Paradigm speakers

Speakers are a very personal topic. Asking others for their opinion really doesn't tell you much. I enjoy the crystal clear highs and brilliant mid-range of my Paradigm Studio 100 Reference speakers.  They give amazing presence to acoustic music, as well as an excellent sound stage.

After listening to "Fire & Rain", guests have told me that James Taylor sounded like he was live in my living room. However, if you put on a tune like Pink Floyd's "Money", with it's driving signature bass line and you might swear that these were horrible speakers.

Each of us have our own individual tastes in music and in what sounds good. Asking me, you are going to get a completely different answer than you would from people who love loud punchy bass in their music. You really need to audition them yourself, because your opinion is the only one that matters. Especially at the price level of audiophile quality speakers.

I love my Studio 100's.  I also love my self powered office speakers, Paradigm's Shift A2's. These speakers are well made, sound great  and they don't break the bank like so many other options, who's price is inflated due to the high cost of branding. I'm sure if you spend 30K on speakers, you sure as Hell are going to believe they are the best on the planet. Then after the glory and prestige of owning them wear off in six to nine months, are we going to see them listed here on Audiogon?

There are a lot of folks who get sucked in by the branding and marketing speak, and the illusion of prestige they create.  Then, you also have the "purchased" reviews, that cloud the dilemma further. I really believe that these contribute to so many people recycling one year old gear through sites like Audiogon. Place your trust into your own ears. Let them be your guide.

I'll add my two cents on Paradigm, at least for the two pair that I have heard and owned. First was a pair of Studio 10's, I thought they were very good from day one. These were driven by a vintage Pioneer receiver, so nothing state of the art, by any means. All near-field listening, and very enjoyable. My current speakers are a pair of Signature S6's, the last version before they were discontinued. While I initially thought they weren't bad, I also was pretty sure that the old Pioneer wasn't really up to the task at hand. Most notably, the bass just seemed sloppy and not well controlled. I retired the Pioneer, and bought a Luxman L590 and couldn't believe the difference. The amp and speakers seem to match up very well, and the overall detail is amazing. I've never heard anything even remotely harsh, metallic, or fatiguing, to the point that I can only speculate that those who do must have been driving their speakers with something entirely unsuitable. Certainly I'm no expert, nor someone that has gone through dozens of pieces of gear. Quite the opposite, in fact. But I'm still pretty confident in my opinion of how good my set-up sounds. Just my opinion.
L.

Paradigm speakers run with Anthem gear sound fantastic. Have never heard that combo sound harsh in the dealers showrooms here in Minnesota .

@initm I have owned a pair of S8 V3's and killed a number of tweeters. I too like my music loud. The Beryilum tweeters were, in my opinion a bit too bright, and fragile. On the other hand, the customer service at Paradigm is fantastic. I live less than an hour away from their facility in Mississauga, and would show up with tweeter in hand, and replaced on the spot. If I remember correctly, this happened 4 - 5 times. By the way, it was my heavy handedness with the volume control that was the culprit, not the speaker. My pair of Bryston 28 B SST.2's can do a lot of damage quite quickly, if not carful.

The Prestige 85F sounds really bright and tinny to me, not at all like the old Studio series. I’ve had the 20v1, 100v3, 60v2, v3 and I currently have the v5. All sound more natural to my ears even though later versions have progressively been voiced brighter (I.e. v5 is brighter than v3 but still has a nice midrange). The midrange in particular of the 85F sounds pinched and lean, not musical at all. IMO the speaker industry is in a brightness war; everybody is trying to outbright each other. The result is that with all their new technology they’re building speakers that don’t sound any better than those made 30 years ago. I can’t understand it.