|   Is really Paradigm the best speaker from Canada? | dvjorge
Apr 17, 2003 7:29 PM | | Hello,
My local dealer and also the best hi-fi store in Miami says YES, it is.
Opinions are welcome.
Thanks,
Jorge. |
| re: Is really Paradigm the best speaker from Canada? | harmonic reverberation
Apr 17, 2003 7:54 PM | | There is some huge competition. This is a very good thing.
Energy is good, Mirage is very good, Totem is incredible.
It all depends on taste. I think paradigm is one of the best bang for buck, but I would rate Totem as a better speaker,but at 4-5000 bucks more, they should be better.
I have auditioned the studio 80 & 100, and can say that they sound incredible for the asking prices. Gershman is another excellent Canadian speaker, in the same league as Totem I would say. There must be a few I am missing here,help me out! |
| re: Is really Paradigm the best speaker from Canada? | RGA
Apr 17, 2003 8:27 PM | | Your dealer does not get out much.
The De Capo is made in Canada...it's the only Reference 3a built here...but it bests the Paradigm line-up, anything from Gershman Acoustics and mostly everything from Totem. Energy is cheaper and IMO is the best bang for buck Canadian product followed by PSB. Not a huge fan of Mirage, but I have not heard very many of their lines for long enough to really comment on them. Generally I like the Paradigms more than what I heard out of Mirage...and certain PSBs
Some lower end ones I have not heard like Axiom and Athena are getting some good press. A number of people have noted that Axiom offers a lot more for a lot less than Paradigm...can't say have not heard them...but you've been on the board for a while and I'm sure you've read the raves and their reviews.(which don't mean that much it's up to the listener). I like the Studio line better than the upper Stratus line from PSB...kinda close but the Stratus Gold is a bit tubby sounding for the money IMO.
But if we are going with a pure quality of high end cost no object then Totem, Gershman and the De Capo(French designed-CDN built). The Totem Staff and above I would take over all the Paradigms but the sound is quite different http://www.totemacoustic.com/NewFiles/floorstanding.html#Anchor-47857 Gershman Acousticcs http://www.gershmanacoustics.com/
I have only heard the X1, the X1/SW1 combo, Avante Gaurde and the incredible Gap...it looks mighty strange though...still sounds phenomenal.
And we should not foprget the top of the line Energy Veritas...their standmounts are a bit overrated but the big Veritas is pretty amazing.
It's interesting. IMO dealers like to stroke the egos of their customers, or push what they carry - I avoid such dealers.
This is the dealer I go to and I have a good ability to hear the stuff well set-up directly against other gear. http://www.soundhounds.com/ not a complete list as they carry Wharfedale, Cerwin Vega, NuVista etc.
Thanks for posting this question...I just noticed they carry Audio Refinement...an amp Maker I want to hear. :) |
| RGA: I Just Got My Audio Refinement Multi 5 Amp | magictooth
Apr 17, 2003 11:34 PM | | It sounds great. Very clear, neutral, and uncolored. There's no strain at high SPL. I got a great deal on it for just $1K shipped. For a used amp with less than 30 hours, I can't think of a better deal. Seems to be a very well built machine, but my experience is very far from extensive. For sure it is worth listening to. |
| Totem Sttaf | Pat D
Apr 18, 2003 6:34 AM | | Has extremely subdued highs. I tried Chesky's Club de Sol, which has some nice percussion, and most of it just wasn't there. Piano not that good, and the female vocals were nasal. Very pleasant on a lot of material, but really not all there. I expect more for $1600. |
| Totem Sttaf | RGA
Apr 18, 2003 11:43 AM | | Must have been your room or front end or a faulty speaker. The model one I find nasal...and the Totems are not perfect, but they're more perfect than other big name Canadian speaker makers IMO. |
| Totem Sttaf | Pat D
Apr 18, 2003 6:58 PM | | The room was quite large, speakers not very close to anything, with a big Anthem amp of some sort--I don't seriously think the electronics would be at fault. Both speakers would have to have been faulty. Try Chesky's club de Sol, or even anything with a triangle in it. |
| Totem Sttaf | RGA
Apr 19, 2003 12:25 AM | | Some of those big Anthem amps are TUBE Driven. I heard a Jolida amp not long ago that had the 1NT's audibly crackling.
I have heard the non sand filled version of the Staff. I have read reviews that claim filling the staff decreases dynamics. Totems own site links to such a review I believe.
Most of the Totems I've heard would be considered laid back in comparison to many of the mainstream speaker companies. But then to me those speakers are usually too forward, etched and bright. So I guess it's how you look err listen at/to it. |
| I lost my money because I own a set of Studio 100. | dvjorge
Apr 18, 2003 12:04 PM | | |
| not so | RGA
Apr 18, 2003 1:39 PM | | the 100 is a very accomplished speaker. So is the 40 and 60 IMO. They may not be to my taste but I can see why people like them.
The C-Series is newer as perhaps are the Axioms. The C-series is an attempt for Energy to gain back some of the customers that went with the BETTER Studio line-up. Energy has built themselves I suspect on what Paradigm did. Offer more for less money. Just that, IMO, Paradigm is falling a little behind by newer cheaper products...which does NOT make their speaker WORSE...just overpriced for what you get now. ~2 years ago they were a better buy...but this can be said for most speakers. |
| No, just best selling and most known | midfiman
Apr 18, 2003 5:10 AM | | It's like saying Bose is the best in America. While Paradigm is MUCH better than Bose, it's an analogy. Bose is so well known and advertised so much (and probably sells more than any other speaker) that many people just assume that it's the best for those reasons. |
| Certainly one of the best. | Pat D
Apr 18, 2003 6:40 AM | | I take it your dealer sells Paradigm!
The Paradigm Reference line sounds very good with many recordings, but can be rather unforgiving of others. The Monitor Series tend to be more forgiving if not so open.
PSB makes some fine speakers, and also Audio Products International (who make Mirage and Energy).
The real question is how well you like them. |
| what about the lot of awards Paradigm has? are they false? | dvjorge
Apr 18, 2003 11:54 AM | | |
| what about the lot of awards Paradigm has? are they false? | RGA
Apr 18, 2003 1:55 PM | | Well what about the lot of awards virtually all other mainstream Speaker makers get. DO all the speakers sound IDENTICAL? They must if they get the same ratings??
UHF commented on a McInosh amp(One of the best reviewed amp makers):
Not many years after this magazine was founded, some 21 years ago, we commented on a letter by saying that if we agreed with what the other magazines write, we wouldn't bother producing this one. To that we would add a second observation: there is no audio product so awful that it hasn't received a good review from someone, somewhere.
Our comments on the MC7150 don't necessarily carry over to all other models of the marque, of course, though the design choices McIntosh makes (check the output connections as an example) would place them some distance from the top of our shopping list. We have, however, heard some recent McIntosh tube amplifiers that sounded quite decent.
Your Unison is probably a good choice, on the assumption that your speakers have reasonable efficiency. By the way, though the KT90 tube was indeed difficult to obtain in the wake of the NATO bombings of Belgrade, that is no longer the case."
UHF as with Hi-Fi Choice(who do most reviews in a blind panel) don't get a lot of speakers and amps etc sent to them(because they actually hit products pretty hard)...I usually look at what is not sent to them as well as their reviews - UHF have heard most every maker going. And when I read the advice section...well you get an idea what they think of certain speakers they don't review and you know why certain companies are afraid of tougher standards. |
| what about the lot of awards Paradigm has? are they false? | Pat D
Apr 18, 2003 7:08 PM | | Most Paradigm speakers are very good values. In addition, the Monitor and Reference lines can sound excellent, although not quite everyone agrees--RGA has a thing about Paradigm.
However, there are other fine Canadian speakers, as I ahve mentioned. Has no one else heard the fine Ethera Vitae? It's expensive, though! |
| what about the lot of awards Paradigm has? are they false? | RGA
Apr 19, 2003 12:14 AM | | I have a thing about a lot of speakers Bose, JBL, Cerwin Vega etc ...and a thing about certain Paradigms etc.
Not heard of Ethera Vitae - not sold in my province that I know of. |
| Hmmmm... another unbiased dealer? | Mash
Apr 18, 2003 7:23 PM | | Why do you focus on "the best speaker from Canada"? Are you living in Miami, Canada?
OK- avoid all this pointless argument and get a real system: Magneplanar 3.6R plus a Paradigm Servo-15.
Of course, if you spent a good year attending recitals, and then concerts, you wouldn't need anyone's opinions.... |
| Canadian Speakers | spiffnme
Apr 22, 2003 9:29 AM | | For my money I love Axiom speakers. The only fault I'd give them is that they aren't the prettiest speaker in the pack.
I A/B'd the Axiom M22ti vs. the Energy C-3 in my home, and their was no comparison. The Axiom was much, much cleaner, and clearer than the Energy. I also listened to B&W in comparison to the M22ti, and again, the M22ti won. It's really an astounding speaker for $360. Their priced so low, people really don't give them the respect they deserve! The Energy's were $500, the B&W were even more than that - yet the Axiom sounded FAR better!
Like I said though, they are saving some money by cutting back on their styling. The Energy C-3 was a VERY nice looking speaker. Too bad it didn't sound as good as it looked. |
| In the 300-1000 range, I generally prefer PSB over Paradigm | 3db
Apr 21, 2003 4:12 AM | | With the exception of PSB"s Image3T, I think the"T" series is a better speaker than the equivalent line from Paradigm. There highs aren't as shiny or bright and there bass extension seems to be better controlled. |
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