Some speaker questions

[Duds]

I am getting ready to purchase some standmount speakers. In the area i live in, i have the follwoing to choose from: Paradigm, B&W, Klipsch, Totem. I have listened to the B&W 601, 602s3, paradign studio 20, and some totems (not sure of model). I really liked the studio 20 but they are more than i want to spend. the B&Ws were also nice, but maybe a bit more laid back than i prefer.

I want to audition the mini monitors next. can anyone provide any feedback on these? Music that will be listened to on these will be things like Tool, A PErfect Circle, Tori Amos, The GAthering, Pink Floyd, etc. Please note that i do not like a lot of bass, in fact i hate it, so whatever amount of bass these put out will most likely be fine. I do want nice clean bass though. For now, a Marantz SR-7000 will be used until that can also be upgraded.

One other thing. I am also trying to decide on a cd/dvd player. I really like the Rotel RDV 1050, but if I spend that much on a cd/dvd player, and less on the speakers, i think i am going about it wrong, and i'm sure everyone here will agree. So should I spend less on the cd/dvd player in order to get the best speaker i can now afford?

[Pat D]

I am getting ready to purchase some standmount speakers. In the area i live in, i have the follwoing to choose from: Paradigm, B&W, Klipsch, Totem. I have listened to the B&W 601, 602s3, paradign studio 20, and some totems (not sure of model). I really liked the studio 20 but they are more than i want to spend. the B&Ws were also nice, but maybe a bit more laid back than i prefer.

I want to audition the mini monitors next. can anyone provide any feedback on these? Music that will be listened to on these will be things like Tool, A PErfect Circle, Tori Amos, The GAthering, Pink Floyd, etc. Please note that i do not like a lot of bass, in fact i hate it, so whatever amount of bass these put out will most likely be fine. I do want nice clean bass though. For now, a Marantz SR-7000 will be used until that can also be upgraded.

One other thing. I am also trying to decide on a cd/dvd player. I really like the Rotel RDV 1050, but if I spend that much on a cd/dvd player, and less on the speakers, i think i am going about it wrong, and i'm sure everyone here will agree. So should I spend less on the cd/dvd player in order to get the best speaker i can now afford?
The speakers will affect the sound much more than a DVD player, so I would advise getting the best speakers you can. If a somewhat lower priced DVD player has the features you want, you might want to get it.

The Paradigm Studio 20, v. 3, is a moderately sensitive speaker with a measured sensitivity of 88.5 dB. Soundstage reviewed them and liked them, and the measurements they did at the National Research Council came out pretty good. I have heard the v. 3 of the Studio 40 and 100, but not the Studio 20. The Studio 40 imaged very well and had only mild colorations of the sound. It's was quite good and the Studio 20 should be, too.

You might be able to do well in the used market. Some of us prefer the v. 2 of the Paradigm Reference line to the v. 3, for example,, but others prefer the v. 3. You may be able to find some other good speakers used, too.

[Duds]

Do you have any thought on the mini monitors? I really did like the studio 20s. In fact, one dealer here has a flor model of the studio 20 v2 for $549. Is that a good price if there is no damage to the cabinets?

Also, I'm also debating on getting a good, dedicated cd player since i dont watch a lot of movies. I do have a lot of music dvds though, which is why i was kind of leaning toward the cd/dvd player. Any thoughts on this issue?

[paul_pci]

If you plan on hooking up the CD/DVD player digitally, then all you need is a DVD player that offers a reliable transport of the digital data, which you should be able to find without having to mortgage your future. But if you have a silly attachment to elite brand names, then by all means, mortagage your future to transport little 1s/0s.





Do you have any thought on the mini monitors? I really did like the studio 20s. In fact, one dealer here has a flor model of the studio 20 v2 for $549. Is that a good price if there is no damage to the cabinets?

Also, I'm also debating on getting a good, dedicated cd player since i dont watch a lot of movies. I do have a lot of music dvds though, which is why i was kind of leaning toward the cd/dvd player. Any thoughts on this issue?

[topspeed]

You might try auditioning a pair of these Epos ELS3's. (http://audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=EPOELS3&product_name=ELS3%20Mini%20Monitor%20Speakers%20-%20Pair) They image like crazy, possess a solid midrange and smooth highs, and are very fast. They won't play the lower octaves (duh), but that doesn't seem to be very important to you. These could fit your taste nicely.

I've heard the 20v3 and found them to be very, very good. I'm in the camp that prefers them to the v2, which I found to be a tad more agressive and sibilant, especially when pushed. Understand, these are not night and day differences here, I simply had the opportunity to hear both versions side by side in the same room. Of course, they twice as expensive as the Epos, so you'll have to decide if it's worth it.

[Duds]

The Epos look very interesting. Am i wrong to assume that the PAradigm mini monitors arent very good since no one has commented on them yet?

[Peter Duminy]

The Epos look very interesting. Am i wrong to assume that the PAradigm mini monitors arent very good since no one has commented on them yet?
I found the Paradigm Mini-Monitors as well as their Titan systems, measured and performed very well in here in the Lab.

Here is a very good thread from Ed on the AVS Forums that may save you lots of legwork.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=506421

But, at the end of the day, choose the sound that satisfies you the most. Also try to audition your final choice in your own home first before signing on the dotted line. :)

[Woochifer]

Do you have any thought on the mini monitors? I really did like the studio 20s. In fact, one dealer here has a flor model of the studio 20 v2 for $549. Is that a good price if there is no damage to the cabinets?

Also, I'm also debating on getting a good, dedicated cd player since i dont watch a lot of movies. I do have a lot of music dvds though, which is why i was kind of leaning toward the cd/dvd player. Any thoughts on this issue?

That price on the Studio 20 v.2 should be negotiated further down. I got a lower price than that on a brand new factory sealed set almost two years ago (right after Paradigm announced the new v.3 series). The Studio 20 v.2 is a very nice speaker, but as an overall speaker, the Studio 20 v.3 is a clear step up in most facets. The Studio 20 v.3 is a more neutral sounding speaker and it has standout imaging capability. The only area where it lacks in comparison to the v.2 version is in the lows, where the v.2 has lower extension and a slightly punchier sound. Since bass is not a priority with you, you should compare the two and see which one is better for you. I would guess that the Studio 20 v.3 is more suited to your priorities. However, the $800 list price is definitely more of a factor.

As far as dedicated CD player goes, it's a moot point if you plan to connect the thing to your receiver using a digital connection and let the receiver handle the bass management. In that kind of setup, the CD player only functions as a transport since all of the digital decoding occurs inside the receiver. If you don't have a DVD player, then you should get the DVD player.


The Epos look very interesting. Am i wrong to assume that the PAradigm mini monitors arent very good since no one has commented on them yet?

The Mini Monitors are excellent speakers for the money ($350). But, since you indicated your preference for the Studio 20, and clearly have the budget to buy those models, why bother? The Minis have a less refined and more aggressive sound than the 20s. Give those a listen if you're curious.

[Duds]

Let me say thanks to those who have responded and any others who respond in the future.

So what would be a good price to get them to go down to on the Studio 20 v2?

Also, if i want the best sound, do i hook up the dvd player digitally? or do i go the other route?

[StevenCV]

The Gathering are such a wonderful band!

[Duds]

was that sarcastic?

[StevenCV]

Not at all, I think they're great. Listen to them all the time, I have all their albums. I'm glad to see you like them.

[Duds]

awesome!! great band. I just recently got into them, thanks to Sleepy Buildings. I need to pick up Mandylion, as I hear its their best.

[RGA]

I would also try and listen to the following two loudspeakers if you have a dealer in your area. It is personal prference but I prefer both to the 20V2 and you can get one brand new and the other used. The easier to find one is the Dynaudio Audience 42 and the harder to find one that lists new for $550 is the Audio Note AX Two... I have heard the AX Two directly against the Paradigm and B&W standmounts...it would be nice if you could do this as well. Most dealers will let you take speakers home for a while to make sure you like them -- short listening sessions that people do are often not good enough because some metal tweeter project more energy so they sound "cool" at first and become annoying later. This is not a knock on Paradigm or B&W at all it is merely a taste issue -- I offer these two up as alternatives if you find them in your area you may want to cover your bases...and you might be surprised at what you'll hear. I'll also add the PMC TB1 because it's discontinued and might be had for $500.00 Used and if you listen in the nearfield are quite excellent.

http://www.audionote.co.uk/
http://www.tnt-audio.com/casse/dynaudio42_e.html
This is the TB2 the TB1 was the smaller version but sounded similar -- note that the new TB2 uses silk domes -- the TB1 and older TB2 unfortunately used metal tweeters but PMC has now upgraded so that their low lines have moved to mate with their high end stuff. That was really one of my only issues with the TB1 and TB2 was treble zing so if that has been rectified this could be a super speaker under $2kCdn. http://www.pmcloudspeaker.com/tb2s.html