The first Q3 review

MylesBAstor

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Yeah agree it is a shame as this speaker due to its sound presentation would be interesting with tubes, but looks like only reference tube amps will survive it and what effect will it have on the used tube's audio life.
Maybe someone will take the plunge, which then would give some useful info.
Were there any tube design amps that worked well with apogee scintilla or similar?
Only speakers I can think of the top of my head that may cause similar peformance.

Cheers
Orb

Not really though knew someone that so hated the sound of ss driving his Apogees that he used cj Premier 5s. They did an ok job but....
 
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MylesBAstor

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I just want to make it clear that I don’t doubt for one minute that in Jeff’s room with the Q3s he is hearing the image to the outside of the right speaker. I just have to be honest and say if that is the correct imaging, I’m not getting it for whatever reason.

Funny thing about sealed box/acoustic suspension speakers. Irving “Bud” Fried absolutely hated acoustic suspension speakers and said they had the worst bass of any other type of speaker. His reasons were based on the high pressure that builds up inside the cabinet during the woofer’s rarefaction and the fact that pressure has nowhere to go. He also felt this internal pressure from the rear sound wave would leak back out through the woofer cone to some degree causing smearing of the next transient. It’s also interesting to note that the majority of all other high-end speakers use some type of porting/bass-reflex arrangement. True ¼ wavelength transmission line speakers are very rare due to complexity/cost/weight. Although cost and weight of speakers are non-issues with today’s loudspeakers that are seemingly sold by the pound.

The fact that the quality of bass from Magico speakers is controversial in the audiophile community tells us something. Magico lovers want everyone to believe that they are just hearing a more accurate bass than what they are accustomed to which is why they are hearing less bass perceptually. I hope to hear some Magico speakers at the RMAF and form my own opinions on the quality of the overall sound and the bass.

Bud never lacked for an opinion. Whether you wanted to hear it or not.
 

Jeff Fritz

[Industry Expert]
Jun 7, 2010
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Jeff, I see that you are driving them with the Gryphon Colosseum stereo amp. Do you feel the Colosseum would also drive the Q5's as well?

I do. I don't know of a speaker that would tax the Gryphon. It sails through with the Q3 so I think the Q5 would present no problem.

I've also heard the Devialet power the Q3s in Munich to great effect. That would make for a mighty sweet, simple system. Add a server as a source, plus some decent speaker cables, and you have basically SOTA for under $60,000 (still a ton of money, but for a whole system . . . ).
 

ack

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While understanding how your (and others) eyebrows were raised by the recent Magico price increase, one must also bear in mind that due to the weak dollar, prices of materials and goods are shooting up all the time. For instance a $5 arm lifter for a tonearm from Japan is now $25.

But why does this happen shortly after a model's introduction - consistently now - just months following some rave reviews... That is my question.
 

FrantzM

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But why does this happen shortly after a model's introduction - consistently now - just months following some rave reviews... That is my question.

Good honest question. The timing is most interesting..
 

MylesBAstor

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But why does this happen shortly after a model's introduction - consistently now - just months following some rave reviews... That is my question.

I'm not trying to make excuses for Alon :) Just wanted to point out a variable that some might not be aware of. But your question is still valid--though Magico is far from the first company seen raising the price of a product after a rave review.
 

Jeff Fritz

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I'm not trying to make excuses for Alon :) Just wanted to point out a variable that some might not be aware of. But your question is still valid--though Magico is far from the first company seen raising the price of a product after a rave review.

Just to correct the timeline here, I became aware of the price increase before Magico had seen the review. In fact I think the price increase was announced on the Goodwins site before as well.

FYI: I was told that they wanted to hold the price, but just could not due to the price of neodymium, aluminum, and the carbon fiber coming out of Japan.
 

Gregadd

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That used to be a common tactic. However today's initial product offering price is so high that one would think it is not necessary.
 

KeithR

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I'm not trying to make excuses for Alon :) Just wanted to point out a variable that some might not be aware of. But your question is still valid--though Magico is far from the first company seen raising the price of a product after a rave review.

The Yen is not up 15% since the beginning of the year. More like 5%. and Magico has done this will pretty much all other models as I recall.

I don't understand why the Q5 is 30% cheaper than the M5---but the Q3 is 45% more expensive than the V3.

Used M5s seem to be the ticket imo. they are plummeting in value.
 

MylesBAstor

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and btw, commodity prices are plunging around the world---so i don't buy that excuse either.

Hey Keith -- just trying to give an example told to me by a manufacturer. And it doesn't necessarily reflect present conditions since we talked about it 6-9 months ago :) And it seems according to Jeff, the cost of certain materials used in the manufacturing of the Magicos has risen. But again I'm not trying to defend the price increase and perhaps someone/a reviewer should ask Alon the exact question raised here.
 

MylesBAstor

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andromedaaudio

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I m gonna go to a dealershow in a few weeks time to hear the Q 3 and Q1 (berillium domes) and also dartzeel electronics
 
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andromedaaudio

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I did hear the Q3 today and also the S5 .
I dont really like the Q3, i find it a recessed speaker ,it sounded constrained , it doesnt plunge the depth and i dont find the big block of reinforced alu very beautiful either.
I liked the Magico v3 and mini much more with the softer tweeters .
The S5 is a different story , although it has also a berylium dome, it has biggerwoofers and sounds much more free and full range , good speaker certainly for the money
I heard it on devialet , which is quite funny / different stuff.


This is just my opinion :D
 

nirodha

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Aug 11, 2010
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I did hear the Q3 today and also the S5 .
I dont really like the Q3, i find it a recessed speaker ,it sounded constrained , it doesnt plunge the depth and i dont find the big block of reinforced alu very beautiful either.
I liked the Magico v3 and mini much more with the softer tweeters .
The S5 is a different story , although it has also a berylium dome, it has biggerwoofers and sounds much more free and full range , good speaker certainly for the money
I heard it on devialet , which is quite funny / different stuff.


This is just my opinion :D

Nu nog een paar maanden wachten en dan de Q7 bij Rhapsody. Dat zou hem dan moeten zijn :p (only a few more months until the Q7 show: the ultimate Magico)
 

nirodha

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Aug 11, 2010
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altijd leuk ,ook geweest?

meaning :

always cool have you been also ?

Gisteren helaas niet gelukt....verslapen op mijn eerste vakantiedag haha....maar de Q7 ga ik ZEKER beluisteren.
"Couldn't make it yesterday....overslept on the first day of my holiday... but the Q7 I am certainly not going to miss."
 

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