As the Op of this thread, I thought I should provide a brief update. When I started the thread, I was torn between these two speakers for my main reference system. I had spent the better part of 6 months traveling across the country listening to each speaker in different environments. An in home demo was just not an option.
I also spent a good deal of time listening to the Q1, Q3, Q5's (never Q7's). I wanted to understand the love affair many have with this speaker. But alas, it was not for me. Very unemotional speakers IMO. They just seem to be too perfect. Music is NOT a perfect science - it's an art. I've played the saxophone for over 30 years, and we have a saying after playing a wrong note "it was close enough for jazz". The Q series - to me - just tries to be TOO perfect. It's an incredible speaker, but one which never excited the emotions in me. YMMV.
I also listened to a variety of other speakers from Rockport to Focal to Vivid and countless others. I was fortunate along the way to hear the Alexia's and S5's in different rooms, with different amps and this helped me narrow my selection down to these outstanding speakers.
So what happened? Well, at the end of the day, I ended up buying both the Wilson Alexia's and Magico S5's. Let me tell you, this was not the plan, but after disappointments with the Raidho D3's (mid-bass problems and woofer popping at >95db), I decided these weren't the speakers for me - even in my second (Family Room) system. So I sold the D3's and bought the Alexia's AND S5's.
Both speakers come expertly packed in wooden crates. The Wilson experience however, was as good as any new speaker purchasing experience I have had. From the impeccable packaging of the Alexia's, to the "tweak ability" of the Alexia for room, sitting position, sitting height, distance, etc., to the incredibly detailed owners manual (my S5 didn't even come with an owners manual), to all the little things Wilson does - like a divider between the positive/negative on the binding posts (so they don't accidentally touch), to the fuses/capacitors that Wilson uses to protect the drivers, to the protective coating and wrapping Wilson applies to all new speakers so when you peel that back on your new speakers - they will be pristine, to the fact that Wilson breaks in all drivers prior to placing them in the cabinets (vs 1000+ of hours of break in for the S5's), to the fact that Wilson dealers are required to provide professional setup, to the fact that Wilson speakers come on wheels for easily moving around for setup during break-in and the list goes on and on. And, at the end of the day, sonically, they have exceeded my expectations!
So what's the preliminary verdict ? Well, after listening to both speakers, trying a variety of different amps - Accuphase, McIntosh, VAC, D'Agostino, etc. - I MUCH prefer the Alexia's. There is no doubt that the S5's are an engineering and mechanical marvel, but they are not nearly as musical or natural sounding as the Alexia's - IMO. To me, in my home, in my system, the Alexia's sound more like music and less like a mechanical/engineering experiment. When I listen to the Alexia's, I am engrossed in the music. When I listen to the Magico's, I'm thinking about mechanics and engineering. Simply, I'm listening to the speakers and not the music.
NOW - this is not to say the S5's aren't terrific speakers - they ARE, and if they weren't my top two finalists after months of auditioning, I wouldn't have bought both! For now, I am keeping both. I may end up moving the S5's for the Sasha 2's - we shall see.
Also - as I mentioned above, this is my preliminary opinion because, in the spirit of full disclosure, the S5's are not fully broken in (that apparently occurs north of 1000 hours) - so I will reserve final judgement until that point in time. Would I be surprised to see the S5's trump the Alexia's even after 1000 hours? Yes. I've heard fully broken in S5's many many times - they are outstanding, but I still much prefer the Alexia's (but wasn't sure until now).
But regardless, is it even fair to compare a $50,000 speaker to a $30,000 speaker? Probably not. But keep in mind, the same $50,000 speaker bettered a $70,000 speaker (D3) and a $120,000 speaker (Aida's) - in MY system.
I will say this, the Alexia's are VERY particular with proper setup. With the incredible adjustability of the Wilson midrange/tweeter height angle/depth comes a responsibility to properly set them up and dial them in. You can't just plop them down and start listening. You must start with finding and marking the ZON (Zone of Neutrality) in your room and what worked best in my room was to work within this ZON.
I'm also talking laser measurer required. A dealer who knows what they are doing and a customer who reads the Alexia manual, reads it again and then reads it again can accomplish great things. Proper attention to room treatments may, or more likely will be required. I am amazed at how many Wilson owners "just let the dealer do it." Your dealer is not you. He/she can get you close, but you are the final arbiter of setup and what sounds good to you. Read the manual! It's insanely good and informative.
Now, on the other hand, the S5's weren't as fussy for pin point laser accurate setup or treatments. They sounded good in a variety of positions sans treatments (close to the back wall, away from the back wall, etc.)
Lastly, I will admit, my opinion formed prior to owning both speakers was that the Alexia's would be more difficult to pair with amps, and the S5's would be easy. I actually found the opposite to be the case. No matter what I put on the Alexia's, they always sound great. The S5's seem to be a little more particular with amp choices.
Finally, I did not post this update to start mud slinging between the Wilson and Magico camps. Both are EXCELLENT speakers and I could live happily with either speaker with tweaks here and there and be over the moon with my choice. I can also completely understand why some folks marvel in the mechanics and engineering of the Magico speakers. We have Magico to thank for pushing the envelope of what speakers can reproduce. It is my opinion that Magico is the leader in speaker engineering design and advancement and pushing the market to build better. But in this case, in my system, to my ears, the Alexia's are the best speakers I've ever owned and I am delighted with this amazing product David, his son Daryl and the entire Wilson team have produced.
