Paradigm Monitor series questions...

[kexodusc]

Hey Kex, I agree that the mini's coupled together with a capable sub would meet most peoples needs. The mini's are a very good recommendation. You say your preference would be for the 5's, I'm just wondering though, have you actually heard them, I know you have the studio 40's so maybe you are biased towards this style of standmount. Both RGA and I would most definetaly recommend the less expensive 3 over the 5. The 3 sounds alot better in everyway (to me) and save you some money as well. Maybe the studio line the 40's are better then the 20's but maybe in the monitor line the 5's are a step back from the 3's. For the most part, I have never heard anyone say anything good about the 5's except you and Wooch and both you guys have the 40's. Hmmmm, I heard the 5's and believe me you, they suck, and I'm not surprised they have sold so poorly.

Cam:
I don't know how I missed this post, but I've been having "issues" with the auto-email thing...
Anyhoo, just to clarify: I have a cousin who until recently owned the Monitor 5's...I'm extremely familiar with them. To me the Monitor 3 had the poorest midrange response of all the Monitors...I attribute this solely to that 8" woofer. It pounds the bass though, and when I say poorest mid-range, I don't mean that it's bad, just not quite as nice as the others (there's a larger Monitor with the 8" woofer too, I think...I confess I haven't heard this one). The Monitor 5 has a much tighter, more accurate, and punchy bass sound IMO, while preserving the superior midrange. It's a bit more money than 3, but I like it better for these reasons. It seemed to me to be a bit more dynamic too, not as stressed when musical pasages get busy.
I flip-flop between the Mini and Monitor 5 as being best value in that line.
Interestingly enough, I'm not sure I like the Studio 40 that much better than 20's except that the bass is a definite improvement, and it made listening to 2-channel stereo better. I bought mine used but I think if I was buying new, I would have had to listen more closely between the 20 and 40....I used a subwoofer always so the extra bass might not have been justification for the added price...I'll never know now though.

[IRG]

Cam:
I don't know how I missed this post, but I've been having "issues" with the auto-email thing...
Anyhoo, just to clarify: I have a cousin who until recently owned the Monitor 5's...I'm extremely familiar with them. To me the Monitor 3 had the poorest midrange response of all the Monitors...I attribute this solely to that 8" woofer. It pounds the bass though, and when I say poorest mid-range, I don't mean that it's bad, just not quite as nice as the others (there's a larger Monitor with the 8" woofer too, I think...I confess I haven't heard this one). The Monitor 5 has a much tighter, more accurate, and punchy bass sound IMO, while preserving the superior midrange. It's a bit more money than 3, but I like it better for these reasons. It seemed to me to be a bit more dynamic too, not as stressed when musical pasages get busy.
I flip-flop between the Mini and Monitor 5 as being best value in that line.
Interestingly enough, I'm not sure I like the Studio 40 that much better than 20's except that the bass is a definite improvement, and it made listening to 2-channel stereo better. I bought mine used but I think if I was buying new, I would have had to listen more closely between the 20 and 40....I used a subwoofer always so the extra bass might not have been justification for the added price...I'll never know now though.

I'm not cam, but your comments surprised me. I thought the midrange of the 3 better than the mini. It seems fuller to me, and not just bass. It was also better than the Energy C-3 I had before it. I did not hear the Monitor 5 though. My dealer rarely orders them, I think he said in the number of years he has been selling Paradigm, only 2 customer wanted them. Others on this site and other places didn't give the monitor 5 high praises either. Originally that was going to be my choice. It is also a pretty large speaker, so that alone creates some different issues, as in stand height.

You mentioned the Monitor 3 pounds the bass because of its larger woofer. I thought the Reference 20 v3 I listened to pounded the bass even more so, especially on rock materials. At times it almost seemed more bloated to me, although on strings and some vocals I preferred it. To each his own I guess.

The monitor 3's midrange to me sounded better than the mini, and even better with a subwoofer which I use. That can change things as well. Some people have mentioned that the best value in the line is actually the Monitor 7, which I didn't really get to audition, but without stands being needed, and possibly not even a sub if you do 2 channel music and not need it for rap, this could indeed be the best value.

I've seen more 2 way moniors using a larger woofer size, like Reference 3A, B&W 602, and some others. Maybe not a trend, but not all monitors need to be a 5 or 6" woofer anymore. It seems that the midrange as well as bass can be improved with a slightly larger woofer.

[RGA]

IRG

Well I agree with you on the Monitor 3 which I heard again recently -- the 5 is punchier in the bass but then that is hardly a good thing necessarily. Do I want an organ to sound punchy or the low notes of a piano -- I find most every "so-called" punchy speaker is insufferably bad at recreating acoustic instruments - they sound strained, thin and bright.

Take the acoustic Guitarist Jesse Cook -- the Monitor 5 IMO is unlistenable to my ears with guitar works -- it sounds bright on leading edges with an exagerration on leading edges -- the monitor 3 isn;t free either but it's acceptable for the fact that it's a lot less expensive and it seems to be able to create more body to the guitar box...that's the problem to me these days the box resonance of an instrument is critical NOT JUST the leading edge of the string pics.

I don't expect the world from this price range of course and the monitor 5 is by no means a bad speaker for this money $599.00Cdn. For $101.00 more the AX Two lays a world of hurt on it though. For $379.00 or so the Monitor 3 is a better value to me. It has a fuller kind of sound which compensates to the ear for weaknesses...they say much of speaker design is art -- art at hiding the faults of the product -- they all have their faults so give me the best artists.