How do these two speaker choices match with an Onkyo receiver? Are there others that you would recommend? It is an entry level receiver (Onkyo 502) and so I am also wondering what line you would suggest (ie. performance vs cinema for Paradigm). Thanks
Both are on the warm side, and would match fairly well with onkyo, i have paradigms and have heard them with onkyo 501 and they sounded quite good. I would suggest the monitor line if you can afford it. The mini monitors are a great value. If they are too much, you can also get the titans or atoms from the performance line, i have titans as rears right now, and used to have them as fronts, they are great. I haven't heard the cinema line. Go have a listen for yourself and see what you like the best. derek
I was thinking Mini monitors but I wasn't sure if the 502 could handle them since I know that Onkyo has a reputation of exagerating their power ratings. I didn't know if they were much more difficult to run then the lower lines of Paradigm. Howerver, it looks like the mini monitors are the root to go. Thanx again.
Derek: based on your listening experience, I would take your comments one step forward and suggest that, if the Paradigms sound good with an Onkyo 502, they would sound equally as good or better with the higher-power Onkyo 701? I find it interesting that you refer to the Paradigms as "on the warm side," while many reviewers, including a Stereophile article, say the tweeter tends toward the "bright" side. The Polk RTi6 speakers I now use are "bright," and as such make long-time listening rather fatiguing to my wife. However, she dislikes the Paradigm studio 20s simply because they have vinyl "wood grain" cabinets - and she insists on "real wood or nothing!" Sigh.
David, to your surprise, the monitor line is actually easier to drive than the performance line, with a 93db sensitivity on the minimonitors and an 89db on the titans.
Larry, The 701 i think would also sound good with paradigm as most receivers within the same company sound relatively the same. As for the paradigms being a bright speaker, I have not heard that from anyone on hear, most that i have read say paradigm as warm and i agree, but it doesn't really matter as long as it is what sounds good to you, right! Hope this was a little help for ya, and by the way, i think the studio 20's are some of the nicest looking speakers i have seen. derek
Derek: thanx for the posting. I look forward to autitioning the studio 20s - and B & W 705s - with a half-dozen of my CDs - ones I know very well. I've only seen the S-20s in pics - as has my wife. But now - how to get her past that "vinyl" issue? Maybe when the sees the speakers? She DOES have a hang-up about vinyl cladding! Thanx again.