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Magico A3

I auditioned a pair of Magico A3's this week to replace my long-term, beloved speakers (Von Schweikert VR5 HSE) that are just too big for the apartment I moved into, and are sounding (but not looking) a bit dated (ca. 2001). I am emotionally attached to my speakers and changing is like divorcing and re-marrying -- they may look and sound good and seem compatible, but one doesn't know until one has lived with them for some time whether the relationship will last.

In brief: If someone would have told me the A3's were $15K - $20K I would not have been surprised. First, they are much more handsome in the flesh (or in the aluminum, to be literal) than in photos. They have a clean, bold, post-industrial look. They also are Goldilocks-size: not too big, not too small for a 22x12x8 living room. And the sound, especially the vocals, is eerily natural and realistic. The bass is astonishingly deep and tight, the highs crisp but not sizzling and the mid stellar. They just sounded fresh and clean without being antiseptic. And, they can rock with the best (check out Maybe the People on Love's legendary album Forever Changes) but be delicate when the music is (e.g., Wilco's Jesus etc., or Natalie Prass's Bird of Prey). So, I ordered a pair on the spot. Delivery will not be until August as the early production run apparently has sold out.

I predict this speaker will go down as one of the greatest values in audio history, and I cannot imagine the price remaining at $9,800/pr for long, especially when the formal reviews come out. BUT, we will see how we get along when I bring them home and we have lived together for some time. That will be the true test of whether it is love, or just respect and admiration.

Neal
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sciencecop
79 posts
 
"flavor of the month"??   It has been a very long month...

tutetibiimperes
202 posts
 
@sciencecop 

I don’t know if I’d agree about the similarities with the S5.  I heard the S5 in the Synergitic room and thought they were amazing.  The A3 just didn’t wow me.  

It didn’t sound bad by any means, but compared to the Paradigm Personas and Revel F228be it seemed a bit flatter and didn’t resolve detail as readily.  I’d go as far as to say it had a slightly ‘dark’ tonality.  

Some of that could have been the various room setups, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them.  I could see someone having a preference for the A3 if they prefer that darker sound signature.  
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
1,457 posts
 
It's only over the last few weeks that a number of people have been able to auditon the A3's.  I'm not aware of the Revels being shown anywhere else.  My point is that that these models and a few others are brand new, and novelty automatically invites attention and curiosity.  But while we're being attentive and curious and intrigued, let's not lose sight of the other real competition out there.
audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,483 posts
 
The real question is,, How do the a-3's compare to the q3 speaker's ?, they have similar frequency range and looks, the sensitivity is slightly higher with the q3.
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,149 posts
 
@audiolabyrinth -- by the same logic you could also ask "how do the A3 compare to the M3" 😏

My experience in moving in the Magico lines is that there are two strands of DNA if you will -- one (the number) pertains more to room size and frequency extension (primarily low end) while the other (the letter) pertains more to tone and temperament -- I moved from V3 to Q3 and the effect was transformative, my next move (if/when I do) would be to M3. For some reason I have never warmed to the S series despite hearing them in many shows, they always seem to lack emotion and come across as sterile (although that could be the fault of how they are demoed)

So for me the question is tonally is the A class in the spirit of Q->M or the S. I suspect the latter given the necessity at this price point of designing a speaker that is undemanding of the sources and amplifiers it is used with, hence the slightly higher sensitivity I assume. The Qs can sound like hell if not carefully matched (they need gobs of power and ideally (to my taste) valves)
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