Hello! I'm thinking of making a move from S3 mk 2 to M2. Has anyone made this move or familiar with the differences in sound between these speakers?
Magico S3 Mk 2 to Magico M2? Differences in Sound?
- Thread starter Polyrhythm9
- Start date
I don't own Magico speakers but have done quite a bit of listening to the S3 mk2, S3 2023, and M3. All are incredible speakers. My personal favorite is the M3. Now the M3 I listened to was on a different system than the S3 speakers. When it is speaker time, I will look for a used pair of M2/M3.
GSOphile, I did listen to the S3 mk 3 a few months ago and they did have much better bass output and a much larger soundstage, and were smoother. It can be hard to get a realistic impression because of the different conditions of a store, plus different electronics too.
That's great that you're really enjoying the new S3!
Would you say that they are brighter(not a bad brighter-spotlit if you will) than the S3 mk 2?
That's great that you're really enjoying the new S3!
Would you say that they are brighter(not a bad brighter-spotlit if you will) than the S3 mk 2?
bryans, I haven't heard thew M3 but I bet they sound great too. Magico speakers are unbelievably sensitive to electronics and cabling- I find that you can easily hear the smallest changes you make to your system.
My overall impression is a more refined tweeter with better dispersion due to the new wave guide. I thought the MkII sometimes projected a bit of glare. Feels like I'm hearing more what's on the recording with the 2023s. Difficult to be more specific since I upgraded my preamp shortly after the 2023s were installed. I enjoyed the MkIIs for six years, but I believe the 2023s are better in every meaningful aspect. I listen to mostly classical and jazz. Amp/pre is Luxman M-10X/Esoteric Grandioso C1X solo; source Esoteric K-01XD.
The new S3 2023 and S5 2024 have newer technology than the M2 and the M3.
Time don’t stop, and technology progress, the new members to S series are not slouch, and often outperform yesterday flagship models (M2, M3).
I agree that the aluminum honeycomb enforced graphene drivers of the new S3/5 sound better than the M2 drivers. However, there is something special about the sound when the speaker baffle has no diffraction in the M series compared to the S series.
That said, my guess is that most people would prefer S3 2023 over the M2 over the S3 Mk II but it’s been a while since I listened to the S3 Mk II.
This past weekend I spent some time with the Magico M2 in the MSB room at the Florida International Audio Expo 2025. The M2 was powered by MSB mono block M500, MSB Cascade DAC, Shunyata Omega speaker cables/digital/balanced IC's. Not certain what PC's they were using but it was an excellent system in a small room. M2 sound lovely but lean compared to S3 2023 that I have listened to at length (not in this room but with a similar array of MSB & Shunyata gear). IMO the M2 has been surpassed by the S3 2023. New M series Magicos are in the works (in addition to the M9 & M7) but unless one wishes to wait for the M2 replacement (if there is one in the Magico pipeline) I would suggest giving the S3 2023 a listen.
Did you had the opportunity to audition the latest S-series loudspeakers?
The front baffle of the new S-series exhibits a curved profile, though it differs in design from that of the M-series. The new cabinet demonstrates exceptional acoustic inertness; the enclosure produces no discernible resonance - it's dead quite.
Yes. I own the M2 and have listened to the new S3 2023 extensively at my own dealer and at another dealer while on vacation.
I had a chance to listen to both M2 and S2 2023 models today at a local audio shop. I really enjoyed them both, and heard certain strengths from each. The M2 would be a demo, or a used M2.
The details:
The S3 was connected to the Gryphon 333 with DAC, and Aurender streamer-I'm not sure of the cabling, however.
Compared to the S3 mk 2- the new S3 sounded smoother (highs were smoother), and more cohesive-it was less apparent that there were multiple drivers. The bass was much more pronounced or simply there, in a good way. The soundstage was larger than the previous S3 also. The midrange was more highly resolved as well. The sound was slightly warmer than the former S3, and importantly, more musical. Overall, I would say a significant noticeable improvement. I listened to a selection of songs that I would listen to on the M2 next...
The M2 was connected to MSB amp/preamp/MSB Premier DAC. and an Aurender streamer. The interconnects and speaker cables were Audioquest Firebird. The electronics powering the M2's were considerably more expensive so it wasn't an apples to apples comparison-but it was within moments of hearing the S3's.
The M2's playing the same songs sounded even warmer, and I would say a little bit smoother than the new S3's. Detail retrieval was very close between both speakers. The bass was close - this was surprising considering the M2 has 7" driver's vs the 9" of the S3. The S3 would pull ahead in bass though the more I listened to the M2. The M2 sounded very cohesive, and very, very musical. The soundstage of the M2 displayed this separation of instruments and voices that made you feel like you could touch them is space. It seemed like the highs were a bit more easily heard on the M2. The midrange seemed slightly less energetic on the M2 compared to the new S3.
Now some of these differences certainly can be attributed to the different electronics. Did the MSB stack provide more warmth compared to the Gryphon?
Overall, both speakers sounded incredible to me. I would be very happy with either speaker. If I had to make a choice today...it would be the M2. I can see people choosing the S3 over the M2 though-it's also an incredible speaker.
The details:
The S3 was connected to the Gryphon 333 with DAC, and Aurender streamer-I'm not sure of the cabling, however.
Compared to the S3 mk 2- the new S3 sounded smoother (highs were smoother), and more cohesive-it was less apparent that there were multiple drivers. The bass was much more pronounced or simply there, in a good way. The soundstage was larger than the previous S3 also. The midrange was more highly resolved as well. The sound was slightly warmer than the former S3, and importantly, more musical. Overall, I would say a significant noticeable improvement. I listened to a selection of songs that I would listen to on the M2 next...
The M2 was connected to MSB amp/preamp/MSB Premier DAC. and an Aurender streamer. The interconnects and speaker cables were Audioquest Firebird. The electronics powering the M2's were considerably more expensive so it wasn't an apples to apples comparison-but it was within moments of hearing the S3's.
The M2's playing the same songs sounded even warmer, and I would say a little bit smoother than the new S3's. Detail retrieval was very close between both speakers. The bass was close - this was surprising considering the M2 has 7" driver's vs the 9" of the S3. The S3 would pull ahead in bass though the more I listened to the M2. The M2 sounded very cohesive, and very, very musical. The soundstage of the M2 displayed this separation of instruments and voices that made you feel like you could touch them is space. It seemed like the highs were a bit more easily heard on the M2. The midrange seemed slightly less energetic on the M2 compared to the new S3.
Now some of these differences certainly can be attributed to the different electronics. Did the MSB stack provide more warmth compared to the Gryphon?
Overall, both speakers sounded incredible to me. I would be very happy with either speaker. If I had to make a choice today...it would be the M2. I can see people choosing the S3 over the M2 though-it's also an incredible speaker.
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Magico speakers will definitely let you know about your room and the electronics upstream. For example, I was visiting my local dealer the other day to listen to some equipment. We were listening to some of my favorite recordings through his S3s, backed by approximately $150,000 MSRP electronics in a thoroughly treated room. The sound was significantly different from my S3s with under $70,000 MSRP electronics (all different brands from his). If you heard both systems back-to-back blindfolded, I doubt you'd guess that both front ends were S3 2023s. In any case, I'm pretty sure you'll be happy with whichever speaker you choose.
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GSOphile - Yes, that's very true-Magico speakers seem to really show what's being fed into them-both electronics and cabling.
Another thought is that the new S3 may be a faster speaker than the M2. This may require another listen to both!
Another thought is that the new S3 may be a faster speaker than the M2. This may require another listen to both!
Would be interesting to see if your conclusions would be the same if you had the opportunity to listen to both speakers with the same source / electronics and in the same room.
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I totally agree- I suspect they’d be even closer in sound with the S3’s putting out slightly more detail.
Interesting, somewhat OTT, take on both S3 Mk3 & M2 in the same room / equipment, with a preference for the M2.
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