Stereophile claims about Magico

I suspect that many of us hear so much hype regarding various stereo components that it is just easier to pass it off unless you could actually afford to own them / it. And since most of us here can't afford to own them, revolutionary is nice but in reality doesn't make much difference until we receive the trickle down technology. But is is nice to read about when in the library just like the exotic cars.
I for one could never consider spending 25k on speakers no matter how revolutionary they were unless they also did my laundry, cooked my breakfast, and kept me warm at night.

Dhann,I have to give you credit.You are correct on quite a few points....But unlike the "gas crunch",consumers(on forums like this) have the ability to affect things,though to a small extent and maybe only sometimes.
I,myself, absolutely would consider a purchase of the Minis,if leaving my current dwelling(where I have a dedicated room).Yes,the speaker should be auditioned in a home environment to be fully appreciated.I personally love them,and am "not" rationalizing my comparison to what I own.

Also,the Magico cabinetry is "fabulous" and incredibly well constructed,but I don't believe the Magico way is necessarily the only way to achieve low/almost non existant cabinet noise.This is a subject that is open to debate,but there are more ways than some would know,to dampen a cabinet(effectively) and NOT store energy...Magico does a fabulous job(in marketing too),but they are not alone,and even some MDF/HDF boxes can be "made absolutely quiet" if skillfully attended to.

Ex:...Much of the TAD Ref is MDF,and is absolutely dead quiet,and loses NO musical information,through stored energy....I've enjoyed them on numerous occassions!!
Regarding the wonderful Magico Mini,in my friend's room,the low freq cut off is somewhat higher in his room than you may think(I cannot possibly see meaningful/useful output down to "anything" in the 20's,and he uses a fabulous/expensive SS amp),and all rooms will affect this.In my friend's room,the cut-off is 31 hz(I don't know how much of "that" is really useable bass).I know it satisfies me,but the "weight" cannot match some other designs(it's still great,btw).I repeat...I personally LOVE them "just the way they are"!
Yet,some of my other "bass obsessed" friends(actually very experienced audiophile/music lovers) think the actual weight/power of the bass is not that good...I disagree!!
This has caused quite a stir,in my little group of friends!And YES,the speaker is VERY well set up,and driven with top flight stuff!

To me,the speaker is fabulous!!....BUT,sorry...it is "approaching" silly expensive,and there are those who will draw a line and seek out alternatives(think Ridge Street Audio Sason).

BTW,your V-3 is also a wonderful speaker,like many other fine designs,both new and somewhat less new.....Enjoy!!

From all that has been said here, one may think that there were different articles people read. “Useless hype” vs. “not the be all and end all”, TAS review was better vs. worst, some would not buy it because it is $45K, and one actually took RH V3 bass compliments so out of context that you really wonder about simple things like reading comprehension. Even when compliments are given, one will immediately add that his $5K 20 years old speakers is actually better. It is obvious, to me, from this and many posts here, that opinions have nothing to very little to do with merits. Even so called “preferences” that we all have, get tainted with egos here so fast that hardly any intelligent discussion can actually take place. As a V3 owner, I was waiting to see an SP review for long time. I can only imagine, and it was confirm, IMO, in the long “missing the scoop excuse” as to how difficult it must have been for SP to “agree” with TAS. Nevertheless, by now, the 2 main US magazines, 2-3 US on-line magazine, and many publications all over the world (Including 2 Japanese Grand prix award), agreeing that there is some merit to the brand. Such a consensus is unusual. But I guess to most of the commenters here it means nothing. Even when somewhat deeper than usual explanation is given to the unusual (Revolutionary?) methods MAGICO uses to build its products, one will claim here that his 50 year old loudspeakers is built similar... I guess the word entertainment comes to mind.
So here are a few revolutionary facts for you all: An acoustic suspension design (Sealed), 12” X 15” foot print, 88db sensitivity with in-room bass responses down to 20 Hz!. These speakers have more usable anechoic output at 20Hz then just about any other speakers SP has EVER measured. That includes some big behemoth like the Wilson MAXX2. Now add a -/+ 3 db flat anechoic from 40 Hz to 40K. No resonant box modes to be found. A 4 ohm nominal around the entire power region, superbly clean spectral-decay plot and IMD at single digits. All that at a price tag of $25K (I know it is expensive but so is Ferraris or Porches, if you have problem with these prices, why trash them? Simply do not buy them.) If that is not “revolutionary” enough for you guys, I would like to know what is.

My friend has had the new version Magico Minis for over six months.It is a fine speaker,and really a beauty to behold.It also fills up space,far more-so than one would think a speaker like this could.

As to the sound...it is very slightly less open in the upper mid than my Avalon Ascent MK-II(another "way overbuilt" product,from a while ago,but holds up incredibly well).The rest of the spectrum is actually very similar.My friend agrees,as we have identical equipment.

I LOVE the Minis,and preferred it slightly more than the V-3.Yet,I DO think the asking price is getting a bit too much,and when TAD comes out with their own mini version of the Ref(soon to come),the Mini will have some real competition,and I hope TAD does price their product a bit better.Competition is a good thing!

I definitely think some reviewers "over hype" certain favored mfgrs!!..This has seemed obvious for a long time.

The more responsible mfgrs don't use this to increase prices(regularly),but there are some who take advantage of this.

I'm not insinuating Magico does this,but they have gone up a few too many times,and to a "great extent" regardless of superior construction,IMO. When JV goes non stop about the product,over and over again,and admitted that Alon Wolf is a friend,one has to think about it...NO?

Sorry if this is to obvious but the perfect speaker doesn't exist so I guess any claim is just that,a claim.
Having been here at the site, for long-time; I know so many love to trash the mags.---However just from having read their constant trashing; I think the writers have more integrity. ( in that) I never read in the rags re. dumb philes that post as if they were experts ??--(This in part referring to that long Michael Fremer bash- post, a year or so back.)

I think the V3 is a very solid, and musical speaker.

However, it seems their has been a lot of press coverage, for such an esoteric product, it almost seems peculiar.
TAS, dedicated almost the whole issue to them, then Stereophile.... I mean it is a GREAT product but not revolutionary. I actually think Magico speakers have more sonic peers than my restored Garrard 301.

I am happy though that they are at least "pushing" something that most would agree is a very fine proudct unlike much of the average gear they recommend

I am a subscriber of Stereophile but to be honest I never read it outside "The Library". I'm sure you know what I mean. Sometimes there are some interesting articles like the Oppo etc. which I purchased one to see what the hoopla was all about. But somehow I think there is something better in the entry level CD Player category. We just haven't found it yet. As for the Magico the article was in fact interesting but not enough for me to buy a pair at $45 grand. There is nothing new in speaker design as there is nothing new with tube circuits, or solid state circuits,etc. And for sure there is nothing "Revolutionary" about the Magico. They do look nice!

I tend to drink the Kook-Aid at these things, but I have been to two Magico demos featuring Alon Wolff and left both times feeling that the price of the Minis is not out of line given the engineering and parts in them. The crossovers alone are something to behold, He's a very impressive guy. Plus I like the speakers.

I think it's interesting to watch reviewers move through the various price levels over the years. They get more and more expensive gear as time goes by, and they get less relevant over time due, mainly, to the fact that they're reviewing stuff most of us consider "ridiculously priced", either because we really do feel that way or because we can never afford it.

Reading JV in TAS talk about his latest "this is the greatest thing since sliced bread" speaker is comical at this point. JS used to be this way, but thankfully found another career to veer into. And then you get his review on the V2 version of the same speaker and it, not surprisingly, goes to whole new levels and costs another several thousand bucks. What!?!?! How is this an experience any of us can leverage?

Whatever. Good entertainment, but for the most part pretty useless for really identifying "revolutionary".

It's clear from the review that the speakers were not the be all and end all, Magico was welcomed in to the field as a new player.

Gregg

Shadorne: In a world with me too speaker boxes built in China and me too drivers cheaply built and mass produced in Northern Europe perhaps Magico is actually REVOLUTIONARY.

Perhaps Magico was designed in the USA in 1776. :)

Just curious after reading the article if anybody browsed previous loudspeaker articles about methods used in dampening or stiffing the MDF box?

My short review found:

nothing very innovative in cabinet dampening or stiffing
extensively bracing of the cabinet
ply hardwood layers sandwiched together
combination of resin, glue, or gel to strengthen cabinet
super plywood Birch or some exotic wood I never heard of

So...if I'm a designer where are the technological advances in acoustic construction of MDF design cabinets? More bracing.

When will Stereophile & TAS introduce their "swimsuit" issue :-)

I am not too concerned with Stereophiles hype. I did have the opportunity to audition the Magicos at Sound by Singer and they are great speakers. Very clean detailed and not too forward. and they are not too big. I loved them.
$ 25,000.00 a pair seems a little high to me. I would buy them second hand.

i have not heard the magico. I am all for paying a "premium" for north american or european products (non china) ut does anyone else find the prices charged by magico simply insane? I say this in light of this thread as a non technical layman who has seen his fair share of speakers over 20 years, i dont believe magico is anything revolutionary.

rather then been impressed by reviews of magico as audio porn, ive been disgusted and not been able to realy concentratew on the reivews because i the pricing just seems so outrageous.

For the record, i do enjoy reading about expensive equip. (ala levinson) just something about the magico line and the "raves" that irks me.....see kharma as well

I also felt that Absolute Sound's article was much better. Infact, actually correct if you read between the lines. "The V3's top two octaves were brighter than the Salon2's, resulting in a more open and airy presentation, but one that lacked the Salon2's silky smoothness." Absolute sounds negative opinions are more significant because harder to come by in most reviews. I personally thought that the tweeter was harsh and edgy.

"The Salon2 packed a wallop in the midbass; the V3 Base was less dramatic,". "TheV3's bottom end seemed to pressurize the room at the lowest frequencies." I found that music with a lot of base suffered the most. It sounded boxed in and lost the multiple frequencies surrounding the deepest sounds. Too sharp as if it's low frequencies were cut off too steeply. It did not just have a lack of base extention but more a disturbing lacked symmetry between the bass and the rest of speaker.

The review is revolutionary compared your's regarding the Avantgarde 2.1.(They actually said something of interest).

Or just another bold claim on mag cover to sell issues.
Johnk

Now you're getting warmer. :)

Stereophile is just like any other enthusiast magazine, it's purpose is to move product. Take it for what it's worth....audio porn. I subscribe to see photos and read physical descriptions of gear that I've never seen before, and/or cannot audition in person. I give very little weight to their sonic descriptions or their 'used car salesman' approach.
Let your own ears be the judge.

Cheers,
John

I don't read it the way that you do. The full quote is "Revolutinizing speaker design. Alon Wolf's Magico V3." I don't take it to mean that the V3 is revolutionary; I take it to mean that the process of designing speakers that Wolf uses is revolutionary. That design aspect is covered rather thoroughly in the article on Wolf. In fact, if you look at the genesis of his horn speakers, it certainly seems like a different design process, more heavily dependent on computer modeling than is typical and the result seems unusual as well. I will leave it to others as to what consitutes a "revolution". And yes, these tag lines are meant to sell magazines.

And that, Avguygeorge, is to ENTERTAIN. If useful info pops out accidentally, great all the better.

Mileage sure varies. I think TAS has very little meat these days. They've gone in the direction of the lame Fi magazine that many of them were part of, and it's sad.

Feb 08 issue Stereophile vol 31 no 2 cover claims a New fullrange loudspeaker referance. But its not Magico? So in 2 issues the new fullrange referance has been replaced by a revolution in loudspeaker design;) Whats next? If sp thinks it needs attention getting headlines on front page to sell mags maybe they forget how many mag vendors dont stock sterophile. I cant find it anywhere except borders.

I thought the TAS review was better. Stereophile spends 1/3 of the space discussing their policy on # of dealers required to qualify for their reviewing a product. TAS has more meat. Of course all reviews have the same purpose.

They use "magic" - that is what is revolutionary. LOL. Stereophile continues to count on the gullability and lack of technical knowledge of people with high disposable income who like to believe they own "revolutionary" products. So what is new - my PC is revolutionary, my car is revolutionary, my cellphone is revolutionary. The orange juice I drink in the morning is revolutionary - it contains calcium. The milk in my coffee is revolutionary as it contains Vitamin C. ROFLMAO. It is called hype marketing and it is universal!

Magico are great speakers but revolutionary is just standard stereophile hype.

In a world with me too speaker boxes built in China and me too drivers cheaply built and mass produced in Northern Europe perhaps Magico is actually REVOLUTIONARY.