Magicos are chesty

@erik_squires 

The S1 I listen to was in a small room with the Spectral Stereo DMA 240, hardly a monster. I don't understand why you conclude that they need a big space and a big amp. I only heard the S3 in Munich show couple of years ago, it was a very impressive presentation, also with Spectral, I believe. 

I think their efficiency is around 83 dB, no?

Because they have a very wide dispersion. To make them sound their best they need just as much room as much larger speakers.

I guess my point is that the S1, being small footprint speakers, you'd kind of expect to want to use them in a small space, with something like a 60W tube or class-A integrated. Essentially what we might call an intimate system.

IMHO, this wouldn't work at all.

They are just as demanding as much larger speakers in terms of space and perhaps more so in terms of power.

I did not mean to say you need a kilowatt amplifier for them, just that the normal calculus for small speakers seems off to me.

Don't know about any of that...  They were marvelous in a small room, very close to the back wall, with the smallest Spectral. I was also told that they sound magic with the Octave V110 integrated (110 W), albeit very different sound from the Spectral.  

Don't know about any of that... They were marvelous in a small room, very close to the back wall, with the smallest Spectral. I was also told that they sound magic with the Octave V110 integrated (110 W), albeit very different sound from the Spectral.  

Good to know!