S5s in for audition

mdkim

mdkim

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A pair of fully broken in S5s landed Monday. First thing that struck me was the packaging...holy mackerel there are suspension bolts holding the speaker off of the crate's base! Another thing that became readily apparent is that there is no way I unpack and set these things up solo. Even with a dolly and elevator,it took almost an hour for two to unpack and set-up.

So, how the heck do they sound? Pretty damn good, especially after being spiked yesterday. Images snapped into place, smooth mids and highs, and great bass without any mud or smearing and definitely none of it overbearing. I can listen to any track, any genre without pause for what sounds best. I must also mention that they play loud as heck! My Dyns are supposedly 88 dB, the D3s are supposedly 86-87 dB (I've seen both but someone feel free to jump in), and the S5s measured at 86 dB, but damn are my SPLs infinitely louder and pre set at levels I've never seen before (40-45 for late night). All in all I'm extremely impressed!

Any negatives? Of course! While the vocals are great, they lack a certain "realism" I've only experienced with the Raidhos. The best way I can explain the difference between the two is in tone and dynamics, not frequency extension. While the S5s can accelerate faster than anything I've heard, I feel they're range bound when compared to the Raidho. It's almost like comparing a live body, or mouth, to being front and center to an amp at a live venue. Let me be clear, the S5s sound better than the vast majority of speakers out but since I'm splitting hairs I'm gonna shoot from the hip. Boy do I wish I could create a Frankenstein and stick the Raidho ribbon in the S5 chassis :snicker:.

Bottom line, the S5s are allowing me to focus more on music and I'm bobbing and tapping more despite having a smidgen less life and a touch less depth of stage (the S5s' stage width is ridiculous).

I'll follow up after a week or two and experimenting with more positioning and some voodoo from Synergistic (HFTs and ART cups) but I'm a bit awestruck at the value these things represent and wanted to share.

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I'm sorry Mike, the S5's look great and I'm glad you like them, but damn, I can't get past those Pass amps in your photos! GORGEOUS! What an amazing setup. I bet the XS amps sound tremendous on the S5's.

Yes, the Raidho tweeter is something special indeed.


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Michael...did you buy them or are you just auditioning them as a potential replacement to the D3s? Either way, congrats and enjoy the audition/purchase!
 
Great! So since I do not have, or have heard, Raidho then the S5 will be the best speaker for me. :D

One question. I have my current speakers spiked onto a 4" maple plinth with carpet piercing brass footers. Does it look like the S5 can fit onto a plinth? It looks like a modest size speaker, especially considering its performance. There is no way a Sasha or Alexia could be on a plinth.
 
Mike: yeah the XS definitely have a certain presence to them. If I go all in with Magico, with the money I save, XS pre? :blush:

Cyril: auditioning at the moment. We know how these long term auditions end up tho :bonkers:

Joe: the Bryston drives my center and surrounds.
 
Bud:

I'm sure the S5s will fit on to a wooden plinth. You could even get really "trick" and shape it to match the enclosure since the footers/spikes are within the footprint. And, even after having lived with the Raidhos, and auditioning myriad speakers over the last few weeks, I can say the Magicos may definitely be the best speaker for me :eyebrow:.
 
mdkim said:
And, even after having lived with the Raidhos, and auditioning myriad speakers over the last few weeks, I can say the Magicos may definitely be the best speaker for me :eyebrow:.
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I like the whole setup beautiful room!!!! S5's look at home in there :)
 
I agree a hybrid with Raidho tweeter and magico
Woofer would b sublime. One of the nicest systems I heard at ces two years ago was c1.1 with duel active fathom subs. Any tweeter fatigue with magico s5. I found the q1 very impressive but after 30 minutes the tweeter and very forward soundstage was just too hard on my ears. I think others think perhaps less stiff cabinet of S series provide a less forward presentation but is still fast, highly resolving and yet not fatiguing. R u able to do side by side S5 vs D3 same room comparisons. Enjoy the shoot out.

Nick
 
Nick:

The stage is definitely a bit more forward with the Magicos when compared with the Raidhos. I currently have no fatigue but I did experience a little ear pressure after the first hour when we were placing them. I had to swap speaker cables as the loaner pair of S5s have the old style Cardas binding posts and would not accept my bananas. The loaner cables had not been used for weeks so running them for a few hours did the trick. The speakers are a touch warm while maintaining good extension. However, I have been told by others that they can be a bit bright when not broken in.

I plan on plugging the D3s back in after a week or so.
 
Some very nice speakers indeed, the final conclusion will be close I think but I'm picking the Magico solely for the air/energy moved & the bass to smooth. If you want a real tweeter then go 20.7's.....:sneaky:
 
sharkmouth said:
Some very nice speakers indeed, the final conclusion will be close I think but I'm picking the Magico solely for the air/energy moved & the bass to smooth. If you want a real tweeter then go 20.7's.....:sneaky:
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:exciting:
 
mdkim said:
Nick:

The stage is definitely a bit more forward with the Magicos when compared with the Raidhos. I currently have no fatigue but I did experience a little ear pressure after the first hour when we were placing them. I had to swap speaker cables as the loaner pair of S5s have the old style Cardas binding posts and would not accept my bananas. The loaner cables had not been used for weeks so running them for a few hours did the trick. The speakers are a touch warm while maintaining good extension. However, I have been told by others that they can be a bit bright when not broken in.

I plan on plugging the D3s back in after a week or so.
Click to expand...

Have to throw my 2cents in since I just went from the D3's to the S5's for a month and then back to the D3's. I realized a few things during this excursion. First you have to REALLY work at getting the D3's to do their magic and reach their max potential.....so many things matter. Vs. the S5's that you can just pretty much plop down and they are going to sing. Yes, you have to optimize the S5's as well to get the most out of them, but it's nothing like working on the D3's. (Not saying this would be the same for others, this was my experience).

Having said that the D3's are much harder to "get right", once the D3's are set up with everything necessary to get them optimized, AND you can live with their known constraints - the two biggest that stick out for me are not being able to play much over 95db, but this depends so much on the source material, but regardless they are definitely not a 100db + listening speaker and then secondly they really need to be at least 3 feet out into the room. If either of these two characteristics don't work for someone then the Raidhos are not the right speaker for them. BUT on the other hand if you listen at levels below 95db, like me....I usually listen at between 85db and 90db with peaks at around 95 db.......and you like your speakers way out into the room....I like my speakers 10' out from the back wall....it's my personal preference in my room, then for me anyway, the Raidhos present a very compelling 3D holographic soundstage with rock solid, VERY DENSE images...especially with the DSD recordings. I personally could not live without the D3's at this point, they are that good for me.

On the flip side when you set up the S5's and tune them into the room with all the right cables, electronics, placement, proper connection to the floor, etc. they also are a speaker that I could not live without.....they are that good as well. I would have a heck of a time picking one of them.

I actually think that there are many other speakers, ie. the Wilsons, the SF's, the Salon's, the Rockports, YGA and several others that I would compare to the Magico speakers. I think that all of these speakers and the Magicos are more comparable than the Raidhos to the Magicos....they are completely different designs with completely different design fundamentals.....they are really different, to me anyway. When I listen to the D3's I personally compare the sound more to Magnepans and electrostatics than I do to the Magicos or the other mentioned speakers.

To say either the D3's or the S5's are better than the other doesn't equate for me. It's like saying a Ferrari is better than a Lamborghini.....it's not better, it's different. Just because someone likes the S5's more than the D3's or visa versa, doesn't make the one that they don't like the inferior speaker. All it means is that one of these "super speakers" works for them better.....nothing more and nothing less:) That's my 2 cents.
 
Bob:

Well said and I agree!

I have not heard anything present as deep a holographic stage as the Raidho. I've also yet to hear vocals touch me with such utter realism as the Raidho. But, its bass issue(s) - my room required them to come 7+' in and forced my listening chair to come way closer than I'm accustomed to (near near field...HA!) - forced my hand. As good as they are, I cannot live with them (an opinion that many D3 owners share or shared).

I also agree that the S5s have more similarities with the Rockports (still dying to find a dealer that will allow me a listen at home), Wilsons, et al.

I'm stuck believing that I can't have my cake and eat it too. Every speaker has it's pluses/minuses. The goal is to minimize the compromise to your ears and preferences. So far, the S5s get me 85-90% of the way there. I'm hoping to get more...I'm greedy.

Also, the Magicos were not brought in to do some sort of shoot-out resulting in the piling on on Raidho. Rather, after auditioning several speakers, I had the opportunity for an in-home, no risk, audition and I simply wated to share. Having the D3s and the Dynaudio C4s still at home just makes them my first references as I am intimately familiar with their sonics.

It's cliche but the importance of in-home auditioning cannot be overstated.

I will definitely look you up when I next visit NY as I'm curious to see/hear how you've set up the Raidhos. They have a few tremendous traits everyone must listen to.
 
Nice write up bob. I agree that once you get the D3s set up properly - they are amazing.

I agree that's its hard to compare elite products. I also think you can compare the music experience on dif speakers. The "toe tappin" experience.

And a Lamborghini IS better than a Ferrari :) but for a daily driver - Porsche is the only way to go.
 
mdkim said:
Bob:

Well said and I agree!

I have not heard anything present as deep a holographic stage as the Raidho. I've also yet to hear vocals touch me with such utter realism as the Raidho. But, its bass issue(s) - my room required them to come 7+' in and forced my listening chair to come way closer than I'm accustomed to (near near field...HA!) - forced my hand. As good as they are, I cannot live with them (an opinion that many D3 owners share or shared).

I also agree that the S5s have more similarities with the Rockports (still dying to find a dealer that will allow me a listen at home), Wilsons, et al.

I'm stuck believing that I can't have my cake and eat it too. Every speaker has it's pluses/minuses. The goal is to minimize the compromise to your ears and preferences. So far, the S5s get me 85-90% of the way there. I'm hoping to get more...I'm greedy.

Also, the Magicos were not brought in to do some sort of shoot-out resulting in the piling on on Raidho. Rather, after auditioning several speakers, I had the opportunity for an in-home, no risk, audition and I simply wated to share. Having the D3s and the Dynaudio C4s still at home just makes them my first references as I am intimately familiar with their sonics.

It's cliche but the importance of in-home auditioning cannot be overstated.

I will definitely look you up when I next visit NY as I'm curious to see/hear how you've set up the Raidhos. They have a few tremendous traits everyone must listen to.
Click to expand...

And I agree with pretty much everything that you have said as well:) I was not shooting at anything that you had said in your initial excellent post, I just wanted to chime in as I had the same experience with the two speakers. And even though I know they really are not comparable, I compare them all the time:)....it's fun. Would love for you to visit if/when in the city! Best of luck trying to decide what works for you best. The good part is that you really can't go wrong either way.
 
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