Magico S5 Loudspeaker

Note: Magico introduced a new, Mk III, version of the S5 on 4/2/24. The new version is formally called the S5 2024. It is substantially larger and re-engineered.

I’m going to tell you right up front that I am not someone who has loved every Magico to come down the pike. I fell hard for the original Mini and have admired its descendants. But other models have sounded a little “forced” to me. I could not escape the sense that the electronics, no matter how powerful, were struggling mightily just to get the drivers moving. (As, indeed, they were, as testified by Magico’s traditionally low sensitivity.) At times, despite the exemplary resolution and other virtues Magicos encompass, this one trait burst the illusion of reality for me. Because live music, of course, flows effortlessly.

It’s also fair to say that most Magico models fall squarely into JV’s “accuracy” camp. I wouldn’t call myself an “as you like it” kinda guy, but I do feel that some natural warmth is lost in the recording/playback chain, so a speaker that burnishes the sound a smidge is actually enhancing realism. Magico’s stringent adherence to accuracy is clearly not a failing—many rightly consider it an asset. But for me the parsimonious warmth level means that while I greatly admire Magicos, I haven’t always loved them.

Now comes not only a new model, but an entire new line of Magico speakers. The S Series hews to the company’s immutable design principles, notably including sealed cabinets made of ultra-rigid aluminum, yet delivers them at significantly lower price points than comparably-sized Q Series models. What corners have been cut? Not many, it seems. The Q’s have more internal bracing to lower the ultimate noise floor (and yet the S’s have benchmark-setting noise specs), and the Q’s cabinets are made from solid aluminum sheets whereas the S models must make do with the extruded variety (but the S cabinets gain rigidity through the greater curvature of their enclosures).

The Q’s also feature across-the-board higher-grade parts, but you wouldn’t know it from perusing a list of S-model components. These include anodized aluminum-alloy woofer cones, Nano-Tec midrange cones, a beryllium-domed tweeter, crossovers with copper-foil inductors and Mundorf caps, and single-strand internal wiring throughout. The S Series may be Magico’s volume leader, but radical compromise simply isn’t in the company’s DNA.

Atop the new lineup stands the S5, a four-driver, three-way design that was also the first S model to be introduced. (Since the S5’s unveiling, Magico has released the S1 and, most recently, the S3.) The S5 occupies the lucrative, crowded, and hotly contested $30k weight class, which includes stellar entrants from the likes of Rockport, KEF, and Wilson. Yet Magico’s Alon Wolf, a preternaturally confident man, is not cowed by these rivals. Indeed, he makes no secret of the S5’s mission as a competition-slayer.

I first heard the S5 way back at the 2012 T.H.E. Show Newport. My reaction, given my admiring but tempered stance toward the brand, took me completely by surprise. I freaking loved the speakers. I loved them so much I was literally crying during the audition. I loved them so much, I didn’t want to leave the room. It seemed to me that on the way to building a less expensive speaker, Magico had—either intentionally or serendipitously—come upon a new sound. I knew immediately that I needed to spend more time exploring these speakers and Magico’s new direction.

Those explorations, however, had to wait. What followed that initial audition was a huge time lag before the speakers hit my loading dock (a.k.a., garage). Alon’s wish was to couple the S5 review with the first press visit to the company’s new manufacturing and test facility (see sidebar). Since we at TAS have trouble refusing a scoop, I readily agreed. The problem was that, as so often happens, moving into that new space took Magico longer than expected—a year longer. Eventually, Magico completed its move in, I flew to San Francisco to check it all out, and a few days thereafter a very glossy and very heavy pair of S5s took pride of place in my listening room.

Now, after nearly two years, I am finally in a position to give a full report on the S5 and, by extension, the S Series in general. I have had the benefit of both extended, quality time with the S5, as well as multiple exposures to the S3 and S1. What I can now confirm is that the Magico S Series does indeed have a new sound. To these ears it is a better sound, and I’m going to tell you why.

But first, let’s begin with Magico’s foremost calling card: resolution. Thanks to their remarkable solidity, high-grade drivers, and effectiveness at banishing extraneous vibrations, Magicos have always been a shoulder or two above most other speakers in extracting inner detail. Sure enough, the S5 is a detail-unraveler nonpareil. For those who savor audio components that unearth previously obscured details—and who in this hobby doesn’t?—the S5 is a decadent treat.

One of the first things I played through the speaker was the seemingly bottomless (detail-wise) “Mercy Street” from Peter Gabriel’s masterwork So. The S5 disclosed a previously unheard—even on highly revealing speakers—cornucopia of tiny components in the song’s ever-fascinating percussive underpinning. An already riveting track became even more so.

Furthermore, the inner detail delivered by the S5 manifests itself—without a trace of edginess, mind you—from top to bottom. Too many speaker designs do well with midrange detail, but their top or bottom is a relative blur. Not so with the S5, which is revealing of every nuance no matter where it falls. Further, the S5 doesn’t just produce transient-based detail like the aforementioned percussion; it is equally adept at unearthing timbral information. This is a distinct and complementary type of detail, one whose resolution makes instruments sound more real.

New details are one thing, and I don’t mean to diminish their impact. But for me a far more thrilling experience is hearing how multiple musical lines and sonics, having been retrieved, layer one atop the other to create a whole. In truth, this is a much tougher test of a speaker, because one detail or musical event can easily overshadow—or completely obscure—another. Revealing everything at the same time requires not only superior resolution but also near-perfect linearity and timing. The S5 meets these additional requirements, and consequently pulls off the layering feat with unusual aplomb.

By way of illustration, consider that in “Mercy Street” there are actually two vocal lines being sung in unison rather than what at first appears to be one. The second vocal is a double of the first, one octave down. Gabriel has explained that this was done very purposefully to emphasize the downward depressive spiral of the song’s subject, poet Anne Sexton. Depending on the system, the lower-pitched vocal usually falls somewhere between inaudible and subliminal. Through the S5, it was more distinct and independent than I have ever heard it. An already profound track became even more so.

Of course, resolution of this caliber is no stranger to Magico speakers. What I particularly like about the S5, though, is its ability to not only deconstruct the music, but to put it back together again into a cohesive, organic whole. If I had to choose between ultimate resolution and this ability to present the sum of the musical parts, I would opt for the latter. As it turns out, with the S5 there is no need to choose.

The S5’s imaging also follows Magico custom, which is to say that this speaker is an imaging champ. Few speakers are as adept as the S5 at creating the beguiling illusion of a soundstage wholly independent from its enclosure. An example is Decca’s wonderful LP set of Porgy and Bess. Through the S5, the proceedings unfold on an airy stage suspended, as if by invisible ties, between the two speakers. Singers and players are exactly where they’re supposed to be, yet without any “Hey, look at me!” hyperbole and, significantly, without drawing attention away from other musical elements. With the S5, imaging is seamlessly woven into the overall sonic portrait.

One change I do hear between Q and S models is in the area of bass. Many reviewers have hailed the tight bass of Magicos, but I have always found them a bit too tight and controlled. This is in keeping with what I hear from most sealed-box speakers. I tend to prefer the free-flowing ease of good vented designs, even if that means a tad less control. But the S5 offers a nice mixture of ease and control. In my room, once they were settled in, warmed up, and properly positioned—they like to be far apart and not very toed in—these speakers never once sounded forced. While always maintaining control—slop is anathema to Magico—the S5 unfailingly lets music flow without effort or strain. Neither the speaker nor the electronics behind them ever feel like they’re working hard to get the goods out—a significant and agreeable change. (Bye the bye, the S5 also has higher sensitivity than most other Magicos. Coincidence? I suspect not.)

The S5 is equally impressive in other matters of bass. As best I can tell, the move from Q to S has not compromised extension in any material way. The S5 is unequivocally a full-range speaker. As I noted in my recent review of the Rockport Atria, the last, deep note of the obbligato bass motif that ends “Mercy Street” is often a punch pulled. It certainly was for the (less expensive) Rockport. In contrast, the S5 tosses off the entire line with such assured fluency, it’s as if the speaker is saying, “Excuse me, but is this supposed to be hard?” Further, the still-tight bass lends these speakers an indefatigable, propulsive sense of rhythm.

If I were being picky about the S5’s bass, which I’m actually paid to be, I would say that in comparison to my reference speakers the S5’s low end is a bit less airy and dynamic. The S5’s low notes don’t breathe and bloom quite as marvelously as do notes elsewhere in its musical palette. However, I found that I was only aware of this on the grandest orchestral material.

We now arrive at the category where I hear by far the biggest change between Q and S Series models: voicing. Call it what you will—richness, sweetness, warmth—the tonality of the S5 contrasts with Magico’s standard strictly-neutral aesthetic. This sweetness is what stole my heart in Newport Beach, and it immediately made its presence obvious in my own listening room. As I indicated earlier, I find a warm tonal balance to be consonant with the sound of live music—so long as it is not overdone. The S5 has no difficulty walking that line; its warmth is completely natural sounding and certainly not euphonic.

Listening to the culmination of the S5’s sonic virtues can be quite a mind-blowing experience. That definitely was the case for me when I dropped the diamond on “Mars” from the marvelous new 45RPM ORG pressing of Mehta commandeering Holst’s The Planets. The ability to hear every single thing that every player is doing, to understand how all their written parts and performance-emphases layer and intersect, and to be in the throes of the slow but incessant sonic buildup proved, for me, an overwhelming combination. It takes a “complete” speaker to deliver such a complete listening experience.

The S5 now takes its place not only atop Magico’s new model range, but as the standard bearer for the company’s new sonic direction. With the S Series, Magico delivers a newfound tonal lushness, freer-flowing bass, and an emphasis on organic musicality. The beauty of the S5 is that it achieves these fresh attributes without sacrificing Magico’s way with resolution, imaging, bass extension, and rhythm. I have to applaud Magico for finding a way to create speakers that are more affordable and more overtly inviting than its flagship line, without losing the essence of the brand. I encourage you to listen for yourself. Even if you are someone who has loved every Magico to come down the pike, you may well be as surprised and delighted as I was.

SPECS & PRICING

Type: 3-way, dynamic driver, floor standing loudspeaker
Driver complement: Two 10″ woofers; one 6″ midrange; one 1″ tweeter
Frequency response: 22Hz–50kHz
Nominal impedance: 4 ohms
Sensitivity: 89dB
Dimensions: 15″ x 48″ x 14″
Weight: 190 lbs.
Price: $32,400

MAGICO
586 Spruce Head Road
Hayward, CA 04858
(510) 649-9700
magico.net