Magico Mini ii standmount loudspeakers - Audiofast

EQUIPMENT REVIEW / Magico Mini IICasting my ears back to the Magico V3 is perhaps a more relevantcomparison. The Mini II is the better imager, but the V3 has more bass depth.Neither is a substantial trade. Interestingly though, I believe the Mini II alsoedges ahead in terms of dynamic range. This is a harder thing to compare,because you are comparing the range across different bandwidths, but Isuspect the awesome dynamics of the V3 get an extra layer of awesomenessin the Mini II and that is something truly aw… impressive.You can’t help but throw music at the Mini II and it can’t help but throwremarkably enjoyable sounds back. The musical generation process here issecond to none, making light work of even the heaviest orchestral piece in amanner most two-way standmounts would panic at.What criticism exists is largely philosophical in nature. The Mini II ispotentially a loudspeaker in search of a perfect amplifier. You and it will neverbe satisfied with ‘just so’, even if thatshould read ‘just so much money thatmy bank account needs stitches’. Thisinvites an interesting question; can aproduct be compromised by beinguncompromising? I think your reactionto this question defines the Mini II foryou. If you think ‘yes’ then there area hundred loudspeakers that cost afraction of the Mini II’s asking pricethat will be almost as good and saveyou tens of thousands of pounds inthe selection process. If not, you justopened yourself up to a world withoutcompromise.There’s a spiritual heir to the MiniII – the Sonus Faber Extrema. Even ifthe two are completely unalike on everylevel, they share that headlong charge intouncharted territory approach that makes them atonce exciting and a bit terrifying to be with. And, likethe Extrema, the Mini II will be the sort of productthat still commands high prices and hushed tonesyears and years after they go to the Great ListeningRoom in the Sky. There is, of course, the fivefigure elephant in the room. Can any standmountloudspeaker – no matter how remarkable – reallycommand and justify so high a price? If you lookat the Magico Mini II as a loudspeaker, instead of astandmount loudspeaker, it delivers a sound that is“They share thatheadlong charge intouncharted territorythat makes them atonce exciting and a bitterrifying to be with.”every bit as good as its price suggests. Mostpeople will struggle to make that intellectualjump, but if you are an uncompromising soulwith an accommodating bank balance andan equally accommodating listening room,this might just be the ‘best’ after all.TechnicalSpecificationsMagico Mini IITwo-way standmount loudspeakerInfinite baffle designDriver Complement: 25.4mm ringradiator Revelator tweeter178mm Nano-Tec mid-wooferFrequency Response: 40Hz-40KHzSensitivity: 87dBImpedance: 4 ohmsRecommended Power: 50-250 WattsDimensions (WxHxD, Inc stand):38x106x45cmWeight: 90kgPrice per pair: £35,000Manufacturer:Magico Loudspeaker SystemsURL: www.magico.netDistributed by:Absolute SoundsTel: +44 (0)20 8971 3909URL: www.absolutesounds.com34 ISSUE 70