Paradigm 3f, KEF reference 3, Monitor Audio PL300II
(This constitutes an update in my search for replacements for my beloved Thiels CS3.6) I want to thank Dave from Audio Doctor ("Audiotroy") for letting me listen to KEFs (3R) and Paradigms (Persona 3f) last night, mostly with the Naim Uniti Nova DAC/amp. There aren't many places where you can try a lot of great brands (including schlepping heavy speakers around) in a relaxed environment, and he offers that. If I buy something he carries, I'll try to route the order through him. I think we have to support places that let you listen. I found the resolution and soundstage of the Paradigms to be extraordinary. You can hear the wood of the solo viola, and the movement of cymbals when struck, the voices and locations of individual string instruments (even low strings) in ensemble, clear as a bell. I don't think it's a speaker for big bass, but that's not a huge priority for me. I like the impression of the ensemble or orchestra laid out in front of me, life-size as possible. My only reservations were a) I don't find them terribly attractive visually, and more importantly, b)possible longer-term listening fatigue. The Paradigms came off as a little hot in the treble, to me. Dave disagrees, in person and in this thread above. Doubting my aging ears, I looked up test bench measurements last night. Multiple measured (on-axis) frequency responses of both the 3F (and 5F) are certainly consistent with what I heard, showing a substantial bump from 5-12khz: https://www.soundandvision.com/content/paradigm-persona-3f-speaker-system-review-test-bench They were toed in a bit, and if you look around you'll read a bunch of reviewers/users are setting them up facing straight ahead to avoid an overly bright presentation. I'd like to listen to them against the KEF Ref 1 (and maybe 3), and try the off-axis set-up this time. Apart from the brightness, I think the Paradigms are *very* stiff competition for the much more expensive Wilson Sabrina. The KEF 3Rs are a really nice speaker. Not quite up to the resolution and soundstage size of the Paradigms, but a great value for much less, and great looking (in Walnut particularly). I think you could spend a lot of happy listening hours with them, and I suspect it would be hard to do better at that price point, at least from my limited experience. I still wouldn't mind listening to PSB T3, Monitor Audio, Vandersteen. The latter is a longer drive, and the former two would seem to require mail order trial, which is a schlep with such heavy units. One possible wild card: I have a pair of JBL L830s in my country place. My son bought them for me after blowing out their predecessors (Mirage). I am often very pleasantly surprised with these little $400 speakers. There is no good listening position in this (angular,open-plan, 1968, architect-designed) house, but the horn covers a huge part of the frequency range smoothly and sweetly (never really been a horn guy before), they throw a decent image from a variety of listening spots, and they have surprising bass response (I ended up getting rid of the subwoofer). It makes me wonder what the $10k S3900s can do with a similar design. JBL is pretty mass market now, but I have some fond youth memories of them.... |
