Magico V3 Loudspeaker
$25,000

magico.net

Once in a great while, a product comes along that changes the rules of the game. Such a product not only sets new performance benchmarks in certain sonic criteria, it serves as a touchstone for an entire industry. By pushing beyond traditional thinking and design concepts, the product has the power to inspire designers in other categories to aim even higher. The V3 loudspeaker from Magico is such a product.

Although at first glance it appears like just another conesin- a-box speaker, the V3 creates an entirely new language of loudspeaker design. From the curved aluminum baffle, to the stacked birch-ply enclosure, to the custom drivers made from the same material as helicopter blades, to the fist-sized crossover capacitors, the V3 brings fresh new ideas to a very old technology.

All this innovation would be meaningless, of course, if the V3 didn’t sound much different from other loudspeakers. But sound different it does. The V3 possesses a fundamental musical rightness that’s instantly apparent. The speakers disappear, not just in the conventional sense of becoming lostin a wide and deep soundstage, but tonally as well. The V3 is so utterly transparent that instrumental tone color is portrayed with astonishing vividness of color and palpability of texture. The sense of hearing an instrument or voice in front of you—right there—is transcendental. The Magico V3 is destined to become an iconic product, one that we’ll look back on years or decades from now as forging an important new direction not just in loudspeaker design, but in advancing the entire art of music reproduction. (Reviewed in Issue 179)

 

Naim Nait 5i-2 Integrated Amplifier
$1625
naim-usa.com

If there’s a better value in high-end electronics than the new Naim Nait 5i-2, I have yet to discover it. Naim’s Nait Series has always possessed more than a hint of magic (as I discovered when I reviewed the Nait 2 in 1989), but the company has continually found ways to improve performance. Now with upgraded circuitry (hence the “-2� designation), the 50Wpc Nait 5i-2 again sets the standard in the category.

What makes the Nait 5i-2 so special is the amplifier’s ability to engage the listener musically. Many integrated amplifiers (and separates, for that matter) sound good on a sonic checklist such as soundstaging, bass depth and power, dynamics, treble smoothness, and clarity, but when it comes down to it, they lack the elusive power to communicate musical expression that is the core of the high-end audio experience.

If I had to point to specific sonic characteristics of the Nait that make it so musically compelling, I’d cite the amplifier’s ability to present music as an interwoven tapestry of individual musical lines that gel into a coherent and meaningful whole. Even when driving highly resolving loudspeakers (Wilson Sophias and Magico V3s, for example), the Nait’s special magic is unmistakable. Many expensive separates lack the Naim’s seductive musicality. That this sound quality is possible for $1625 is cause for celebration. (Reviewed in our next issue)

 

QSonix Q110 Music Server
$5995
qsonix.com
The QSonix 110 brings your entire CD collection to yourfingertips with a brilliant user interface. The intuitive drag’n’ drop touchscreen makes navigating your library or programming playlists a breeze. New software allows high-res downloads seamlessly from MusicGiants. (Reviewed in Issue 177, follow-up forthcoming)