pair prices, or the Revel Ultima Salon (have not heard, but read good reviews) locally for $18,999 or the Ultima Studio 2 for $14,599 - which somehow don't interest me - we all have our values (I put them at <$2000/pr for an impulse), and tastes.
As someone who likes acoustic music, and used to play tenor, alto and soprano saxophones in a jazz/Sting pop-esque style), with a smattering of head-nodding electronica, detailed speakers with low-colouration and smiling musiciality interest me, particularly.
I may get the Sanders system because I like the guy, and the combination of powerful electrostats and transmission-line (20 Hz) bass interest me, but I would like an upgraded dynamic system to go with the Devaliet as well, which I find approacing what I would find as ideal with good source material.
I heard the Devaliet with Totem speakers, and was absolutely blown away, in the same way I was when I heard the Stax Omega headphones for the first time, with tube amplifcation and 24/96 sources. A full representation of sound, if not everything - at least pleasurable and hinting at everything you might hear, live - air, colour and breath.
From Jonathin Valin's comments on the Magico Speakers, I have been interested in Q5's (but not the present price and weight - I'm in a condo) and Q7's from the show-reports (but not particularly the price, as it's more than the car I would love for a sunny day on a good country paved road - the British BAC mono single seater F3ish guy, especially when I consider the cost of Constellation electronics - it's like a second country home).
Cheers! And good-listening. :)
My bad staxguy. You are absolutely right about the $20K price tag. So is it safe to assume that these M5 owners are desperate to upgrade to an aluminum cabinet. What nonsense.
So much music...so little time.
Ok, back on topic. I am not much of a Magico fan but let's face it....a $90K speaker that JV swooned over in the pre-aluminum days for $20K? If I was in the market for a $20K speaker and a 9/10 M5 popped up, it would be at top of my list post-haste.
So much music...so little time.
LMFAO!
Well, well my old buddy MondayViagra. Glad you got a laugh out of the posts. Do you still reek of nitro-methane?
So much music...so little time.
I don't know who you are talking about Gavin, but SundayNiagara does.
Good to know you are still out and about.
So much music...so little time.
I can see a hornet's nest on the horizon.
How come?
Check your email.
huh?
huh?
I would be leery of these ads. I got excited and then I did some digging. Turned out that the M5 for $20K (Now removed) is the same as the one for $22K which, surprisingly, has the same SN as the M5 from the "Audio Gallery" at $36,750. A bit too risky for me. Don't know about Audiogon these days...