Ok people, I'm at it again, trying to find the best system to suit my wife and me. I went to listen the Klipsch and Paradigm in a different store (already found one with both, not found a different one with both), and this is what I found out:
Klipsch: - Better sound in Classical and Jazz (especially imaging) - Had very good mid-range, which made it sound very full; this is really nice (again, for imaging especially) - Voices in Rock/Alternative and Country were not as crisp as the Paradigms (surprising, considering how they are considered "brighter") - Sounded a little bass-heavy in Rock/Alternative and Country; just wasn't quite as tight
Paradigm: - Sounded better in Rock/Alternative and Country b/c the voices sounded very crisp. They were very clear and easier to hear than the Klipsch (the Klipsch sounded more live; Paradigm more like singing through a very crisp mic) - Had tight bass - Bass was not as full as the Klipsch, so it sounded like it was lacking there - Imaging in classical and Jazz just was not as good
Ok, so my wife and I listen to everything, so we can't really pick one geared more towards one genre rather than another because of this.
Any help? Can any of these problems be corrected by the amp?
I was listening to the Klipsch RF-25 and Paradigm Monitor 9's. The Monitor 7s just aren't enough to rival the RF-25s. My budget is around $1200-$1500 for Mains, Center, and Sub.
Any suggestions?
Man, this is REALLY hard to make a good decision. The only speakers I have melted over have been the RF-25s, but that's only been in ONE setup. The 3 other places I have heard them haven't been as impressive, so I'm not as sold.
PLEASE HELP!!!
Thanks!
PS. I'm going to listen to the Axiom's sometime this next week.
Break out the credit card to put a deposit on the two pairs of speakers you prefer. (In case you don't already know, never compare more than two pairs of speakers at one time. Make your decision between those two and then eliminate and add the next to compare against the one pair which stays.) Let the shop know you want to spend the weekend comparing the two pair of speakers on your system, in your room. Make your decision with your wife's input and return the less desireable pair to get your deposit back. Take your wife to dinner and thank her for her assistance. Suggest she did so well you want her to help decide on the new power amplifier you've been looking at.
Definitely give the Studio 20's a listen if you can. To me the imaging is amazing on those. I can't say how they compare to equivalent Klipsch as all there was around me was lower-end models which I didn't care for.
If you're serious about buying the Klipsch speakers, make sure you listen to them for more than a few minutes. I almost bought a pair of their RF-? floorstanders. The salesman said to come in when it was slow (monday at 10:00) and listen to them for a half hour straight or so before I bought them. I loved their sound for the first 15 or 20 minutes, then my ears started ringing because of their brightness. I would have been all about them if I only listened to them for 10 - 15 minutes a day. Just my own opinion though...
Klipsch are very forward speakers. My girlfriend and I do enjoy the RF-35's, however we rarely sit on the couch and listen to the music (espically at high volumes). We typically are walking around the house doing other things. So they don't seem so bright because we aren't in the "sweet spot" all that often. When we are, the volume is considerably lower. That will make a big difference with Klipsch. I listened to the rf-25's and they seemed very fatiguing on the ears to me in the store, so I went with the 35's because they seemd a little fuller and didn't sound all highs and no mid's or low's. However listening in YOUR room with YOUR equipment for ANY speaker is the best way to decide the best one for you. Good luck
One more thing about Klispch, I think the receiver/amp can make a big difference, make sure you get a warm receiver and it's going to help a lot. You never mentionned whcih receiver you would use with those speakers. And also, which receivers were used when you tried them.
Yeah, listenning to anything in the store never does it for me. They either are set up much better than you ever could, or the complete opposite (speakers 5 feet apart in a huge room with very high ceilings and full of other gear).