Magico S5 2024 in the wild

[mxk116]

Just installed 11/19/24, first time I'm hearing them in the wild (outside of a show). Big shout out to the gang at Soundings in Denver, Colorado.

I have to comment that I did travel twice to hear and see them. First in April to AXPONA 2024 (4/12-4/14) and then to T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa (Saturday, June 8). AXPONA doesn't count because it was a meaningless (for me) static display. First listen was in Costa Mesa at T.H.E. Show but that ended up not counting either. The S5 2024 was being used as a prop in a room to demo Synergistic Research devices. The sound was, ahem, disappointing. Fortunately, I had two reasons to persevere; my very positive experience with the Magico A5 at home and my time spent auditioning the Magico S3 2023. I remained undaunted. My experience once again confirmed for me that the only place to properly experience an audio product is in your own listening environment.

I am migrating some of my comments from the Magico S5 2024 thread elsewhere on WBF in an effort to not hijack that thread.

The install was somewhat plug and play. First the equipment layout and speaker positioning was already optimized for the A5 (a remarkable speaker IMHO). Although it ended up further into the room and slightly closer together than it's little cousin, it did not take long to position the S5 2024 to make good sound. Second, the A5 took >400 hours of breakin to reveal its voice in the room. I expect the S5 to require a similar length of time to do the same. The main goal now is to get some playing time and enjoy the process.

Normally I don't comment on "the sound" of devices newly introduced into the room. New equipment has ups and downs. It changes slowly (or not so slowly) over time, as does one's physical and emotional perception of the sound. The challenge for me is to be patient and let the process unfold.

But 2 things struck me at the outset. After a few hours of run-in, like its sibling the S3 2023, I was taken by the transparency of the S5. Not certain at this point exactly what I am responding to but my main instinct is a relaxed and calm one.

Second is this speaker can reproduce scale. I heard that with orchestral music and in complex multi-instrument recordings like the Pat Metheny Unity Band 2014 recording Kin (<->). If this type of music is appealing to you, try the track Rise Up. The A5 was incapable of this but the S5 makes the venue's size and the music's presence felt in the room. Looking forward to how this quality evolves over time.

Enough said for now, attached are some obligatory images. I included one of the commemorative Magico 20th Anniversary presentation case. A caveat to anyone receiving a pair of S5's that includes this item; the foam revealed upon opening the aluminum case sheds tiny black particles on anything it contacts. You've been warned.

 

[davetheoilguy]

Just installed 11/19/24, first time I'm hearing them in the wild (outside of a show). Big shout out to the gang at Soundings in Denver, Colorado.

I have to comment that I did travel twice to hear and see them. First in April to AXPONA 2024 (4/12-4/14) and then to T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa (Saturday, June 8). AXPONA doesn't count because it was a meaningless (for me) static display. First listen was in Costa Mesa at T.H.E. Show but that ended up not counting either. The S5 2024 was being used as a prop in a room to demo Synergist Research devices. The sound was, ahem, disappointing. Fortunately, I had two reasons to persevere; my very positive experience with the Magico A5 at home and my time spent auditioning the Magico S3 2023. I remained undaunted. My experience once again confirmed for me that the only place to properly experience an audio product is in your own listening environment.

I am migrating some of my comments from the Magico S5 2024 thread elsewhere on WBF in an effort to not hijack that thread.

The install was somewhat plug and play. First the equipment layout and speaker positioning was already optimized for the A5 (a truly remarkable speaker IMHO). Although it ended up further into the room and slightly closer together than it's little cousin, it did not take long to position the S5 2024 to make good sound. Second, the A5 took >400 hours of breakin to reveal its voice in the room. I expect the S5 to require a similar length of time to do the same. The main goal now is to get some playing time and enjoy the process.

Normally I don't comment on "the sound" of devices newly introduced in to the room. New equipment has ups and downs. It changes slowly (or not so slowly) over time, as does one's physical and emotional perception of the sound. The challenge for me is to be patient and let the process unfold.

But 2 things really struck me at the outset; like its sibling, the S3 2023, after a few hours of run-in, I was taken by the remarkable transparency of the S5. Not certain at this point exactly what I am responding to but I my main instinct is a relaxed and calming one.

Second is this speaker can reproduce scale. I heard that with orchestral pieces and in complex multi-instrument recordings like the Pat Metheny Unity Band 2014 recording Kin (<->). If this type of music is appealing to you, try the track Rise Up. The A5 was incapable of this but the S5 makes the music's presence felt in the room. Looking forward to how this quality evolves over time.

Enough said for now, attached are some obligatory images. I included one of the commemorative Magico 20th Anniversary presentation case. A caveat to anyone receiving a pair of S5's that includes this item; the foam revealed upon opening the aluminum case sheds tiny black particles on anything it contacts. You've been warned.

View attachment 140096

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View attachment 140098

What a cool looking diffusion panel. No clue if it is effective, but sure beats what most look like.

I know it's not the purpose of your post, but what is it?

 

[Holli82]

Congrats on your new speakers. Wishing you many happy hours of listening!

 

[mxk116]

What a cool looking diffusion panel. No clue if it is effective, but sure beats what most look like.

I know it's not the purpose of your post, but what is it?

RD Acoustics Hybrid Diffuser. Fortunately it works.

 

[davetheoilguy]

RD Acoustics Hybrid Diffuser. Fortunately it works.

Thank you so much. Measuring my room now. LOL. Wife is going to be pissed.

 

[ecwl]

RD Acoustics Hybrid Diffuser looks gorgeous. But I see the tall tube traps at the corner and then you added a PSI AAVA C20. I have a C214 at one corner and floor to ceiling Vicoustic super bass extreme ultra vmt at the other corner to help take the bass.

I think one of the things you’re hearing from the S series over the A series is the reduction in Baffle diffraction. It’s a beautiful sound but many people don’t get it because most speakers don’t try to reduce diffraction. In fact, some increase it because they think trying to get all drivers co-incident on the listener improves the sound.

Another aspect is that even though A5 already has very low cabinet resonances, the new S series (I’ve only heard the S3 2023), simply has lower. And for some reason, the slightly lower amounts of cabinet distortions creates a more realistic soundstage and more scale to the music.

 

[mxk116]

RD Acoustics Hybrid Diffuser looks gorgeous. But I see the tall tube traps at the corner and then you added a PSI AAVA C20. I have a C214 at one corner and floor to ceiling Vicoustic super bass extreme ultra vmt at the other corner to help take the bass.

I think one of the things you’re hearing from the S series over the A series is the reduction in Baffle diffraction. It’s a beautiful sound but many people don’t get it because most speakers don’t try to reduce diffraction. In fact, some increase it because they think trying to get all drivers co-incident on the listener improves the sound.

Another aspect is that even though A5 already has very low cabinet resonances, the new S series (I’ve only heard the S3 2023), simply has lower. And for some reason, the slightly lower amounts of cabinet distortions creates a more realistic soundstage and more scale to the music.

Agree on both counts. Magico has gone to great lengths to quell anything extraneous from getting between the music and the listener.

 

[exupgh12]

Congratulations on your new speakers! Both the S3 and S5 are truly remarkable.

I had the opportunity to hear the S5 2024 at the last Munich show, in the same room where I had previously listened S3 2023 a year earlier. I must admit, I ordered the S3 2023 (upgrading from my 4-year-old S3 Mk2) as soon as it was announced, and did the same with the S5 2024, which I’m eagerly expecting to arrive by early December.

Hearing both speakers in the same room, paired with the same electronics (though the S5 demonstration excluded a subwoofer), completely convinced me of the incredible musical capabilities of the S5 2024.

Now, all that's left is to count down the days until it safe arrives!

 

[mxk116]

Congratulations on your new speakers! Both the S3 and S5 are truly remarkable.

I had the opportunity to hear the S5 2024 at the last Munich show, in the same room where I had previously listened S3 2023 a year earlier. I must admit, I ordered the S3 2023 (upgrading from my 4-year-old S3 Mk2) as soon as it was announced, and did the same with the S5 2024, which I’m eagerly expecting to arrive by early December.

Hearing both speakers in the same room, paired with the same electronics (though the S5 demonstration excluded a subwoofer), completely convinced me of the incredible musical capabilities of the S5 2024.

Now, all that's left is to count down the days until it safe arrives!

Just 70+ hours into breaking them in. Compared to the time I’ve spent listening to the S3 2023, the S5 is clearly capable of the wonderful musicality and ease of the new S3 but with added tonal density and scale. Too early to tell how much these qualities will continue to improve but I am enjoying the direction it is headed.

I look forward to your impressions once your speakers are delivered and installed.

 

[owen lawlor]

Just 70+ hours into breaking them in. Compared to the time I’ve spent listening to the S3 2023, the S5 is clearly capable of the wonderful musicality and ease of the new S3 but with added tonal density and scale. Too early to tell how much these qualities will continue to improve but I am enjoying the direction it is headed.

I look forward to your impressions once your speakers are delivered and installed.

Curious how the imaging compared to S3s which are holodeck machines in the right hands....

 

[mxk116]

Curious how the image compared to S3s which are holodeck machines in the right hands....

I was in the process of collecting some thoughts about where I am with the S5. I was hoping to bring this thread up to date so to speak so your question is timely.

In the context of your question and since the S5's have ~320 hours of playing time on them, I can confidently say they possess all of the attributes one finds appealing about the S3 (imaging being one of them) and more. If the S3 2023 is considered an exceptional speaker at its price point, IMO, the S5 2024 will most certainly be considered that as well.

I spent a good deal of time getting to know the S3 and was seriously impressed (smitten with them really) with its wonderful tonal balance, transparency and soundstage presentation. So musical and engaging. The sound quality of the S3 2023 was a significant factor in considering the S5 when it was announced. Now after hearing the S5 in my room, relatively speaking, I have become more aware of the some of the S3's characteristics, strengths and limitations.

For example, the S3 has what I would now characterise as a top down tonal balance compared to the S5. It's not that to say the S3 lacks bass or is lean sounding (I think anyone that has heard them first hand would agree they are not). And it is not simply that the S5 provides only more bass than the S3 (and it certainly does). What makes the bottom octaves of the S5 so compelling is the significantly improved quality of their rendition. In comparison, the S3 bottom octaves seem to focus more on the fundamental of the note. In contrast, the S5 includes the fundamental as well as more of the acoustic envelope of the bass both in decay and harmonic content. I think this is part of what I am experiencing as the wonderful tonal density/balance of the S5. It presents a more complete sense of the space and scale of the music. I also think this is a large part of what draws me into the performance regardless of the genre of the music.

The speakers are still changing with more play time (I was told that the crossover components will be the last to settle in) but I hope these early impressions give you some insight as to how they compare to their sibling the S3.

 

[owen lawlor]

I was in the process of collecting some thoughts about where I am with the S5. I was hoping to bring this thread up to date so to speak so your question is timely.

In the context of your question and since the S5's have ~320 hours of playing time on them, I can confidently say they possess all of the attributes one finds appealing about the S3 (imaging being one of them) and more. If the S3 2023 is considered an exceptional speaker at its price point, IMO, the S5 2024 will most certainly be considered that as well.

I spent a good deal of time getting to know the S3 and was seriously impressed (smitten with them really) with its wonderful tonal balance, transparency and soundstage presentation. So musical and engaging. The sound quality of the S3 2023 was a significant factor in considering the S5 when it was announced. Now after hearing the S5 in my room, relatively speaking, I have become more aware of the some of the S3's characteristics, strengths and limitations.

For example, the S3 has what I would now characterise as a top down tonal balance compared to the S5. It's not that to say the S3 lacks bass or is lean sounding (I think anyone that has heard them first hand would agree they are not). And it is not simply that the S5 provides only more bass than the S3 (and it certainly does). What makes the bottom octaves of the S5 so compelling is the significantly improved quality of their rendition. In comparison, the S3 bottom octaves seem to focus more on the fundamental of the note. In contrast, the S5 includes the fundamental as well as more of the acoustic envelope of the bass both in decay and harmonic content. I think this is part of what I am experiencing as the wonderful tonal density/balance of the S5. It presents a more complete sense of the space and scale of the music. I also think this is a large part of what draws me into the performance regardless of the genre of the music.

The speakers are still changing with more play time (I was told that the crossover components will be the last to settle in) but I hope these early impressions give you some insight as to how they compare to their sibling the S3.

Excellent report! I've run up and down the ladder from S3Mk1, S3MK2, A3, S5Mk2, S7, and new S3 and think I have a handle what stepping up the line does but the new S series is just next level - both in its refinement and coherence. A wonder in fact. Real music has dynamics, body, and scale and that is a special thing when combined with that level of refinement. You've convinced me that the juice is worth the squeeze... Enjoy your S5s!

 

[owen lawlor]

I was in the process of collecting some thoughts about where I am with the S5. I was hoping to bring this thread up to date so to speak so your question is timely.

In the context of your question and since the S5's have ~320 hours of playing time on them, I can confidently say they possess all of the attributes one finds appealing about the S3 (imaging being one of them) and more. If the S3 2023 is considered an exceptional speaker at its price point, IMO, the S5 2024 will most certainly be considered that as well.

I spent a good deal of time getting to know the S3 and was seriously impressed (smitten with them really) with its wonderful tonal balance, transparency and soundstage presentation. So musical and engaging. The sound quality of the S3 2023 was a significant factor in considering the S5 when it was announced. Now after hearing the S5 in my room, relatively speaking, I have become more aware of the some of the S3's characteristics, strengths and limitations.

For example, the S3 has what I would now characterise as a top down tonal balance compared to the S5. It's not that to say the S3 lacks bass or is lean sounding (I think anyone that has heard them first hand would agree they are not). And it is not simply that the S5 provides only more bass than the S3 (and it certainly does). What makes the bottom octaves of the S5 so compelling is the significantly improved quality of their rendition. In comparison, the S3 bottom octaves seem to focus more on the fundamental of the note. In contrast, the S5 includes the fundamental as well as more of the acoustic envelope of the bass both in decay and harmonic content. I think this is part of what I am experiencing as the wonderful tonal density/balance of the S5. It presents a more complete sense of the space and scale of the music. I also think this is a large part of what draws me into the performance regardless of the genre of the music.

The speakers are still changing with more play time (I was told that the crossover components will be the last to settle in) but I hope these early impressions give you some insight as to how they compare to their sibling the S3.

How are things sounding over there? Curious in your setup how far apart you have the S5s and where you are aiming them. Also how far out from the back wall they are. Hope you haven't already answered that question!

 

[mxk116]

How are things sounding over there? Curious in your setup how far apart you have the S5s and where you are aiming them. Also how far out from the back wall they are. Hope you haven't already answered that question!

Exceptionally well, thanks. The current setup is not the final iteration but I will update as further adjustments occur. Since my previous post, the only adjustments I’ve made are with toe-in and distance from the rear wall (although I might have moved them slightly further apart but I forget).

The toe-in was increased ~ 1/4” on each speaker and the distance from the rear wall was increased ~ 1/2”. With these subtle adjustments the speakers vanish. The image height and size is a function of the recording being played with images clearly defined and arrayed in the sound field. With the slight increase in distance from the rear wall the speakers coupled more effectively with the room. The scale of the music is more apparent. The bass has improved drive and tonal variety. The entire sound field is wonderfully continuous, immersive and palpable. I have to give credit to the speaker’s designers for building the S5 with such a musical and uniform power response.

As a side note, long before the S5 arrived, my room proved to be a challenge in the lower octaves with a significant bass mode in the front right corner and a lesser bass mode in the right rear corner. After experimenting a bit with different strategies to ameliorate these problems I found installing a PSI Audio AVAA C20 active bass trap in each of those corners (2 total) to provide the best results. In addition the front right corner AVAA C20 is topped with 2 x 13”x3’ ACS tube traps. Since the front wall does not allow speakers to be centered on it I have incorporated 2 x 16”x3’ ACS tube traps in the left front corner placed on top of the built in record cabinets. These additions helped improve the rooms sound quality dramatically without overdamping the acoustic field.

But back to your questions which have not been answered previously. Tweeter to tweeter the distance is ~ 117.6”. The front baffle of each speaker is ~ 43” from the rear wall. The distance of each speaker to the listening position is ~ 140.5”. All positioning has been done by ear.

It took a lot of time to assemble the system, auditioning components at dealer locations, audio shows and most importantly in my room. I’m at a point where break-in periods are a thing of the past and I can focus on enjoying the all the incredible music available, past, present and future.

Equipment rack right rear corner


PSI Audio AVAA C20 right front corner w/ASC 13"x3' tube traps


PSI Audio AVAA C20 right rear corner


Left Front corner of the room w/ACS 16"x3' tube traps on record cabinet
​

 

[exupgh12]

How are things sounding over there? Curious in your setup how far apart you have the S5s and where you are aiming them. Also how far out from the back wall they are. Hope you haven't already answered that question!

Hi Owen,

Things are sounding fantastic, and I’m thrilled with the S5!

This Sunday, I had a visit from Yaeir Tamam, and he was very pleased with the results. In his words, "Your system works wonderfully."

Regarding the speaker positioning:

• The distance from the front panel to the back wall behind the speakers is 120–125 cm (tilted towards the listener).
• The distance from the side walls to the tweeters is 89 cm.
• The distance between the speakers (tweeter to tweeter) is 240 cm.
• The distance from the listening position to the speakers is 280 cm.

Let me know if you received your speakers, and your thoughts on them.

 

[mxk116]

Hi Owen,

Things are sounding fantastic, and I’m thrilled with the S5!

This Sunday, I had a visit from Yaeir Tamam, and he was very pleased with the results. In his words, "Your system works wonderfully."

Regarding the speaker positioning:

• The distance from the front panel to the back wall behind the speakers is 120–125 cm (tilted towards the listener).
• The distance from the side walls to the tweeters is 89 cm.
• The distance between the speakers (tweeter to tweeter) is 240 cm.
• The distance from the listening position to the speakers is 280 cm.

Let me know if you received your speakers, and your thoughts on them.

Yair Tamman is the man imho. What a wonderful opportunity to have him visit, wow.

Regarding the rake of the speakers I found that tilting the speaker fore or aft distorted the image size and height. I ended up as close to vertical (0 degree rake) as I could measure. Subsequently I exchanged emails with Peter Mackay at Magico and he mentioned that zero rake is what they recommend. On the other hand Magico also recommends more toe-in than I am using. In the end you have to go with what your ears are telling you.

 

[exupgh12]

Yaeir Taman is the man imho. What a wonderful opportunity to have him visit, wow.

Regarding the rake of the speakers I found that tilting the speaker fore or aft distorted the image size and height. I ended up as close to vertical (0 degree rake) as I could measure. Subsequently I exchanged emails with Peter Mackay at Magico and he mentioned that zero rake is what they recommend. On the other hand Magico also recommends more toe-in than I am using. In the end you have to go with what your ears are telling you.

Hi mxk116,

I’m fortunate to live close to Yair, and he has been over several times to help with my setup. Thanks to his guidance, I repositioned my system by rotating it 90 degrees from its original orientation, which completely resolved the bass issues I was experiencing with my setup couple of years ago.

If you check the first review of the S5 on The Absolute Sound, you’ll notice that even in Magico’s demo room, the speakers are slightly tilted toward the listener. From the video, it seems there’s a tilt of about 5 to 7 cm from the outer speaker foot to the inner one. Link to video.

Every installation space and seating arrangement needs to be carefully tailored for optimal results.

Enjoy your newly installed speakers, I love the way your room looks.

 

[mxk116]

Hi mxk116,

I’m fortunate to live close to Yair, and he has been over several times to help with my setup. Thanks to his guidance, I repositioned my system by rotating it 90 degrees from its original orientation, which completely resolved the bass issues I was experiencing with my setup couple of years ago.

If you check the first review of the S5 on The Absolute Sound, you’ll notice that even in Magico’s demo room, the speakers are slightly tilted toward the listener. From the video, it seems there’s a tilt of about 5 to 7 cm from the outer speaker foot to the inner one. Link to video.

Every installation space and seating arrangement needs to be carefully tailored for optimal results.

Enjoy your newly installed speakers.

 

[mxk116]

Hi mxk116,

I’m fortunate to live close to Yair, and he has been over several times to help with my setup. Thanks to his guidance, I repositioned my system by rotating it 90 degrees from its original orientation, which completely resolved the bass issues I was experiencing with my setup couple of years ago.

If you check the first review of the S5 on The Absolute Sound, you’ll notice that even in Magico’s demo room, the speakers are slightly tilted toward the listener. From the video, it seems there’s a tilt of about 5 to 7 cm from the outer speaker foot to the inner one. Link to video.

Every installation space and seating arrangement needs to be carefully tailored for optimal results.

Enjoy your newly installed speakers.

You are indeed fortunate to have Magico’s Chief Technology Officer nearby.

In the video what you are describing as the speakers being slightly “tilted toward” the listener is called “toe-in.” The video definitely shows the speakers toed-in towards the listening position. As I mentioned in my post I found proper toe-in very important to the speakers performance in my room. The difference being the toe-in of the S5 in my room is less pronounced than the toe-in in the video.

What I was describing in my reply (post#16) is the tilt from the vertical axis called the rake angle or “rake.” The rake angle is the perpendicularity of the speaker face to the floor. In this axis Magico recommends zero rake angle of the face of the speaker to the floor.

Regardless of the terms used, I think we agree on the importance of proper toe-in and rake.

Enjoy your speakers as well- Matt in Colorado

 

[exupgh12]

You are indeed fortunate to have Magico’s Chief Technology Officer nearby.

In the video what you are describing as the speakers being slightly “tilted toward” the listener is called “toe-in.” The video definitely shows the speakers toed-in towards the listening position. As I mentioned in my post I found proper toe-in very important to the speakers performance in my room. The difference being the toe-in of the S5 in my room is less pronounced than the toe-in in the video.

What I was describing in my reply (post#16) is the tilt from the vertical axis called the rake angle or “rake.” The rake angle is the perpendicularity of the speaker face to the floor. In this axis Magico recommends zero rake angle of the face of the speaker to the floor.

Regardless of the terms used, I think we agree on the importance of proper toe-in and rake.

Enjoy your speakers as well- Matt in Colorado

Thank you for enlightening for me, it was the language gap…. As I’m not English native speaker.

thanks again.