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Magico S5 2024
The year 2023 saw the launch of the new-generation S Series. The first-of-its-kind S3 has since been heralded worldwide as a groundbreaking design. Magico’s 20th anniversary is being celebrated in 2024, and with it, the new S5 loudspeaker continues what began with the S3. Offering an even wider performance envelope, the S5 features numerous cutting-edge advancements in a substantially larger package, while maintaining the elegance the S Series is renowned for.
Design Process
A Polytec Laser Vibrometer was leveraged to precisely measure the most minute vibration of the cabinet panels and calculate the sound-pressure levels they generate. This enabled Magico to address them early in the design process, resulting in the desired target: the S5’s cabinet adds no coloration to the sound. The Klippel Near-Field Scanner robot enabled multiple acoustic measurements of the 3D sphere around the S5, which gave a complete view of the on- and off-axis response of the speaker. This data enabled Magico the ability to push ever closer to the theoretical ideal acoustic response of a multi-way loudspeaker.
Tweeter and Midrange
Tweeter Highlights: The S5’s tweeter is based on the model used in the M Series. The S5’s 28mm tweeter uses a diamond-coated beryllium diaphragm. A neodymium-based motor system yields the lowest distortion possible today along with even greater power handling than previous S Series speakers. The S5’s high frequencies are chock-full of textural detail and the sonic subtleties Magico is renowned for.
Midrange Highlights: The S5’s midrange is 6” in diameter with a 3” voice coil. A key change from previous Magico S Series speakers is the Nano-Tec Gen 8 cone structure: an aluminum-honeycomb core sandwiched by graphene-reinforced carbon-fiber skins, terminating in an innovative, long-life foam surround. The cone’s revolutionary core structure allows lower thickness, lighter weight, and more effective damping. This driver features two extra-large neodymium magnets, a full copper cap, and a pure titanium voice coil. The S5’s midrange sets a new benchmark for measured performance in both the frequency and time domains. The result is midrange clarity that will leave you speechless.
Woofer Highlights: Bass in the S5 is provided by a pair of 10” woofers. Each driver sports a 5” titanium voice coil and a Nano-Tec Gen 8 cone built into a third-generation chassis. This woofer has a huge copper cap and is capable of one half inch of linear movement with the lowest distortion available in a driver of its size. This enables the S5 to provide accurate, undistorted low frequencies while producing high maximum sound-pressure levels. The S5 produces low frequencies with awe-inspiring power and depth, while maintaining fidelity to the source not heard outside of a Magico loudspeaker.
Sculpted Enclosure
The newly designed curved-and-shaped aluminum cabinet—optimized using simulated 3D modeling to minimize internal resonances—maximizes stiffness while enabling optimal damping strategies. The front baffle is curved for minimal diffraction effects. A Polytec Laser Vibrometer was leveraged to precisely measure the most minute vibration of the cabinet panels and calculate the sound-pressure levels they generate. This enabled Magico to address them early in the design process, resulting in the desired target: the S5’s cabinet adds no coloration to the sound. Notably, the S5’s internal volume was increased by 31% versus the previous version. The larger bass cabinet enables the S5’s low-frequency response to plumb 5Hz lower—to 20Hz—while keeping the same sensitivity (88dB).
The S5 is available in a generous selection of premium finishes: six Softec choices that are rich in color depth, smooth to the touch, and very durable; and six High Gloss finishes that are expertly polished to a lustrous shine with a clear top coat. The three-footer support system uses constrained-layer damping and premium materials for greatly enhanced sonic performance.
SPECIFICATIONS
Driver Complement:
1 x 1.1" (28mm) Diamond Coated Beryllium Dome Tweeter
1 x 6" (15.24cm) Graphene Nano-Tec Gen 8 Cone Midrange
2 x 10" (25.4cm) Graphene Nano-Tec Gen 8 Cone
Sensitivity: 88dB
Impedance: 4 ohms
Frequency response: 20Hz-50kHz (in-room)
Recommended Power: 50 watts - 1000 Watts
Dimensions: 48"H x 19.3"D x 19"W (122cm x 49cm x 48.5cm)
Weight: 262 lbs. (118 kg)
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Professional Reviews 93/100
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
94/100
Build Quality
93/100
Value for Money
88/100
The Magico S5 2024 pursues exceptional transparency with a remarkably low-coloration voice, bringing recording nuance, lifelike piano harmonics and vast stage depth into vivid focus. Tom Martin found its wide bandwidth and effortless dynamic scale unusually convincing, while the larger aluminium enclosure and advanced drivers support deep, controlled bass and refined coherence. This is reference-level insight for systems built to reveal everything.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Exceptionally low coloration exposes recording, mixing and performance differences with rare clarity.
Vast, realistic soundstage depth and highly believable hall decay.
Handles delicate detail and high-impact music with substantial dynamic headroom and low perceived strain.
&
Cons
Its extreme transparency can make flawed or aggressively mastered recordings less enjoyable.
A firmly luxury-priced loudspeaker, starting at $74,500 per pair.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 94/100
The available listening coverage portrays the S5 2024 as an exceptionally low-coloration, highly revealing loudspeaker that lets recording quality and musical detail take centre stage. It combines broad tonal evenness with unusually convincing space, composure, and dynamic reach, though the detailed evidence comes principally from one reviewer’s article and accompanying video.
Bass
93/100
The Absolute Sound found the S5 smooth across a very wide bandwidth, extending into low bass without conspicuous peaks, emphasis, or depression. There is no specific discussion of ultimate sub-bass weight or room-loading behaviour, but the reported low-frequency integration is notably even and controlled.
Mid
94/100
Piano was described as delivering tonal balance and harmonics in a manner strongly reminiscent of the real instrument, a demanding test of timbre and coherence. The broader account of very low speaker character also supports a transparent, revealing midband that exposes recording differences rather than imposing a persistent coloration.
Treble
93/100
Review coverage describes a smooth response extending through the upper treble, with little sense of individual frequency regions being exaggerated or recessed. That points to a refined, even top end, although the reviews provide limited treble-specific commentary on air, sparkle, or tonal character with difficult recordings.
Soundstage Imaging
96/100
The S5 2024 earned especially emphatic praise for its vast, realistic stage depth and for reproducing hall decay with remarkable believability; the reviewer said only a very small number of speakers had equalled it in this respect. Its ability to make the speakers themselves seem to disappear was also central to the listening impression.
Dynamics
96/100
The S5 was said to render both delicate detail and forceful drums or driving music with very low distortion, rarely sounding stressed. Its handling of piano’s broad dynamic and harmonic demands was described as highly lifelike, suggesting both fine-level expression and substantial large-scale headroom.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
93/100
Magico’s redesigned enclosure is 30% larger and uses curved, CNC-shaped extruded-aluminium panels developed with finite-element modelling to limit vibration. The S5 2024 also receives entirely new woofers and midrange drivers, an M9-derived tweeter, and revised surround materials intended to reduce mechanical resistance while maintaining durability.
Value for Money
88/100
At $74,500 per pair in Softec and $83,000 in gloss, the S5 2024 is firmly a luxury high-end purchase. The Absolute Sound nevertheless characterised its exceptionally low coloration as a breakthrough and suggested it may be the least expensive speaker to reach that particular level of full-band transparency, offering meaningful justification against elite peers rather than conventional affordability.
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Authorized dealers for Magico S5 2024
- 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
- Absolute Sounds — in-store — London, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Addicted to Audio — online and in-store — Epping, Victoria, Australia (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Audio Concept - Luxembourg — in-store — Gare, Luxembourg, Luxembourg (website)
- Audio Elation — in-store — Lolo, Montana, United States (website)
- Audio Excellence (CH) — Switzerland (website)
- Audio Exchange — online and in-store — Richmond, Virginia, United States (website)
- Audio Gallery — online and in-store — Las Rozas de Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Audio Natali — in-store — Montecatini Terme, Toscana, Italy (website)
and 67 more verified dealers