April 2017 review of the Paradigm Persona 9H A home run for Paradigm!


I have been following all the contested threads about the new Paradigm Persona line of speakers and it seems that many people are having difficulties in believing that Paradigm, a company well respected for value loudspeakers could produce a product that can rival the best exotic loudspeakers on the market.

The review came out today in the Absolute Sound April 2017 issue and what my ears have told me is true, is true. 
John Atkinson, compared the Pardigm 9H $35k to the Magico S7MK 2 $58k and found that Personas to be in the same class as these highly thought of prestigious loudspeakers. I think I read on one  of the threads that a Magico owner was saying that wasn't possible!

I am not an expert, on loudspeakers, I do know what sounds real to me, and when I heard these speakers my jaw hit the floor. Stunning realism. I could almost reach out and touch the Beatles, and Miles Davis. Huge sound stage, totally transparent, and smooth, with dynamite bass. 

At this point I am torn between the Legacy Audio Signatures and The Paradigm Persona 3F which shares the same driver technology of the 9H but costs $10k, I am lucky to be working with a dealer that represents both of these awesome lines of loudspeakers. 

It seems to me that many audiophiles need to open their minds and stop being so brand loyal to the point of obsession,  and start looking at the sound, and only the sound. I know for me as a professional photographer, I have gone back and forth between Canon and Nikons, and I love them both but am wedded to neither. Why in the audio world do people have such furvor over what they buy with the belief that their product and only their product is the best? In the camera world it seems much more fluid with people changing camera brands without ever starting a written riot if someone dares to bring up another brand or question their choice. 



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Audiotroy, so now you have resorted to calling people zealots???? Unbelievable.....
No. But I would guess there are people out there that march to the tune of a different drummer, ah, er, speaker....
So I finally got around to reading the review in their free (sponsored) recommended speakers for 2017. While the review was good, I couldn’t help but notice that the Paradigms did not make the "Top Pick" list for speakers > $10k. In fact a number of the speakers listed haven’t been even been reviewed in several years and my .02 is a lot of the same ones recurring year after year on the list. More to the point, I wonder if the reviewer is a lone voice regarding the Paradigms among the editorial staff.
The reviewer is the editor in chief. The review was an unquestioned rave and the speakers the 9H was compared to were the almost twice the price Magicos and the Legacy Aeris about $10k less.

We are a Legacy dealer, and will be getting our display pair of Aerius later in the Year, We have heard them at shows. 

The 9H is a much more holographic loudspeaker with greater clarity then the Aerius, if you are looking for a gigantic sound with a warmer midrange the Aerius are very hard to beat.

As per why the Personas  weren't yet in the top 10 who knows, except,that the top ten may have a lot to do with how  many other reviewers have heard the same speakers with the Persona series being so new it is doubtful that many other reviewers have spent the time with the product that Mr. Cordesman has.

The Personas were in the Editors choice issue. 

So who knows  what politics or policies these guys follow.

If by your questioning why they aren't in the issue as something is wrong with the product I can assure you the Persona series is starting to get raves reviews on all who hear them, they like all reference speakers will be subject to personal opinion and taste and because the speakers have such tremendous resolution will be more dependent on system matching then more recessed speakers or ones without this level of resolution.

The same argument can be said for those guys who love Raal Ribbon tweeters or JM Labs products or B&W Diamond series, whenever you have a speaker which had remarkably extended treble the speakers can sound terrific or bright depending on system matching.

Our Legacy Signature setup  for example is super musical not quite the same degree of treble clarity but instead a huge, warm, layered sound with just a bit less detail then the Persona sound which is  why they sound so appealing to so many people. 

So  again, it  all comes down to personal taste and system matching. 

The Persona series are remarkable in so many ways and will continue to challenge the status quo for now and for many years in the future.

Troy
Audio Doctor
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