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Bronze Member Username: HighgearCT. #1 Post Number: 21 Registered: Nov-05 | I've been researching speakers for my home theater. At first I was looking at the Studio series but came to the conclusion that they are a little out of my price range since I'm at the starting point of building the system. At first I thought a bookshelf would do the job. But after reading many posts I realize I may not be happy with the limited range or the capacity to fill the room. I want to start with the two towers, then purchase the center channel. I'm looking at the Monitor 7,9 or 11. The Monitor 5 bookshelf looks to have the same diameter speakers as the 7, so I'm not sure what the sound difference would be. I do like the narrowness of the 7 and 11 for my living room arrangement of 11" X 22". I would like to know + or - of the three, if there is any. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2750 Registered: Feb-05 | I know this probably doesn't answer your question adequately, but...I would rather have a pair of Studio 20v3's than Monitor 7's anyday. They just sound a LOT better. I have owned plenty of speakers from both series and just find the Studio 20's to be the most satisfying speaker that Paradigm makes (with the exception of the S2). If you're more into movies than music the Monitor 7's rock. If you do any critical listening with music they won't do. The difference between the 5's and 7's is the cabinet (and all of the unwanted resonance that comes with it). |
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Bronze Member Username: HighgearCT. #1 Post Number: 22 Registered: Nov-05 | So it is bookshelf that would work better for me and the home theater. I did listen to the Studio 20vs's. I did like the sound too. I haven't listened to the Monitor 5's though. What is the difference between the 5's and 20's? Is it major? |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2751 Registered: Feb-05 | The difference is significant. I owned the Monitor 5's last year and currently own the Studio 20v3's. The difference is night and day. I don't have the time to into all of the differences. The Studio 20's do EVERYTHING better with the possible exception of bass extension. http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/paradigm_studio20_v3.htm http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue22/paradigm_studio_20v3.htm http://www.audioreview.com/cat/audioreview/speakers/bookshelf-speakers/par adigm-reference/PRD_298867_4290crx.aspx |
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Bronze Member Username: DobyblueSt. Catharines, Ontario Canada Post Number: 29 Registered: Oct-05 | If you're a little under the higher studio speakers budgets with Paradigm, but the Monitor 11 speakers are a good size for you, please audition them. I am thrilled time and time again with the monitor 11s for their wonderful clarity and full reproduction of my advanced resolution audio discs. http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_8_3/paradigm-monitor-speakers-7-2001.html |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummNew York USA Post Number: 538 Registered: Feb-05 | I myself think that the monitor 11 is the weakest tower speaker that paradigm has EVER made, so look elsewhere if they are in your budget. |
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Bronze Member Username: DobyblueSt. Catharines, Ontario Canada Post Number: 31 Registered: Oct-05 | are you referring to the v4? |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 904 Registered: May-05 | If you're interested in Paradigm Monitor series towers, take a look at the PSB Image series towers. Give or take $100 depending on the model, they are priced equally. They have a very similar overall presentation and sound. IMO if you like the Monitor sound, the Image does it better in almost every way, and the prices are comparible. The Studio series is a different story though. |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummNew York USA Post Number: 541 Registered: Feb-05 | yes... I am referring to the v4. To my ears, the bass is offensively boomy for the price they charge. The speaker would be perfect for music that demands LOADS of bass, but accuracy would take a back seat. Again, this is all subjective. However, the mids are better than the monitor 9, which uses an 8 inch mid / woofer, but still has boomy bass. The price is lower than the 11 though. The monitor 7 has the midrange of the 11, but without the bass that tries to achieve too much. I love jazz music, and a double bass, to my ears just sounds so much better on the monitor 7 than on either the 9 or 11, provided that it is both spiked, driven properly, and away from the walls. this is NOT to say that the monitor series is the end all, be all, in their respective price range, because there are different strokes for different folks. my mains are Magnepan MMG's, which MURDER the paradigm monitor towers on all accounts except bass depth, and they are only $550 a pair. |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummNew York USA Post Number: 542 Registered: Feb-05 | the monitor 7's would be killer in a room that size... I just set up a pair for a friend in a room with similar dimensions, and have never heard them sound better. I was amazed at the performance. |
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Bronze Member Username: DobyblueSt. Catharines, Ontario Canada Post Number: 34 Registered: Oct-05 | Maybe the speakers were either not broken in yet or just not using a good cable? It's rare that I've come across anyone that feels that the 11s bass is muddy, but I found one review where a guy shipped his CC-370 to Paradigm's factory and they found that the crossover was faulty. Who knows? I have my Monitor 11s hooked up with Excelsior 2.4 bi-wired cable from Ultralink (I would like to have bi-amp'd my 11s, but unfortunately would lose my 6th and 7th channels that way) and more often than not when I'm listening to CDs I set my amp to "DIRECT" and just enjoy the sound coming through the Monitor 11s, rather than go to Neo:6 or 7 channel stereo. My speakers are spiked and sit on discs about 1/2 foot from the wall but the speaker is front ported so that's probably not such a big issue. I find the bass to be very well controlled and I've put it through a run of different styles of bass. The techno of Talvin Singh, Jesus Jones and Underworld to Tony Levin's magic touch on Peter Gabriels "Mercy Street" to Victor Wooten's eight arms playing on Bela Fleck and The Flecktones; it's all good with the 11s. They don't bottom out and have command over the lowest bass I can throw at them without losing their way. I'm not a very big fan of ribbon speakers - my old roommate went through hell with them on his Infinity speakers that he bought to replace the wonderful Infinity SM-122 speakers with. The efficiency of the Magnepan is terrible and I think as a good main speaker for listening to 24-bit music as well as enjoying a 7.1 array not too many people would be upset with the Monitor 11s. They sound absolutely fantastic with my 1014TX and I'm only pushing 110W per side into them. However I'm sure the technology has come a long way since 1997 which was the last time I listened to ribbon speakers (Infinity). |
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Silver Member Username: GavincummNew York USA Post Number: 582 Registered: Feb-05 | Steven, I am a very critical listener. My first exposure to hifi was an innersound eros fronted hifi, so I compare everything that I hear to that. If you aren't familiar with the innersound eros, it is a hybrid electrostatic speaker, with a transmission line loaded 10 inch woofer that makes it down to the mid 20's. This is the only ESL that I have encountered that can play rock at near concert level and not compress, and with its 90Db load, it is an easy drive. the bass is so blindingly fast, the only speaker that I could find that would remotely compare to it is the magnepan line. But, even the maggies lack the magic that I love so much in the innersounds. I never talk about them because the newest designs are over $10,000. The "low end" innersound design starts at 10 large. the system that I heard the monitor 7 on was the same one I heard the monitor 11 on, and the monitor 7 sounded so much better than the 11 to my ears. (oh my kingdom for a pair of Innersounds) the bass in the monitor 7 is not that bad, but it is NO match for the depth and utter transparency of the innersound. ugh... it makes me mad that the Isis, which used to be their entry level speaker went from being less than $3000 to $10,000 for the replacement. now Im off my rant. If you EVER see one of these marvelous speakers, PICK THEM UP! There was some misgivings with the company, but they are still going strong. the older versions differ only slightly from the newer ones, it is basically cosmetics and a slightly different panel, for a sh!tload more money |
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Anonymous | If you have a good sub the 3's or 5's should sound as good as the 7's. I've owned the 3's , 7's and now studio 100's which is in another class. And it depends on how much power you'll be feeding them , the 3's, 5's, 7's are all easy to drive and with a good sub will all sound very similar |
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Gold Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 1359 Registered: Dec-04 | Anon, what did you shop the 100's against? Would you consider the Stratus Gold Psb? I think the Psb are like 5000 list(way too much), where did the 100's price out for you?(if I may ask). |
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New member Username: Blues651Walnut Hill, Il. United States Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-06 | Nuck, I'm not anon anymore,I auditioned studio 60's , 100's , B&W 704's and 703's. I paid 1700 u.s. 3 months ago but I also purchased a cc570 at the same time. I've not heard the Stratus Gold's so I can't comment on that. |
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Gold Member Username: NuckParkhill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 1378 Registered: Dec-04 | Hey, welcome to the nuthouse, Greg! Price sounds pretty darn good for those 100's and those are a damn gooding looking set! What's your power? |
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New member Username: Blues651Il. United States Post Number: 3 Registered: Feb-06 | Thanks Nuck, I'm running Rotel 1068pre , rb 1080-200w. ch.x2, rmb 1075-120w.ch. x 5. |