The Magico A5 is a state-of-the-art loudspeaker and unlike most traditional high-end HiFi speakers, it uses aluminum instead of wood to build its cabinet. There is no doubt the flagship series floor-standing speakers will possess exceptional sonic performance. The question now is which amp will be the best match?
Not only the matching amp needs to be able to drive the Magico A5 effortlessly, but it also needs to unlock the speakers’ potential and suit your preference in sound quality. Let us learn more about the Magico A5 before we start listing out the amplifiers you can go for.
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Strengths and Characteristics of Magico A5
The Magico A5 is a large pair of floor-standing speakers that weigh a whopping 180 pounds each. It is wise not to arrange the speaker’s position by yourself. Since it uses a sealed enclosure, you don’t need to worry about bass ports getting reinforced by the walls. Even so, you should still provide the A5s with ample breathing space. After all, each speaker has three 9″ Graphene Nano-Tec Bass drivers and they can deliver really deep bass frequencies.
Magico A5’s frequency response is 24Hz to 50kHz, and we expect no less from a flagship series loudspeaker of this price point. The impedance is at 4 Ohms and the recommended power is between 50W-1000W. This shows the Magico A5 requires plenty of power to sing. Unless the quality of your amplifier power is top-notch, you shouldn’t choose a low-powered amp to drive these speakers.
The stereo imaging is immaculate and never once loses its focus. It has high-resolution music delivery and a massive amount of details are been revealed too. The Magico A5’s accuracy is simply amazing and more importantly, it does not sound analytical. Bass delivery is tight and rich, the articulate low-end performance always matches well with the upper registers without trying to overwhelm them. Giving you a cohesive music presentation faithful to the source.
It has the precision to provide us with an accurate presentation without sounding overly analytical. The overall sound reproduction is natural and cohesive, bringing out every subtle music detail and nuance. Magico A5 will definitely require a high-quality amp to drive them and we will be listing out some of the best for you to consider. Do take some time to work out a budget before checking out the list below.
Best Amplifiers for Magico A5
The Pass Labs XA200.8 is one of the best amps to drive the Magico A5. These are powerful monoblock amps and are capable of feeding the A5s with high-quality Class A amplifier power of up to 400 Watts. More importantly, the Pass Labs XA200.8 amp will bring music to life and simply allow you to enjoy your favorite songs. They are clean and pure which makes these monoblock amps extremely suitable for the Magico A5 speakers. The XA200.8s are revealing as well and sounded natural.
For listeners who don’t have the budget to afford a pair of Pass Labs XA200.8 monoblock amps, you might want to check out the Parasound JC 1+. These Parasound power amplifiers may be less expensive than the XA200.8 but they are the top choices within their price range. With an amp power of up to 850 Watts into 4 Ohms, the Parasound JC 1+ will have no problem driving your Magico A5 speakers. They are neutral-sounding monoblock amps and this makes them a suitable match for your Magico A5s.
Check out Parasound JC 1+ at Crutchfield
Do you want even more power? Then perhaps the Music Fidelity M8s-700m will be an ideal choice for you. It can drive up to 1300 Watts into 4 Ohms which is more than sufficient to open up your Magico A5 floor-standing speakers and make them sing. Like the Magico A5, the Music Fidelity M8s-700m is capable of delivering music with precision. The overall sound reproduction of the M8s-700m is neutral which allows it to drive the Magico A5 speakers without coloring their sonic characteristics too much.
It does save you more space to go for stereo amplifiers instead of having a pair of large monoblocks. If space is a luxury to you then please take a look at the Pass Labs X350.8. Unlike the earlier Pass Labs monoblocks, the X350.8 uses class AB. It is able to drive up to 700 Watts per channel into 4 Ohms. The Pass Labs X350.8 has great control over the bass performance and provides you with a slightly tighter low-end delivery when matched with your Magico A5 floor-standing speakers.
For Magico A5 users with a tighter budget and still wants to get a good stereo power amplifier. The Parasound A 21+ will be an excellent choice for you and your A5 loudspeakers. With both channels driven, the Parasound A 21+ can feed your Magico A5s with 500 Watts of power (4 Ohms). The level of transparency and balance is amazing, it is well worth the investment. Moreover, the control of the music delivery is taut and fluid, without losing its grip when the track gets more complex.
Check out the Parasound A 21+ at Crutchfield
The McIntosh MC1.25KW is the company’s most powerful monoblock amp. With a power output of 1200 Watts (2, 4, or 8 Ohms), the MC1.25KW has no qualms in powering the Magico A5 tower speakers. The accuracy and imaging of the McIntosh MC1.25KW are well-matched with the A5 loudspeakers. It is a musically refined and revealing monoblock power amplifier, not to mention, the McIntosh MC1.25KW doesn’t sound clinical too. This is a fitting amp for a floor-standing speaker of this caliber.
In Conclusion
These are some of the best amps to match your Magico A5 speakers and we highly recommend you arrange an audition with them first before making your final decision. Ultimately, you will need to hear the sound quality with your own ears so as to decide whether the potential amplifiers suit you. It would be great if you could audition these amps together with your A5 speakers in your own listening room. As this will give you more accurate test results.
