On my way back from Tuscany, I’ve planned to briefly stop at the HIFI Tomasinni, Oderzo, Italy for a short listening session of the Magico M6 speakers, partnered with the full Nagra HD electronics including the very latest HD preamp. I’ve had the luxury to hear the prototype of the preamplifier at their factory last year, but the final version was even further refined, so it was a perfect chance to add this to the package.
As both M6 speakers and Nagra HD have just arrived few hours in prior to my arrival, the setup was still in the warm-up phase when I’ve started listening. The sound has started to make sense over the time and had morphed from casually captivating listening into a higher level sensor triggering experience.
Friday night’s pre-event initial evaluation was prolonged to the late hours. I’ve decided to stay overnight and spent some more time for the listening and talking with Alon Wolf. The mini event has ended with a dinner at Michelin star restaurant. An evening turned into the most vibrant experience with a lot of interesting, heated, intriguing and inspiring discussions.
The next day was a public event and Saturday had brought even more qualities to the sonic experience. While the listening room was not ideal, Magico M6’s could still reveal quite a portion of their real potency and have projected a balanced sound without the typical dynamic speakers’ constraints.
This is surely connected with the complete design approach, and most intimately with the speaker’s enclosure. I’m a fan of sealed box design for many of the reasons (my Ubiq Audio SE reference speakers uses the same principle) and M6’s have proven again, that such design delivers more than just non-overblown bass, easier room integration, better real-world objectivity etc. Sealed box sets so many constitutional things above of the level of doing it right.
M6 speakers’ side panels are made out of half-inch carbon fiber. That is neither cheap nor easy to produce. When we’ve played a loud track with a massive bass Alon asked me to put my hand on on the side panel. There were zero resonances emitted. I’ve couldn’t sense no vibrations. Both carbon fiber monocoque and massive (bolted) aluminum parts are implemented in such way, that transfer unwanted resonances into other energies forms (a heat etc.).
I was always a silent fan of Magico Q7 speakers for quite a few reasons, that I won’t go into the detail here, but yes, the mechanical, monumental structure is certainly one of them. The very first few songs played through the M6s quickly revealed the similar, but not exactly same DNA. M6 speakers radiate with their own design language, that brings a refreshing, but still minimalistic cues, translating into the imprint-less sound reproduction.
I could be wrong, but my mind quickly started to play around with what future might bring. Perhaps the new M7 of similar curves, but with Q7 gestalt.
THE DOME PHENOMENA
You won’t find me overenthusiastic any time over the usual dome tweeters. Most of the dynamic speaker’s designs push them too quickly into the not so pleasing distortion zone or even into much more problematic situations. This is where ribbons and compression drivers kick in as a possible remedy. Of course with their own set of problems, but definitely in the absence of basic dome tweeter problems, that are constantly overlooked by the industry at large.
I’ve written once or twice already, how distorted tweeter sound became a reference point even for the long-standing elders of a high-end audio. Sad but true. Have no illusion. It’s a pandora box, not everyone is willing to open…
So I couldn’t resist putting M6’s highest tech claims on a race track. I’ve challenged Alon to play M6 speaker extremely loud and when my ego was satisfied I’ve asked him for the exact explanation of what is so obviously different about the M6’s diamond-coated beryllium diaphragm, that firmly took my loudness torture.
The very reason for the M6s mighty handling of the loud music without getting into the distortion zone is connected with the optimized geometry, that was created with the help of state-of-the-art Finite Element Analysis modeling tools and with expertly leveraging of the beryllium’s physical properties. This allows tweeter to operate closer to the ideal point and in absence of added weight normally associated with diamond’s specific gravity. All new motor system as well the upgraded and improved back chamber delivers, what is claimed to be the lowest distortion measurements of any high-frequency transducer.
I can assure you, that diamond-coated beryllium sonic performance cannot be bottled within any existing norms. It was surprisingly intriguing to experience the highs with all the best attributes of ribbons, but with the addition of stand out point source potency.
SUM UP
I’ve done some of my homework on the way back home. The carbon fiber half inch side panel of M6’s size would cost between $10-12.000 on the market. Let me only add the $1200 for the single giant woofer magnet. Without adding any other parts you can get an idea. At the end of the day, there is not so much $$$ left, that goes to this particular manufacture’s pocket. I’m more than sure how this comes as surprise to many of you…
Considering the prices being charged for some of the fancy veneer or color coated MDF speakers’ enclosures, it really makes you wonder where the actual money goes. I’m not alone with a provoking idea of luxury furniture industry being more home to such creations. By no means, the sole combining of an ultra expensive parts will not get you an extreme performer. Yet, these Magicos proves, how an extreme concept combining the extreme parts can result in a formation of something special and positively exuberant.
My extended stay also allowed more in-depth discussions with Alon Wolf. Spending the quality time with iconic people from high-end audio industry and trying to understand their mood is one of my main endeavors during my travelings. Alon’s outer facade might present him as a distant person presiding at the secluded throne. In reality, he’s actually a great man with a clear and focused dedication. Yes, he’s determined, straightforward and more than just passionate when it comes to the loudspeakers designing and manufacturing. The boldness is not always the most wanted thing and it surely won’t please the crowd. Anyhow…
An enlivened discussions brought up many subjects and we have both shared our own critical views about our beloved and niche industry. We surely didn’t (and won’t) agree on each and every point, but interestingly we did share quite a few of the common views.
I’m always highly inspired by any high-end audio manufacturer/designer, that is in a full 24/7 operational momentum. Despite many claiming to act so, in reality only a few people’s inner clocks ticks in such way. Genuine passion cannot be bought or faked. Over the years I’ve learned to just observe people, their behavior and their actions. The results or in our case the products always speak for themselves. More loudly than most people would want to…
We talked a lot about how time-consuming contemplation and push forward processes can be. My past ten+ years took away a lot of the beauty sleep :). Alon could instantly relate to the 3-4 hours (unhealthy) dosage of sleeping arrangement per day. Yes, the reality strikes. It takes much more than just ordinary pace to create something meaningful and without a painstaking pinpoint focus the very pursue of completing anything will often just remain a daydreaming.
This weekend was surely inspiring and educational. Learning how much efforts, time and funds went into the M6’s creation reminded me about HD preamplifier project and my visit to Nagra last year. Coincidently the HD preamplifier was also a part of the listening system at the M6s Italian premiere and the HD preamp project was similar tour de force, but in the high-end audio electronic sub-universe.
Magico M6s were designed from ground up as the 21st century, state of the art, cost no object loudspeakers, that challenges and call on duel every dynamic speaker out there. These speakers don’t fall under any labeling or just being among most sophisticated and technically profoundly designed dynamic speakers on the market. They are without a doubt exactly that and more. A pinnacle of high-tech engineering, pushing the limits to the maximum.
Even if you don’t like the concept, the man, or the brand; Alon’s take no prisoners, state-of-the-art, high tech approach resulted in a product, that pushes the boundaries of the sonic reproduction much further to the plane, that even yours truly found a bit more complicated and complex to transcribe it on the paper…
M6 can be pushed to extreme sonic pressures, where the distortions start to show up on the measurement equipment after 120dB threshold. By entering of the domain of zero-dot portion level of distortion we’re suddenly stepping into the very realms of high-end audio amplifiers. That alone is provokingly different and meaningful for instant contemplation.
I’ll return to Italy to further explore Magico M6 speakers at Audio Natali very soon, but the initial sonic impact still lingers on.
I’ve heard many exotic, multimillion-dollar systems with all kinds of speakers as a part of these ultra high-end audio setups. They all had their pluses and minuses, but one particular 3 million custom horn speakers system was always hunting my inner, secluded impressions archetype data storage (a bit of Jung never hurts:) ) until this very weekend.
The ultimate, upper echelon horn like attributes (in the absence of even slightest sonic traits and handicaps) shouldn’t be so profoundly connected with any dynamic speaker. Yet Magico M6 breaks these rules!
Yes, I’m admitting it. Even this initial and non-optimal presentation had boldly smacked my mindset.
Rarely my left and right brain hemispheres end up processing the data in a unison of: “shut up and take my money”. Well, here you have it…
Matej Isak