When have you heard "The Magic"?

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  • jbreezy5
    jbreezy5 Posts: 1,013
    I heard “the magic”, unlike any other time I can recall, way back in 2004, when the Legacy Audio Victoria (25th anniversary design) was in production @ Hi-fi Heaven in Old St. Charles, MO.

    For me, ever since, that speaker has been “the one that got away”. I let financial limits rule at that time, and went for my faithful Dynaudio Audience 82s ($2500/pr. when purchased); the Victorias were about $4300/pr in Rosewood finish, I believe.

    Anyone looking to sell theirs, contact me. lol

    v4bp267w0fkt.jpeg
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  • GlennDog
    GlennDog Posts: 2,924


    I’ve been playing this really good album lately. Eva woulda been 57 tomorrow 😢

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    Power Rogue M180 monos & Adcom GFA 5802
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  • Jazzhead
    Jazzhead Posts: 413
    Tom:

    My brother once said "Music is a drug". Years ago, about 1980, we saw Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Tony Williams and a 19 year old Wynton Marsalis at Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte - a small venue with excellent acoustics. The hair on our necks stood up for the entire concert. When you can capture a bit of that "magic" on your rig it's just awesome. Perhaps part of it is a state of mind.
    Polk Audio RTA-12s; 12 inch Polk Stands; DHS Speaker Service upgraded crossovers w/ Sonicap/Mills; comb filtering mod (hyperdamped outer drivers/mirror imaged); tweeter diffraction mod; Cardas binding posts; Neotech UPOCC internal wire; foam-lined inner driver baskets; xschop phase plugs; deleted fuses; Hurricane nuts; Sonic Barrier; Dynamat Xtreme
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    Kimber 12TC speaker cable & Furez connectors; VH Audio Flavor 4 power cables w/Furutech connectors
    Herbie's Audio Lab system isolation: Tenderfeet, Big Fat Dots, Grungebuster Dots, Little Fat Gliders
    Dedicated 20A/10 AWG circuit; Furutech GTX-D (G) outlet; Furutech eTP80; Shunyata Research Venom Defender; Synergistic Research Orange fuses
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,676
    George Grand's "The Truth".

    I can't explain it, you just had to sit in "The Chair" and experience it.

    I bought my own Amazings from Bob McG because of that.

    Speaking of which, Bob McG's SDAs were...just...wow.


    But one of the best systems I've had was the Polk in-walls HT at the old house. I have all the parts just gotta put it back together in the new house. Everyone who sat in front of it was just floored. Even at Polkfests, we had to pry people out of the couch to give others a chance. That one was just dumb luck and attention to detail in installation.

    Only two others had the same level of purity.

    My stupid little kit based tube amp I built and powered RuSsMaN's KLH 17's so effectively from an MP3 player source that doro had to come upstairs and tell me and antny to turn it down because they couldn't hear the prototype LSi's on the BBQ amp over them. That same amp on Klipsch Heresy II's got a bunch of play time in the "vintage rig" at a Polkfest too.

    The other was my SDA 2B's on an Adcom GFA-535ii and a Oinker Integra pre-amp.


    I did hit dumb luck one other time, though. KEF iQ9's powered by a NAD C320 integrated. Didn't matter what source was used, they just sounded great.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 24,568
    What in-walls do you have John?
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 380d DSDIn retirement...TriangleArt Reference SE with Walker Precision Motor Drive, Yamaha CD-S2100 SACD Player.“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,676
    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/174294/a-quick-teaser-before-the-yahoos-show-up-tomorrow/p1
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • jbreezy5
    jbreezy5 Posts: 1,013
    jbreezy5 wrote: »
    I heard “the magic”, unlike any other time I can recall, way back in 2004, when the Legacy Audio Victoria (25th anniversary design) was in production @ Hi-fi Heaven in Old St. Charles, MO.

    For me, ever since, that speaker has been “the one that got away”. I let financial limits rule at that time, and went for my faithful Dynaudio Audience 82s ($2500/pr. when purchased); the Victorias were about $4300/pr in Rosewood finish, I believe.

    Anyone looking to sell theirs, contact me. lol

    v4bp267w0fkt.jpeg

    A dream has come true. I recently found a pair of Legacy Victorias in rosewood veneer and purchased them.

    One bass driver has been shipped for repair as the voice coil is separated from the spider. I had to replace both midranges since the foam surrounds had rotted over time. Also picked up a pair of replacement tweeters just in case.

    Below is a photo of one of them:

    x9nzhecbqq3v.jpeg
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  • zarrdoss
    zarrdoss Posts: 2,563
    Every time I listen to my Audio Physic Avanti III's.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,032
    edited June 5
    1) My first audition of Quad's epochal "ESL-57" electrostatics (on solid state Quad electronics) at Soundscape in Baltimore, probably in 1977. John Dorsey played Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here for me on that system (no idea what tt, arm, and cartridge -- it was in the "back room" so it would've been good stuff). I have a flashbulb memory of the experience... and I own a pair of ESL-57s to this day. ;)

    2) Gary Kaufman's Altec A5s with 1505 horns/288 drivers on top, and Jean Hiraga's XO, driven by Gary's DIY SE 211 amplifiers. My single favorite hifi system that's even close to rational (rationalizable). :) Yeah... Altecs...

    3) A totally irrational system: RCA electrodynamic drivers in RCA "Ubangi" horns, topped with RCA multicells and electrodynamic compression drivers (and more conventional compression "super
    tweeters", Gauss drivers, IIRC), driven by very esoteric 845 amplifiers from the 1940s (and a passel of other things). Dave Slagle passive TVC 'preamp' -- with vinyl and polyester (ahem tape) sources (using bespoke EQ/preamps). Unbelievable scale, scope, impact, and dynamics.



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  • jbreezy5
    jbreezy5 Posts: 1,013
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    1) My first audition of Quad's epochal "ESL-57" electrostatics (on solid state Quad electronics) at Soundscape in Baltimore, probably in 1977. John Dorsey played Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here for me on that system (no idea what tt, arm, and cartridge -- it was in the "back room" so it would've been good stuff). I have a flashbulb memory of the experience... and I own a pair of ESL-57s to this day. ;)

    2) Gary Kaufman's Altec A5s with 1505 horns/288 drivers on top, and Jean Hiraga's XO, driven by Gary's DIY SE 211 amplifiers. My single favorite hifi system that's even close to rational (rationalizable). :) Yeah... Altecs...

    3) A totally irrational system: RCA electrodynamic drivers in RCA "Ubangi" horns, topped with RCA multicells and electrodynamic compression drivers (and more conventional compression "super
    tweeters", Gauss drivers, IIRC), driven by very esoteric 845 amplifiers from the 1940s (and a passel of other things). Dave Slagle passive TVC 'preamp' -- with vinyl and polyester (ahem tape) sources (using bespoke EQ/preamps). Unbelievable scale, scope, impact, and dynamics.



    Gonna have to get my ears on some Altecs some day.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 16,055
    edited June 5
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,513
    jbreezy5 wrote: »

    I had to replace both midranges since the foam surrounds had rotted over time. Also picked up a pair of replacement tweeters just in case.


    Why did'nt you just refoam them or have them refoamed?

    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • jbreezy5
    jbreezy5 Posts: 1,013
    halo71 wrote: »
    jbreezy5 wrote: »

    I had to replace both midranges since the foam surrounds had rotted over time. Also picked up a pair of replacement tweeters just in case.


    Why did'nt you just refoam them or have them refoamed?

    Because the foam on these is a flat surround, and I’m better at breaking things than fixing them; all thumbs. 😂

    Working on correcting this though; I have a number of projects I’m going to try.

    I also got a major discount on the drivers at Parts Express.
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  • Joey_V
    Joey_V Posts: 8,252
    For me the magic happens when I listen to my Magico M2. I have honestly not heard anything that does it just the way I like it.
    Magico, JL, Emm, ARC Ref 10 line, ARC Ref 10 phono, VPI, Lyra, Boulder, AQ Wel, SRA Scuttle Rack, Bluesound
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