Considering a Paradigm upgrade

[AZHT]

Currently I have Paradigm Monitor 9's, about 12 years old. I'm considering upgrading to the Paradigm Studio series. Would I lose a lot of midrange/bass going with a smaller, but superior speaker like a Studio 20 or 40?

[N. Abstentia]

You wouldn't lose any midrange either way. In fact with either of the Studio series the midrange will be much improved.

You will lose some low frequencies regardless, although with the 40's it would be negligible. Paradigm's website is not right I don't think, they list the Studio 20's as rolling off around 52 hz which is fine, but they have the 40's rolling off at 64 hz. That can't be right. The 40's have double the drivers and double the enclosure.

You have to keep in mind that the Monitor 9's use larger drivers and a much larger enclosure, and you can't beat physics. They are going to have more low end. But if you have the 40's mated to a good sub then it won't matter.

Personally, if you're looking for sound quality I think the 40's on proper 24" stands are hard to beat. The difference in sound quality alone would be worth the upgrade.

[RGA]

Currently I have Paradigm Monitor 9's, about 12 years old. I'm considering upgrading to the Paradigm Studio series. Would I lose a lot of midrange/bass going with a smaller, but superior speaker like a Studio 20 or 40?

Look I may not be the biggest Paradigm fan but losing a ton of volume capability and bass response is not exactly an upgrade is it? What are you looking for? You obviously like your speakers so it's understanable to look to Paradigm for un upgrade. Just make it count - I mean upgrade EVERYWHERE bass, treble, midband, life like music etc.

Do your Paradigms have the soft domes? If so the new ones may in fact irritate you a bit.

And when you spend MORE money don't assume that the speaker maker is king at all price levels. While I like X brand at one price range say fro 0-$300. I might think G brand is king from $300.00 - $700.00 and J brand is king from $3k-7k etc.

And contrary to what the other poster said you can in fact get bass from smaller speakers - it's costly but the Audio Note E for example is about half the size in volume of the Studio 100 uses just one 8 inch woofer and produces far superior bass response and bass depth - is far easier to drive is more dynamic and basically sounds better in every conceivable way. But it costs twice as much too.

Simply put there are always exceptions if you look hard enough. You will probably gain in sound throughout the midrange with the new Paradigms but you may very well miss having the bass response you currently get - and bass is tougher to give up once you're use to it than you might think.

The 100V2 is a very good sounding speaker and you might be able to find some on close-out as the new V3 models are out - or just wait until you can afford the 100V3.

And when you get to this price range look at other brands as well to be sure.

[Woochifer]

By moving from the Monitor 9 to the Studio series, you will give up a lot of bass extension but gain improvements in just about every other area. The Monitor 9 is punchier and more extended in the bass, but the Studio 20 and 40 v.3s separate out the low frequency sounds more effectively and differentiate between the bass sounds more discretely.

The midrange with the Studio series is more refined with a fuller sound than the Monitors, and the real strength with the Studio 20 and 40 is with their precise imaging and wide open soundstage. Very impressive for a box speaker, especially in this price range.

If you really miss the bass, then a subwoofer is always an option.

[Woochifer]

You will lose some low frequencies regardless, although with the 40's it would be negligible. Paradigm's website is not right I don't think, they list the Studio 20's as rolling off around 52 hz which is fine, but they have the 40's rolling off at 64 hz. That can't be right. The 40's have double the drivers and double the enclosure.

You have to keep in mind that the Monitor 9's use larger drivers and a much larger enclosure, and you can't beat physics. They are going to have more low end. But if you have the 40's mated to a good sub then it won't matter.

Personally, if you're looking for sound quality I think the 40's on proper 24" stands are hard to beat. The difference in sound quality alone would be worth the upgrade.

Actually, I think those measurements are accurate. The frequency response ratings are only the point at which the anecholic measurement is no longer within +/- 2 db, not necessarily where the bass starts to tail off. The Studio 40 has a lower bass extension (Paradigm's specs have something to this effect, which is about what a typical in-room lower end extension would be), but its frequency response is less linear than the Studio 20 between 52-64 Hz. With its higher box volume, added drivers, and larger port, I would assume that the tuned frequency for the Studio 40 (which is the real point at which the bass starts to drop off a lot) is lower than the Studio 20. Compared to the Monitor 9, even the Studio 40 will have notably less bass extension, but the quality of the bass will be much better.

[Rhino]

Currently I have Paradigm Monitor 9's, about 12 years old. I'm considering upgrading to the Paradigm Studio series. Would I lose a lot of midrange/bass going with a smaller, but superior speaker like a Studio 20 or 40?

The studio 40s are my favorite Paradigm speaker, bar none. But I have always preferred the sound of a monitor/sub combo to that of full-range towers. For most music you can get by without a sub on the 40s, IMO, but if you listen to a lot of rap or other bass-heavy stuff a sub would be nice. I think you'll find the Studio far superior sonically to the Monitor 9s, to the point where you be saying to yourself, "Damn! I never knew this recording was that good!" ;-)