And how much an Audi S5 will cost if the market could only absorb 50 of them (or a 100 or a 1000)?
Hint of new Magico products
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And how much an Audi S5 will cost if the market could only absorb 50 of them (or a 100 or a 1000)?
So you are saying, don't evolve and improve? This is interesting and perhaps explains to some degree the stagnation of the high-end as an industry. Everything we buy is like that, so why Audio should be different?
I'm all for progress and improvement - just listing what types of people may be mildly annoyed when a new product is launched, that relegates the existing product to legacy status. I'm personally usually of the benefiting end of this type of "progress" and innovation, because I tend to buy the depreciated stuff. Cased in point - I would consider buying a used spectral DMA 360 series 2 when the 300rs hits the market. In digital this equation does not always work, but in analog - including speakers - it certainly does.
I could see an owner of the M5 feeling like that, but if this new product was better than the Q5 and cheaper, I don't think I would be upset.
You have to jump at some point. I've had mine for almost a year and use them multiple hours almost everyday. There's a value to that. Moreover, I expect a company like Magico to continue to innovate - it's what they do.
I didn't buy my speakers as an investment and, I expect them to depreciate; I bought them to use them.
The buyer benefits for sure. When XLF came out, I saved $100k on my speakers, factory certified with new warranty.
I thought the complaint was how high end prices keep going up with new models, here we have the complaint of price coming down 
More seriously though maybe Jap touched on something on why it can seem prices go up rather than down and that is to protect the dealers/replaced model still to be sold out/2nd hand market *shrug*.
TBH though I prefer the business model approach of Magico as they seem to be doing what most journalists and audiophiles say is needed and that is a break in the cycle of ever increasing prices for new models - although majority of Magico gear is probably beyond the price bracket this is directed at.
One alternative approach is possibly like what Devialet is doing to assist owners of the first iteration of D-Premier models, where the internals are replaced with the current components and a new 5 year guarantee is given at a competitive price.
I should not be surprised as knowing those/background behind Devialet their approach is very much in line with carrier class telecom-network component and product support/upgrade.
Cheers
Orb
More seriously though maybe Jap touched on something on why it can seem prices go up rather than down and that is to protect the dealers/replaced model still to be sold out/2nd hand market *shrug*.
TBH though I prefer the business model approach of Magico as they seem to be doing what most journalists and audiophiles say is needed and that is a break in the cycle of ever increasing prices for new models - although majority of Magico gear is probably beyond the price bracket this is directed at.
One alternative approach is possibly like what Devialet is doing to assist owners of the first iteration of D-Premier models, where the internals are replaced with the current components and a new 5 year guarantee is given at a competitive price.
I should not be surprised as knowing those/background behind Devialet their approach is very much in line with carrier class telecom-network component and product support/upgrade.
Cheers
Orb
i think most higher end speakers aimed at a brick and mortar dealer network have frequent model upgrades. i'm not suggesting that the upgrades are not upping performance, or suggesting they are not upping performance for the dollar, only that regular upgrades to new models drive more sales.
certainly Magico and Wilson (as the most prominent brick and mortar high end speaker brands at the moment) fit this mould.
is this good for current owners of those brands that bought them new? likely depends on the viewpoint and agenda of the individual customer.
for myself; back in the 90's i owned a used set of Wilson WP 3/2's, then bought new WP 5.1's and then new WP 6.0's....and then in 2001 moved away from Wilson to Kharma. i never had an issue with the Wilson upgrades myself and got decent value when i sold them.
certainly Magico and Wilson (as the most prominent brick and mortar high end speaker brands at the moment) fit this mould.
is this good for current owners of those brands that bought them new? likely depends on the viewpoint and agenda of the individual customer.
for myself; back in the 90's i owned a used set of Wilson WP 3/2's, then bought new WP 5.1's and then new WP 6.0's....and then in 2001 moved away from Wilson to Kharma. i never had an issue with the Wilson upgrades myself and got decent value when i sold them.
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The interesting thing about Magico is that they do often release new models which outperform what they are replacing and which cost less: M5/Q5; Mini2/Q1; V3/S5. The problem is that as soon as there is a review, or the introduction period is over, there is a slow and very steady creep up in price. The most cost effective ways to buy Magico speakers is either 1) new and immediately upon release, i.e. as an early adopter, or 2) used once the model has been discontinued. One exception to this I think was with the M5 where there were some great deals on the remaining demo inventory for a while after the Q5 was released.
I have not observed other manufacturers enough to know if this is true with other speaker brands.
The current marketing photo of a transparent S3 with the sealed mid enclosure is pretty interesting as far as new Magico technology is concerned. It would be very interesting to see what is happening inside the M Project. Did you notice how the top plate is thicker in the rear than it is in the front? And I wonder if there will be some trickle down of the Ultimate 3 with smaller, open baffle designs, not necessarily horns.
I have not observed other manufacturers enough to know if this is true with other speaker brands.
The current marketing photo of a transparent S3 with the sealed mid enclosure is pretty interesting as far as new Magico technology is concerned. It would be very interesting to see what is happening inside the M Project. Did you notice how the top plate is thicker in the rear than it is in the front? And I wonder if there will be some trickle down of the Ultimate 3 with smaller, open baffle designs, not necessarily horns.
+1 I own M5's and bought them before they were introduced at CES, think they were $65k and shortly thereafter went up to $78k or so, memory fails me. Was asked recently if I would sell them by a dealer and I decided no because ~$27- $30k is all they would bring. I like them way more than any other $40k speaker I know of and prefer them to the Q5 in terms of looks (in my room) and not far behind them in sonics either IMHO. They will certainly last me the 10 years I expected when I bought them and probably beyond. I still love listening through them and until that changes I am not going to upgrade. So I do not worry about depreciation... only will the company stay around and be able to service them if the need ever arises. I think Magico is a good investment on those two points.
IMHO, M5 is still one of the best speakers available and 27-30k market price making them one of the best p/p
When JV reviewed the M5s in10/09, the retail was $89,000.
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/tas-196-magico-m5-loudspeaker/
He reviewed the Q5s in 8/11, the retail price was $60,000.
“I can sum up this difference rather quickly—the Qs were and are substantially lower in distortion and substantially higher in resolutionthan the Ms.”
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/magico-q5-loudspeaker-tas-214/
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/tas-196-magico-m5-loudspeaker/
He reviewed the Q5s in 8/11, the retail price was $60,000.
“I can sum up this difference rather quickly—the Qs were and are substantially lower in distortion and substantially higher in resolutionthan the Ms.”
http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/magico-q5-loudspeaker-tas-214/
Have you listened to the Q7 before? If so, how does it compare to the M5?
I'd listened to the Q7 and was completely blown away.
That I agree also, but does not make M5s inferior, Q5 is just better than one the best speakers. Q5 replaced M5 in a cheaper and better way. M Project is a different case, it should be much better than Q5 as the price.
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