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RE: I don't disagree about your case with one individual item

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Sprezza Tura

In Reply to: RE: I don't disagree about your case with one individual item posted by Sordidman on January 15, 2013 at 10:51:33

I have an interesting take on Magico.
I think there speakers are highly revealing, and maybe the most transparent to source speaker out there. It is often commented on how they sound so so at shows. I have heard them mostly with very expensive nothing special solid state. The Magico's often reveal what overpriced junk a lot of solid state is. They sound much better with tubes to me.
Now I absolutely think Alon Wolf hyper engineers his products and is one brilliant guy who does not compromise. But...the customer is paying for what is essentially a low volume product. I also think Wolf has lost his bearings and is appealing to those who want to be part of an exclusive club.
You can argue all day if a Q5 is worth as much as a Porsche.
Your Manley example is interesting. I agree, that for a few years, she was under pricing a lot of the products. But I believe a very silly business decision was made to jack up prices by FOURTY percent OVERNIGHT.

My local dealer said it was a death knell for him and he has sold very few pieces since. There should have been gradual increases along the way.
Her justification was "the pro audio guys don't squawk at price increases". Uh, sorry, different market.
It's her business, but I can't imagine raising the price of the Mahis from $2500 to $4000 helped sales.

Edits: 01/15/13

Follow Ups:

RE: I don't disagree about your case with one individual item - Tony Lauck 20:21:32 01/15/13 (1)
"I think there speakers are highly revealing, and maybe the most transparent to source speaker out there."

Maybe so, but then if so they should sound exactly like live music when a superb recording is played. There is no question of "revealing" anything. If something was audible in the live performance it should be audible in the playback, otherwise not. If anything else is "revealed" it is an artifact (i.e. defect) in the record - playback process.

Tony Lauck

"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
- RE: I don't disagree about your case with one individual item - Sprezza Tura 20:35:01 01/15/13 (0)
  I agree with you..
  
  but "transparent to sources" can also mean revealing the electronic artifacts of the playback system chain as you noted...music server, dac, cd player, turntable, preamp, power amps, cables etc.
  
  I have heard the Magicos half a dozen times shown with mega watt, clinical sounding solid state, and they very much reveal all the silicon haze added to the signal.
  
  The best I have heard them sound was with a SOTA reel to reel playing Tape Project dubs.
  
  Yes, Magico speakers are insanely expensive...the cheapest in the Q series is 30 grand, easily double my expenditure on speakers, but I must admit they are as transparent as anything I have ever heard.

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