My Long List of Amplifiers and My Personal Review of Each!
@thezaks `` The one someone sells is never the one to get``. This statement is true but in an idealistic world, which almost never really applies in everybody `s ( normal guy) audio world. As I wrote, one s inferior will be someone else superior...so this is why things work out in the audio market cycle. |
My point was simple. You already asked the OP once and he declined to comment...which is what he does when he doesnt feel the need or desire to answer. That's his right and it certainly wouldn't be the first time in this thread. Asking the same question multiple times in back to back posts hoping to get the response you want....thats like a baby crying for its bottle. If he wanted you or anybody else to see his room he would address it. |
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Yeah sure, under the profiles or providing ext links, what's your point? I'm relatively new to AG (obviously) but not to audio. Genuinely curious with so much gear going through his place, would be great to see some of it! Pictures are priceless, dunno who wouldn't want to some of these great items and the room they reside in. |
techno_dude: I respectfully disagree with your statement - "The one someone sells is never the one to get." I've purchased used items that have been absolutely terrific. If the goal is to go for the very best, you better have lots of money and be willing to go through a lot of equipment (like WC), because it's a long-term quest. Not sure anyone will ever get there. And, I was going to mention something similar to what WC mentioned (actually I did allude to it, if you look at my previous post :-). Just because someone sells something and picks up something different (with the assumption that it's better), does not mean that they won't drop that one for another one. Dave |
Maybe I missed it, but I think it would be beneficial to have pics of your space (I think dimensions were given at some point)? I'm surprised there hasn't been even a couple pics given the length and time invested in this thread. Being the room plays such a significant role in the overall outcome, it would give some sort of reference to others that may or may not have similar dimension/layouts etc.. What plays well in one space (subjective preferences notwithstanding) is almost certain not translate into other spaces |
I’m glad you got the 900u amp. It’s an amazing amp. People keep messaging me a lot about the 350.8 and Hegel h30 etc and I keep saying the same thing: the 900u smokes both. I have parted ways with the 900u only because luxman is working on the reference Monos which are going to be more than twice the money of the 900u. That said, I am and will continue trying luxman as they release more products in the future. |
WC, sure it is not exact science. The more the waiting, the more the odds of getting one of the cream of the crop. One day will come when this thread will end, as every good thing has an end. Life has to go on. In the meantime I did pretty well. I got the amp you bought 4 times, the 900u. So I hit the nail on his one. I can do the same with drivers. Let us enjoy the ride until a definitive trend shows up in the speakers department. You re the driver, I sit in the back admiring the view. |
WC...one day I believe you will try a good pair of horns and realize you can have it all. Assuming you have the right room, listening position, front end gear, and so on and so on, you might find your holy grail ( always questionable with you tho ). Just another perspective, and of course a very biased opinion. Enjoy ! MrD. |
Techno: you know where the problem lies with your thinking? That the one I end up keeping gets replaced yet again by something else so then what do you do ? If I keep the magico and sell the sopras then you’ll get magicos but what If i fly out to Chicago and listen to YG speakers and bring them home and murder the magico? Now what ? You’re stuck with the inferior speaker right ??? So you see how your way of thinking isn’t really 100% accurate :) |
WC--I concur with jafox that every speaker has its pros and cons. I have not heard either one, but suppose the Focal has more bass and the Magico has more accuracy/information retrieval. My taste would be the Magico, but your taste might be the Focal, because you love bass and loudness/large scale dynamics. You said recently that you wouldn't like Bob Marley without sufficient bass, but on the other hand, you value hearing all the words in a song clearly. So you might be bewitched by the clarity of the Magico so that bass QUANTITY becomes a lower priority. The Magico might have superlative bass QUALITY with more information retrieval in the bass, with still decent bass QUANTITY. You'll never know unless YOU try them both. As you always say, published reviews are less valuable than your own evaluations. Maybe the difference in resale between sealed speakers and open box is $1000 or so, but this is the price of your own R & D and the fun of this quest. |
Lets be honest for the sake of everybody here. The one someone sells is never the one to get. People sell inferior stuff to get superior stuff. The reason you can sell is that your inferior is someone else superior. In this case it’s relative holy grail exchange. But for ultimate purists like me who are tired to sell and resale, we search for the first best. It is the reason we keep returning to this thread. Is WC biased when resaling? Sure he is l like everybody else that wants to get money back to buy something else. So I read between the lines. I will never buy Sashas2 or Vivid G1, because you got rid of them. I will never buy the one you sale between the Sopra 3 and the Magico. I will get the pair you keep. Because I know this thread has always been about the best amp , the best dac, and the best speakers. |
Guys, i can easily sell the sopra 3s. They are the hottest color available (Audi blue) and yes maybe I open them, then put the magicos next to them and do comparisons for a few weeks. The issue here is that if I were to say the sopra killed the magicos s5 mk2, people will assume the magico is no good and the sopra is the one to get. That’s not how this works. Lastly, you all need to remember that my front end isn’t exactly cheap so just because a speaker sounds awesome here doesn’t mean you’ll get the same results unless you have the same cables, components and room. |
It is definitely understandable if resale value comes into play - not opening the Sopra 3's could save some money. However, this is WC we're talking about here :-) If anyone thinks that one of these two pairs of speakers is the final destination for WC, my bet is that you are absolutely wrong. Sure, he might end up mightily impressed with the Sopras or the Magicos, and he might even keep them for a while, but he will most certainly not keep them long term. It's just not his way of doing things, and let's face it, it's why many of us are here tagging along for the ride. I definitely enjoy it! With that said, even if WC returns/sells the Sopras without opening them, it does not mean that he won't consider them again in the future. Thanks for the fun and entertaining ride WC! Dave |
WC, am I to assume you do not want to open them, because they might lose some value if you need to sell them ( based on you liking the Magicos ) ? This is quite understandable, as you know better than most, the resale value of this level of equipment. If this is the reason, I would wait. Enjoy ! MrD. |
"Hi whitecamaross, fascinating journey which I eagerly follow. Have read it all. Don’t let someone like dep14 talk down the importance of a power cable or any cable for that matter. I am sure he means well. He, like many others, can not understand how a few feet of expensive cable at the end of miles of supply cable can make a difference. A reasonable assumption to the uninformed. But it is not the last bit of cable connected to your amp. The way your amp sees it, it is the first bit of cable it connects to. And rather an important one as this is how it derives it’s power. There is a lot more to it than that. Tons of info on the internet." Nice spin. Look, I’m not saying use lamp cord. But a good medical grade cable ought to do the trick. Many amp MFG suggest going straight into the wall, yet there is a huge business out there selling giant power plants. I could care less if you put your money into it. You are much better off putting $1000.00 into room treatments than a $1000 power cord. But, whatever makes you happy. If you have endless funds, hell go for it. Speakers/Room/Source/Amp But feel free to explain it to me. |
Hi whitecamaross, fascinating journey which I eagerly follow. Have read it all. Don't let someone like dep14 talk down the importance of a power cable or any cable for that matter. I am sure he means well. He, like many others, can not understand how a few feet of expensive cable at the end of miles of supply cable can make a difference. A reasonable assumption to the uninformed. But it is not the last bit of cable connected to your amp. The way your amp sees it, it is the first bit of cable it connects to. And rather an important one as this is how it derives it's power. There is a lot more to it than that. Tons of info on the internet. The quality of components you are dealing with call for and will do justice to quality cables. I politely encourage you, when the dust settles, to experiment with some seriously good ones. Hey its easier than changing out mammoth sized speakers. |
Also the performance niggles that I point out are minor and irrelevant to most people except someone (WCSS) who has tried 30+ high end amplifiers and is replacing an already very good speaker (Vivid G1)! Really? I need to go through a boat load of 100+ lb amps and speakers over a 6-month period to understand the relevance of the minor differences brought on by changing such products? Many of the differences WCSS describes between amps and speakers I can achieve simply by changing of a pair of tubes in the line stage, phono stage, DAC, amp input, etc.
Or maybe even a NOLA Contender at a fraction of the Magico price? |
Many of these speakers, including some of the smaller models, do require a bit of distance between them, and the listener, otherwise you can pick up discontinuity between the drivers ( ime ), as well as bass issues and tremendous, unrealistic image delineation. None of the speakers WC is trying, are designed for nearfield listening. Holographic imaging and soundstaging are 2 of WCs important and desirable characteristics he is looking for, and he might realize a larger room with any of these will be needed. The G1s do need a larger room, and WC was sensitive enough as a listener to hear that. The only way WC will know, is to try, and he ( and I ) am enjoying his journey. I give WC kudos for all he is doing, and I am enjoying his findings. It does not matter if I disagree with any of it. This is the 1st Agon thread I open every day. WC....Thank you, and Enjoy ! MrD. |
So the s5 mk2 will be the first time I own magico. Don’t know what to expect and don’t know if I’ll find it better than Wilson in my room. That said, I’m not just looking for bass in my room. I’m specifically looking for a huge soundstage, detail, holographic imaging which can be done in my room. Even if the magico fails to deliver all the bass id want to have, it doesn’t mean it loses. It has to present a larger picture with far more information than I have ever heard before for me to consider it a winner in my room. i favor holographic imaging, detail, soundstage size over bass. |
Agreed, Magico S5 is also SOTA. It is all relative anyway. I would be happy with Magico S5 although I don’t aspire to SOTA as my goal is more towards classic design with history and proven track record - designs that have withstood the test of time. The S5 is a really Great speaker (sorry if I repeat myself multiple times) |
@ Shadorne The Giya 1 maybe be SOTA in a larger room than WCs . He states it’s too large for the space. You cannot say that SOTA is confined to only the biggest and most expensive top of the line speakers. SOTA in a 11x14 room like mine would be a much smaller speaker like a Giya 3 or the Magico S3Mk2 that I have. You might can get the Giya 1 to sound as good in a huge room as a Giya 2 or 3 in a smaller room.....maybe. What is your definition of SOTA ? In a manufacturers line one speaker can be better than a more expensive one, ie Magico Q3 considered better sounding than a Magico Q5 |
07-22-2018 6:24pmWCSS, Here is a standalone Room Perfect for sale, FYI; https://www.ebay.com/itm/232858283808?ul_noapp=tru Buy this and your room problems are Solved |
Thanks techno. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone here. The vivid audio g1 is incredible and huge sounding. That said, I’m going to try and see if the next 2 speakers will be satisfactory in my room and what compromises I have to make. Sopra 3 is supposed to be outstanding and I suspect more forward sounding than the magico. This could in fact lead anyone to believe that the sopra will have more detail than the magico and magico may sound warm in comparison. That said, I am going to listen for hours on end to both and then choose. |
WC already knows that shadorne. He just wants to experience it. To know if the Focal or Magico can compete with the G1. To know which of those two is the best in his room. And we, his followers, are looking forward to read his conclusions. Why, because most of us don’t trust reviews of magazines, and most don’t have the connexions or the means to be able to bring all this gear into our rooms to make those tests. |
