10 minutes ago, Martykt said:

To my ears the NS5000s sound was metallic and harsh rather than organic and expressive.

The room setting plays a crucial role in maximising the potential of any set of loudspeakers. When I first started out, many of you complained about the harsh sound of the S5s. Today, that’s no longer the case due to room treatment and the optimal placement of the S5s. It took me almost 6 months to find the ideal ear plan asking position, incrementing 5cm at a time with a laser marking survey tool. The setup sounds great now, but I still want more. I wonder what Santa will bring this Christmas in July. 

9 minutes ago, AdrianRa said:

Which setup? Yours? I would love to! Absolutely 

Yes, my modest setup. 👍

1 minute ago, AccuTidal said:

The room setting plays a crucial role in maximising the potential of any set of loudspeakers. When I first started out, many of you complained about the harsh sound of the S5s. Today, that’s no longer the case due to room treatment and the optimal placement of the S5s. It took me almost 6 months to find the ideal ear plan asking position, incrementing 5cm at a time with a laser marking survey tool. The setup sounds great now, but I still want more. I wonder what Santa will bring this Christmas in July. 

I absolutely agree getting the room right is extremely important.

 

I heard the NS5000 at the hifi show some years back when they came out in one of the slightly larger hotel rooms there.

 

I also heard the Kharmas at that same hotel and they sounded stunning. (I should add the particular model of Kharma being demonstrated you could add a zero or so to the price of the NS5000...)

 

When I heard your Magicos I thought you had the room tuned beautifully and definitely did not think of them as harsh. 👍

2 minutes ago, Martykt said:

I absolutely agree getting the room right is extremely important.

 

I heard the NS5000 at the hifi show some years back when they came out in one of the slightly larger hotel rooms there.

 

I also heard the Kharmas at that same hotel and they sounded stunning. (I should add the particular model of Kharma being demonstrated you could add a zero or so to the price of the NS5000...)

 

When I heard your Magicos I thought you had the room tuned beautifully and definitely did not think of them as harsh. 👍

I appreciate the Kharma sound, but my bank account is not amused. You are absolutely correct; I wish the asking price were reduced by a zero. After I was shocked by the asking prices, I discreetly returned to my hotel. 

 

13 hours ago, AccuTidal said:

 

 

Incidentally, would anyone be interested in observing the setup this Sunday? 

 

How bloody typical! I finally get a chance to come over to yours again and have been laid-up with flu all week. Even had to cancel golf this morning and darts tonight. I'll probably be non contaminating by Sunday but wouldn't inflict this misery on anyone so better not accept. Maybe I'll have to wait for the next time. Woe is me! 😰

I think some posters might be confused between the Yamaha NS 1000 /2000 which are vintage and the  NS 5000s which use xylene drivers and are quite new [flagship] speakers.

They are quite different sounding speakers.

Edited May 1, 2025May 1 by THOMO

14 hours ago, Martykt said:

To my ears the NS5000s sound was metallic and harsh rather than organic and expressive.

If they sounded metallic or harsh then it was most likely the room or system.I have owned lots of dome midrange speakers.They are very room dependent which is probably a result of  their wide dispersion and how they interact with the room .Especially side wall reflections.

1 hour ago, Grimmie said:

 

 

How bloody typical! I finally get a chance to come over to yours again and have been laid-up with flu all week. Even had to cancel golf this morning and darts tonight. I'll probably be non contaminating by Sunday but wouldn't inflict this misery on anyone so better not accept. Maybe I'll have to wait for the next time. Woe is me! 😰

Get some rest, G. My invitation for you to visit has always been open. 

Thanks Chanh. That makes me feel better.

Edited May 1, 2025May 1 by Grimmie

1 hour ago, THOMO said:

If they sounded metallic or harsh then it was most likely the room or system.I have owned lots of dome midrange speakers.They are very room dependent which is probably a result of  their wide dispersion and how they interact with the room .Especially side wall reflections.

It was at the hifi show in one of the double rooms.

While the hotel rooms are not ideal the rooms were good enough that you could get a reasonable idea about a speakers sonic signature.

I agree it's hard to know definitively without setting up the speakers in a known room and system but for whatever reason they didn't exactly inspire...

Th active ATCs on the other hand which were in a similar room and also utilise a dome midrange sounded phenomenal.

 

Anyway without disrupting Chanh's thread too much (I hope he doesn't mind?) how are you Jon? 
You keeping well up there in Busso?

Edited May 1, 2025May 1 by Martykt

10 hours ago, Martykt said:

Anyway without disrupting Chanh's thread too much (I hope he doesn't mind?) how are you Jon? 
You keeping well up there in Busso?

No problem at all! 

 

I really enjoy reading and learning from people who share their authentic experiences and journeys. 

Edited May 1, 2025May 1 by AccMagi7s

On 30/04/2025 at 7:57 PM, AccMagi7s said:

...I wonder what Santa will bring this Christmas in July. 

Are you dropping clues? Surely you are not finally paying attention to what I've been saying for quite some time now??

 

 

We have another casual, unplanned catch-up today. It will be a relaxed get-together, and I’m sure we’ll have a great time. By the way, I believe 2013 is an excellent year for wine. It may be considered classic, but it still holds up very well.

2 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

We have another casual, unplanned catch-up today. It will be a relaxed get-together, and I’m sure we’ll have a great time. By the way, I believe 2013 is an excellent year for wine. It may be considered classic, but it still holds up very well.

Invitation 😎

What time?

5 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

We have another casual, unplanned catch-up today. It will be a relaxed get-together, and I’m sure we’ll have a great time. By the way, I believe 2013 is an excellent year for wine. It may be considered classic, but it still holds up very well.

For Grenache fans.Have you tried this Frankland River one? Swinney Farvie .2023 I believe.

Ray Jordon gave it 99 points.

Edited May 4, 2025May 4 by THOMO

12 minutes ago, THOMO said:

For Grenache fans.Have you tried this Frankland River one? Swinney Farvie .2023 I believe.

Ray Jordon gave it 99 points.

Yes, it's a ripper Jon. Even the standard grenache is outstanding.

Great producer!!

37 minutes ago, Mendes said:

Yes, it's a ripper Jon. Even the standard grenache is outstanding.

Great producer!!

I have known the family for over 4o years.They own a prime bit of land land along the Frankland River  but apparently these  vines grow up on top of a rocky hill and get the bare minimum of water.

Today, we engaged in an insightful discussion comparing the differences between S5 speakers and Horn speakers. It was an enjoyable afternoon spent in the company of exceptional individuals.  

50 minutes ago, AccMagi7s said:

Today, we engaged in an insightful discussion comparing the differences between S5 speakers and Horn speakers. It was an enjoyable afternoon spent in the company of exceptional individuals.  

And, don't keep us waiting. Some of the differences?

1 minute ago, Lazz said:

And, don't keep us waiting. Some of the differences?

It would be more appropriate for a third-party assessment/feedback. 

@mtf, @AdrianRa

10 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

It would be more appropriate for a third-party assessment/feedback. 

@mtf, @AdrianRa

Chanh, let me just start by thanking you for your great hospitality and saying how good it was to meet lovely people.

The thing that striked me on the Magico was just the enormous sound stage and how much information, resolution and imaging was present, without being harsh.

The horns lost on all these fronts but they were more analog, sounded more "live" and were very good on the voices. I felt the horns sounded better at lower volume than high volume.

I had to choose between the two(that would be a good position to be in) I would choose the Magico in this case.

48 minutes ago, AdrianRa said:

Chanh, let me just start by thanking you for your great hospitality and saying how good it was to meet lovely people.

The thing that striked me on the Magico was just the enormous sound stage and how much information, resolution and imaging was present, without being harsh.

The horns lost on all these fronts but they were more analog, sounded more "live" and were very good on the voices. I felt the horns sounded better at lower volume than high volume.

I had to choose between the two(that would be a good position to be in) I would choose the Magico in this case.

This is your first visit, and your feedback is invaluable as it comes from a fresh perspective. Your observations are spot on; you have fantastic hearing ability and are able to detect a mechanical fan noise that is below 25 dBA from six meters away. I have this capability as well, but since I placed it there, it is more obvious to me. Many guests who have come before you have not been able to distinguish it as you did, and you conveyed your thoughts almost instantly after a serious audition in that sweet spot.

Regarding the horns, they are lovely. However, when it comes to complex recordings, the S5s excel in those situations. For relaxed, simple music like jazz, country, or instrumental, the horns can truly help you unwind, making you forget about anything else going on in the world, including the impact of Donald Trump.

That said, I will be sad to see them all go in the near future. Fingers crossed for what Santa will bring!

Thank you again for your feedback and your Venezuelan liquor!

14 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

Today, we engaged in an insightful discussion comparing the differences between S5 speakers and Horn speakers.

 

2 hours ago, AdrianRa said:

The thing that striked me on the Magico was just the enormous sound stage and how much information, resolution and imaging was present, without being harsh.

The horns lost on all these fronts but they were more analog, sounded more "live" and were very good on the voices. I felt the horns sounded better at lower volume than high volume.

It's an interesting question about the difference between horn speakers and the Magico.

In my experience if horns are done properly they are incredibly dynamic and are right up there when it comes to resolution and imaging.

Done poorly however can be very shouty and quite obnoxious.

I haven't heard the LM3 but it does surprise me a little that they lost out on resolution and imaging, analog and a more "live" sound does make sense though.

 

I tend to equate the difference to Magico having a more modern solid state hifi sound if you will (and Magico do that very well) and horns or efficient speakers usually in conjunction with tubes have a more live holographic sound.

At the end of the day I think both sounds can be enjoyable and it really comes down to personal preference.

I'm curious Chanh, have you found yourself swaying towards a particular sound or have you enjoyed having both in your listening room?

2 hours ago, Martykt said:

 

It's an interesting question about the difference between horn speakers and the Magico.

In my experience if horns are done properly they are incredibly dynamic and are right up there when it comes to resolution and imaging.

Done poorly however can be very shouty and quite obnoxious.

I haven't heard the LM3 but it does surprise me a little that they lost out on resolution and imaging, analog and a more "live" sound does make sense though.

 

I tend to equate the difference to Magico having a more modern solid state hifi sound if you will (and Magico do that very well) and horns or efficient speakers usually in conjunction with tubes have a more live holographic sound.

At the end of the day I think both sounds can be enjoyable and it really comes down to personal preference.

I'm curious Chanh, have you found yourself swaying towards a particular sound or have you enjoyed having both in your listening room?

I believe the differences in sound really come down to the positioning of the speakers, influenced by room acoustics. After months of tweaking, the S5s are finally in their sweet spot! On the other hand, the LM3s are not well-placed, they haven't been optimised yet. This might lead to some distortion in the midbass and lower bass notes, making them sound a bit unfocused or fuzzy, which could explain the lack of resolution some might hear. However, the LM3s shine like stars from 400Hz upward, with a speed and clarity that’s hard to beat!

 

Also, the distance between the LM3s’ is much closer compared to the S5s, which makes it a bit unfair to judge the LM3s in this setup. Conducting a quick A vs. B comparison is a logistical challenge, and getting the LM3s set up just right like the S5s is essential for an accurate assessment.

 

Personally, I'm a fan of all of them, depending on the recording or genre at play! With classical orchestras, the S5s deliver breathtaking accuracy and pinpoint sharpness, allowing each instrument to stand out in a stunning 3D soundscape. In contrast, the LM3s really struggle to keep up with the urgency and timing of the lower frequencies. However, when it comes to relaxing vocals or simpler genres, the LM3s truly shine, letting me immerse myself in the music without getting distracted by the tech!

 

I can't help but feel excited about what’s next! The upcoming candidates could blend the best of both worlds. Stay tuned for more updates!