Dear @fsmithjack : Even the S5II needs a pair of self powered subwoofers connected in a true stereo fashion.. As a fact all passive loudspeakers needs those subwoofers, it's a " sin equa non " condition in any pasive audio system. It does not matters if name is Magico or Wilson or whatever and even it does not matters what the people of Magico could think about.
You are more or less satisfied with your digital alternative, well you can't even imagine the whole improvement you will have with the subs connected in the rigth way. I'm not talking here to add " bum bum bum " to the listening experience it's more deeper and " new " experience where the primary target is not what subwoofers does but what those Magico will does ! !
Not only your Pass amplifier can't handle in precise way those Magico speakers in the bass range as a fact no other amp can do it because the amps were not designed to fulfill the very specific needs of the Magico speakers. Amps are " universal " when in powered subs the amps were designed in specific for the woofers needs and this makes a huge differences in the quality bass range performance but more important what makes in the Magico " new " frequency range that will goes from the upper bass range to 50 khz.
Here you can read something about:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/do-you-think-you-need-a-subwoofer/post?postid=310058#310058
After fine tunning your room/system with the powered subwoofers your not only your digital will shines but your analog rig will does too ! !
Btw, @dgarretson you know the high respect I have for you and I'm not in " total " disagreement with you but think on this: for many years our brain/body was and is accustomed to the analog experiences and if we suddenly swicht to digital our brain/body answer will be exactly like you said.
What happens if for 4-6 months in a row you listen only to the digital alternative and don't was exposed to the analog one?, well that when you listening again to analog you will be totally aware and in a very precise way will detect not only those very high LP distortions but that at the end will not so easy to live with when you know for sure that with digital you stay truer to the recording but we have to make that time test.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
You are more or less satisfied with your digital alternative, well you can't even imagine the whole improvement you will have with the subs connected in the rigth way. I'm not talking here to add " bum bum bum " to the listening experience it's more deeper and " new " experience where the primary target is not what subwoofers does but what those Magico will does ! !
Not only your Pass amplifier can't handle in precise way those Magico speakers in the bass range as a fact no other amp can do it because the amps were not designed to fulfill the very specific needs of the Magico speakers. Amps are " universal " when in powered subs the amps were designed in specific for the woofers needs and this makes a huge differences in the quality bass range performance but more important what makes in the Magico " new " frequency range that will goes from the upper bass range to 50 khz.
Here you can read something about:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/do-you-think-you-need-a-subwoofer/post?postid=310058#310058
After fine tunning your room/system with the powered subwoofers your not only your digital will shines but your analog rig will does too ! !
Btw, @dgarretson you know the high respect I have for you and I'm not in " total " disagreement with you but think on this: for many years our brain/body was and is accustomed to the analog experiences and if we suddenly swicht to digital our brain/body answer will be exactly like you said.
What happens if for 4-6 months in a row you listen only to the digital alternative and don't was exposed to the analog one?, well that when you listening again to analog you will be totally aware and in a very precise way will detect not only those very high LP distortions but that at the end will not so easy to live with when you know for sure that with digital you stay truer to the recording but we have to make that time test.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.