A VISIT TO MAGICO

Norbert Mundorf takes us inside Magico LLC Loudspeaker (magico.net) manufacturing. Where? USA, California, Hayward, San Francisco Bay. When? Tuesday, 31st. of July 2018, two days after the regional "California Audio Show" (CAS) 2018 was over. Hosts: Magico founder, owner and CEO Alon Wolf and factory manager Dave Shackleton. When seeing Magico's CTO Yair Tammam recently in Tel Aviv, I decided to combine 2018's CAS and a long time awaited visit to Magico's headquarter in Hayward ... 

Dave Shackleton welcomed me kindly by saying: "So, finally, you made it!" Words, Alon Wolf would cordially repeat when greeting me, an hour or so later. And yes, there is some truth to it: In 2004, I met Alon Wolf the very first time: At Las Vegas' T.H.E. Show (CES) where he introduced Magico's first "Mini" ever - already back then employing Mundorf parts including our bindings. Since back then, we met year after year at countless many Hi-Fi Shows in the US, Germany and even Japan. Also, over the years, our business relationship developed very well in every respect and cordially, too. Still, it wasn't until 14 years later, that "I finally made it" to the headquarter of one of our most valuable customers ...

Once in, I was kindly allowed to take photos in the spacious lobby, where a museum-like collection of assorted current and former Magico speakers and prototypes is on display - though it's not complete because some former model-lines are entirely sold out. Anyway, thanks to Dave's comprehensive presentation I could well retrace Magico's main focus when developing new or improving existing loudspeaker models: Aside improved drivers and X-overs, Magico's major point is the rigidity of their cabinets ... to an absolutely incredible extent! Today, all Magico speaker cabinets are 100% made from aluminum, today's most advanced models even partly employing state-of-the art carbon fiber for the housing ... 

To learn about their absolutely incredible extent of up-to-date's achieved perfection, you may look-up Magico's website magico.net or re-read some of the many reviews on most Magicos in major audio magazines around the globe ...

From the lobby, Dave showed me to the measuring, manufacturing and assembling departments - each of them being a "zero photo-taking zone" ... 

To be suddenly right on the spot where they do it and to realize that they really do everything in-house on the most advanced machinery and, regardless what efforts it actually takes to make it happen or how demanding the actual craftsmanship is - that truly impressed me deeply! Indeed, within my almost 40 years in audio business, I not only have never ever seen cabinets being made this way but I've also never seen cabinets being put together and assembled this way or speaker drivers being mounted the way Magico does it. At least to my knowledge, this sort of perfection down to and in the tiniest detail is simply not the way the audio industry works. Instead, from 2001 until 2004, I had an engagement with TOYOTA Formula One in Cologne where they built their F1 racing-cars from the first scratch. To me, Magico's speaker manufacturing resembles rather the way engines and chassis for F1 cars are crafted...

So, what's the outcome of all this addiction for perfection? Let me put it plain and simple: I've never ever heard music from loudspeakers as real and life-like as from the M6 in Magico's listening room. "Fearsome!" was one of my many feelings whilst listening with closed eyes. Though I easily could go on raving about Magico's M6, I rather stop commenting here ...

In closing, at Mundorf we are very proud that Magico considers our components and X-over assembling abilities a definite must-have for to achieve such a result! That most definitely helps our reputation a lot, too! Thank you! Let's keep on striving for even better future products.