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  1. #1
    Suspended superpanavision70mm's Avatar
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    Klipsch, Paradigm, Athena, Polk, etc.

    Ok, what is everyones thoughts on these manufacturers? They seem to be some of the most popular on this site, so I thought I would throw the question out there. What are the pro's and con's of each and is it fair to say that these are mid-fi manufacturers or do some of their line reach into the hi-fi realm? I can only really comment well on Athena and Polk, both of which I have had stunning results and they both seem well made with great performance for their price point. I wouldn't put them in the hi-fi world, but certainly great mid-fi gear.

  2. #2
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by superpanavision70mm
    Ok, what is everyones thoughts on these manufacturers?
    Without starting a flame war, I'll give my brutally honest opinions based on my direct experience with the following:

    Klipsch: I still really like the classic big ol' K-Horns, but alot of their newer models, especially the HT directed ones just don't agree with me...I'm just not a fan of horns, I guess, unless the design is executed to perfection? I can understand their appeal though.

    Polk - These guys make some really good speakers, and some real duds...I like the LSi's easily a match for my old Paradigm Reference Studio speakers. The Rti's aren't bad...they have some stinkers in their line-up though. Basically their lower end stuff I find to be outclassed by more and more smaller companies these days

    Athena - These guys make the best HTIB package I know of for the money - the Micra 6 is great. Their AS series is probably the best value at big box stores. That said, I don't think they're all that great of a speaker. I do recommend them quite a bit because they can be found on sale a lot for dirt cheap, look okay, and sound good for $100-$300. They offer perhaps a bit better value than say, Polk or Paradigm's low end models. Athena offers good "lifestyle" speakers IMO, in their other model lines.

    Paradigm - I have owned (and still own) speakers from all their product lines except the Signatures, which I find horribly overpriced. I still really like their Reference line bookshelf models...it's fairly well priced, and offers soudn a lot of people like. Easy to see why they're a standard on most audio boards. It has nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with competitiveness. At their pricepoint they're up there with many commercial offerings. Their towers are just overpriced IMO. Too expensive. The Mini Monitor and Monitor 5 are also good speakers, the rest are not to my liking, too many issues in the crossover range. Still, for a stand alone tower, the Monitor 7's aren't bad.
    The Atoms are still a good speaker for the money when you can find them for $200 or less. I like them better than the Titans. 5 or 6 years ago, Paradigms subwoofers use to be very competitive, but in the last 2 or 3 years, I find even the Servo's are just horribly outclassed by some smaller, cheaper, better subs from subwoofer specialist companies. Still, if you feel the need to buy a Paradigm sub, that matches your Paradigm speakers, you can do worse than the PW-2100/2200, PDR-10, and Servo sub. The rest I find too expensive for what you get.

    Paradigm, I think is resting on its laurels. The Performance lineup, even the Atoms, were at one time arguably the most recommended budget speaker, and for good reason. Today, with smaller companies popping up all over the place making great budget speakers (see: Rocket, Swans, Axiom, Ascend), I don't feel their nearly competitive enough any longer. There's cheaper speakers that are "as good" or in the case of Axiom and Ascend Acoustics for example, speakers priced between the Performance and Monitor lineups that are better than the Monitors. These models have had a fantastically long life-span, but you can only do so much. Unlike the Studio line-up, the newer versions of these models after the v.1 have for the most part been very minor improvements in sound. I'm sure this is could be synonymous with a car that is introduced, sells well, raises the bar, but after 5 or 6 years has been completely eclipsed by its competition...time for Paradigm to take it up a notch. After a few years I no longer recommend them for speakers under $800. Except maybe the Atoms.

    No worries though, happens to every company, Polk seems to be back on the upswing these days, I see more positive reviews than the past few years, I'm sure Paradigm has something planned.

    A few years, back, if you read some of my old posts I was strongly against internet-direct companies for their value and business approach, especially in the below $800-$1000 price range, not to mention all the problems that go with buying a speaker you haven't heard. But after hearing speakers from Rocket/Onix (what is their name anyway?), Axiom, Ascend Acoustics, and Swans, I now honestly believe any newby would be better off buying any of these speakers blindly. They're just better speakers than what I hear in stores. I'm so convinced of this that I find it hard to believe that even if you didn't like a few things about the Ascends or Axioms you ordered that you would say you'd be better off buying a Paradigm or Polk or whatever....unless of course you got a great deal and saved more money...budgets can affect things, but that said, all of the internet direct company speakers I've heard, every single one (maybe 6 or 7 now) offer better value IMO.

    They're success, and the emergence of more and more start-up companies makes me believe this could be where the industry is going, at least for this price range.
    We'll see.

    Just my opinions...YMMV

  3. #3
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    I miss the experience of a dedicated Audio shop with only a small selection of quality HIFI like in the old days. All this new junk and cheap competing prices takes all the fun out of this hobby for me. Where is the goal? Where is the dedication and the lust for a speaker where you have to save up too and at payday you can walk to the audio store with a big smile and pick up your babys....

    -Flo
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

  4. #4
    frenchmon frenchmon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kexodusc
    Without starting a flame war, I'll give my brutally honest opinions based on my direct experience with the following:

    Klipsch: I still really like the classic big ol' K-Horns, but alot of their newer models, especially the HT directed ones just don't agree with me...I'm just not a fan of horns, I guess, unless the design is executed to perfection? I can understand their appeal though.

    Polk - These guys make some really good speakers, and some real duds...I like the LSi's easily a match for my old Paradigm Reference Studio speakers. The Rti's aren't bad...they have some stinkers in their line-up though. Basically their lower end stuff I find to be outclassed by more and more smaller companies these days

    Athena - These guys make the best HTIB package I know of for the money - the Micra 6 is great. Their AS series is probably the best value at big box stores. That said, I don't think they're all that great of a speaker. I do recommend them quite a bit because they can be found on sale a lot for dirt cheap, look okay, and sound good for $100-$300. They offer perhaps a bit better value than say, Polk or Paradigm's low end models. Athena offers good "lifestyle" speakers IMO, in their other model lines.

    Paradigm - I have owned (and still own) speakers from all their product lines except the Signatures, which I find horribly overpriced. I still really like their Reference line bookshelf models...it's fairly well priced, and offers soudn a lot of people like. Easy to see why they're a standard on most audio boards. It has nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with competitiveness. At their pricepoint they're up there with many commercial offerings. Their towers are just overpriced IMO. Too expensive. The Mini Monitor and Monitor 5 are also good speakers, the rest are not to my liking, too many issues in the crossover range. Still, for a stand alone tower, the Monitor 7's aren't bad.
    The Atoms are still a good speaker for the money when you can find them for $200 or less. I like them better than the Titans. 5 or 6 years ago, Paradigms subwoofers use to be very competitive, but in the last 2 or 3 years, I find even the Servo's are just horribly outclassed by some smaller, cheaper, better subs from subwoofer specialist companies. Still, if you feel the need to buy a Paradigm sub, that matches your Paradigm speakers, you can do worse than the PW-2100/2200, PDR-10, and Servo sub. The rest I find too expensive for what you get.

    Paradigm, I think is resting on its laurels. The Performance lineup, even the Atoms, were at one time arguably the most recommended budget speaker, and for good reason. Today, with smaller companies popping up all over the place making great budget speakers (see: Rocket, Swans, Axiom, Ascend), I don't feel their nearly competitive enough any longer. There's cheaper speakers that are "as good" or in the case of Axiom and Ascend Acoustics for example, speakers priced between the Performance and Monitor lineups that are better than the Monitors. These models have had a fantastically long life-span, but you can only do so much. Unlike the Studio line-up, the newer versions of these models after the v.1 have for the most part been very minor improvements in sound. I'm sure this is could be synonymous with a car that is introduced, sells well, raises the bar, but after 5 or 6 years has been completely eclipsed by its competition...time for Paradigm to take it up a notch. After a few years I no longer recommend them for speakers under $800. Except maybe the Atoms.

    No worries though, happens to every company, Polk seems to be back on the upswing these days, I see more positive reviews than the past few years, I'm sure Paradigm has something planned.

    A few years, back, if you read some of my old posts I was strongly against internet-direct companies for their value and business approach, especially in the below $800-$1000 price range, not to mention all the problems that go with buying a speaker you haven't heard. But after hearing speakers from Rocket/Onix (what is their name anyway?), Axiom, Ascend Acoustics, and Swans, I now honestly believe any newby would be better off buying any of these speakers blindly. They're just better speakers than what I hear in stores. I'm so convinced of this that I find it hard to believe that even if you didn't like a few things about the Ascends or Axioms you ordered that you would say you'd be better off buying a Paradigm or Polk or whatever....unless of course you got a great deal and saved more money...budgets can affect things, but that said, all of the internet direct company speakers I've heard, every single one (maybe 6 or 7 now) offer better value IMO.

    They're success, and the emergence of more and more start-up companies makes me believe this could be where the industry is going, at least for this price range.
    We'll see.

    Just my opinions...YMMV
    Yes that is your opinion. Most speakers are subjective but some people actually do sound test and when it comes to Paradigm they have been rated over all the brands you mentioned....Paradigm has lost nothing to the others you mentioned, and the facts speak for them selves.

    frenchmon

  5. #5
    frenchmon frenchmon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Florian
    I miss the experience of a dedicated Audio shop with only a small selection of quality HIFI like in the old days. All this new junk and cheap competing prices takes all the fun out of this hobby for me. Where is the goal? Where is the dedication and the lust for a speaker where you have to save up too and at payday you can walk to the audio store with a big smile and pick up your babys....

    -Flo
    Its all about making money these days...and if you got the money you can still find your dedicated Audio shop, so you can have your fun and hobby too. I don't have the money, but I still have fun in this hobby.

    frenchmon

  6. #6
    Loving This kexodusc's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frenchmon
    Yes that is your opinion. Most speakers are subjective but some people actually do sound test and when it comes to Paradigm they have been rated over all the brands you mentioned....Paradigm has lost nothing to the others you mentioned, and the facts speak for them selves.

    frenchmon
    What facts? What tests? Who rated Paradigm over what? How did they arrive at this rating? Opinion?

    I'm not bashing Paradigm, just pointing out there's more companies competing against them now that are also offering great sound for the money. A few years back I use to recommend Paradigm alot more. In the past few years I've heard some newer speakers that I feel offer more performance at some price points than some Paradigms I may have recommended previously. Nothing wrong with that.

    I'm sorry if you own Paradigm speakers and take offense..it's not a personal attack.

  7. #7
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    Its normal, as soon as they become a commercial succes the suck. B&W is the same way, in the beginning they were good and now its one commercial junk product with stupid tweask after another.

    -A highly opinionated

    -Flo
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

  8. #8
    rockin' the mid-fi audio_dude's Avatar
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    I love my atoms, the give usable bass down to about 50htz, and my dads huge mission floor standers only go to 40. lol, IMHO, I think the atoms are usable without a sub, they shake the house more than my old 3-ways with 12" woofers!

  9. #9
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frenchmon
    Its all about making money these days...and if you got the money you can still find your dedicated Audio shop, so you can have your fun and hobby too. I don't have the money, but I still have fun in this hobby.

    frenchmon
    Yes, but i also miss the days where you got some good quality for your money in a dedicated audio shop. Today its just a bunch of people telling you that you dont have to spend mega bucks to get mega sound...which is false. We need more honest companys who push very good sound for a fair price!
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

  10. #10
    frenchmon frenchmon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Florian
    Yes, but i also miss the days where you got some good quality for your money in a dedicated audio shop. Today its just a bunch of people telling you that you dont have to spend mega bucks to get mega sound...which is false. We need more honest companys who push very good sound for a fair price!
    I agree with you here...The sad thing about it is that the people in those shops for the most part don't have a clue as to what you know about gear, so they think they can tell you anything just to make a sell...Not knowing that we know and understand more than they ever though of...for us this thing is our passion.

    frenchmon

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