Paradigm, BA, or Axiom

[moreira85]

hey folks, I am looking to get a new set of mains, i have heard the paradigm monitor 7s and they sounded incredible, but i am torn between the Boston Acoustics VR3, Paradigm monitor 11s or the Axoim M80. any input on these speakers. I have a connection for a pair of VR3s but i am debating because of the paradigm. I have never heard the axioms because cant find them anywhere but have see good reviews. thanks.

[Nick250]

My opinion, don't over complicate it. They are all good speakers. Buy what sounds best to you. Do you own a sub or plan to buy one? That should play into your decision making process too. I own some Paradigms and a pair of Boston Acoustics. I did some local auditioning recently and I found the B&W 602's to be a great value.

[moreira85]

yea i own a boston acoustic pv1000.

[moreira85]

i just got done demoing the BA vr2 and wasnt to impressed, i hope the VR3s are impressive.

[zumbo]

hey folks, I am looking to get a new set of mains, i have heard the paradigm monitor 7s and they sounded incredible, but i am torn between the Boston Acoustics VR3, Paradigm monitor 11s or the Axoim M80. any input on these speakers. I have a connection for a pair of VR3s but i am debating because of the paradigm. I have never heard the axioms because cant find them anywhere but have see good reviews. thanks.

Is this an existing H/T system?

Mains should match your current center, or you should consider replacing it as well.

I hate to complicate things further, but I think you would be much happier with B&W or Monitor Audio. The latter being the value leader, and some say better. I love both brands.

[moreira85]

to answer your question I have a boston pv1000 sub, and boston vr910 center. I know that center should match the mains which is whey i am leaning towards the VR3s FOR MAINS. I am trying to find a place to demo them but cant seem to find them. Since I am in the Boston area I might head over TO the mfg in peabody to check them out. I heard the paradigm monitor 7 v5 series and was blown away by the sound. I am going to listen to monitor 9 v5 and if they are that good i may end up buying a matching paradigm center. ANYONE HAVE SOME GOOD OR BAD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE VR3S??

[Atokade]

If you're going to look toward Axiom, you'd probably want to consider the M60s over the M80s, the latter being 4ohm and the M60s being 8ohm. You could also use that difference in price to purchase the VP150 center speaker. With Axiom, you may audition them for 30 days and return them. There was another thread with reference to the M80s with certain posts stating the M60 would be a better choice and easier to drive with the given equipment.

http://canada.axiomaudio.com/guarantee.html

[speakerman39]

hey folks, I am looking to get a new set of mains, i have heard the paradigm monitor 7s and they sounded incredible, but i am torn between the Boston Acoustics VR3, Paradigm monitor 11s or the Axoim M80. any input on these speakers. I have a connection for a pair of VR3s but i am debating because of the paradigm. I have never heard the axioms because cant find them anywhere but have see good reviews. thanks.
Hello there . Thought I would add my .02 here. I am very familiar w/ the Paradigm speakers and have heard the Axiom M80's. However, only have heard the BA speakers that were made for an automobile and not their home speakers. Like you, I realy was impressed w/the Monitor 7 v.3's and the v.4's. Very nice full-range sound. IMHO, the Monitor 7's are NOT even close to the Axiom M80's in that the M80's are far superior in every respect. That is, the Monitor 7's can be a bit harsh at louder volumes and the low end is a bit sloppy and not so articulate. On the other hand, the M80's are much more detailed with a more extended top end and a low end that is much more controlled-giving the M80's more definition down low resulting in a more articulate sound. In other words, I really like the Monitor 7 v.3/v.4's BUT the Axiom M80's gave me that "WOW" factor to say the least. Can't be of much help regarding the BA BUT I will say if their home speakers perform as well as their car speakers, then the BA would definitiely be worth considering. But the truth is speaker preference is very subjective. What works for me may NOT work for you. Only you know what you prefer and as such can make a better decision on which of these speaker brands you choose. Just listen to as many as you can and sooner or later you will find a particular brand that will work for you as well as fit into your budget. Hope this helps and as always Happy Hunting!!!!:) :) Be sure to let us know how it all turns out for you.

[tomd51]

Hi moreira85;
Another forum member, STRONGBADF1, had some questions regarding the BA VR2s and VR3s a couple of months ago. Here's (http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?p=230470#post230470) some input on my experience w/my VR3s from his thread if you're interested.

I've seen a few comparisons of Paradigms and BA, very few w/Axiom and the VR3s most folks have compared them to are the Studio 60s. The M60s from Axiom would be a comparable set to these as well. In fact, I considered the M60s before I got my VR3s, however I landed a great deal on the VR3s, had already heard them in person and having been quite pleased w/their performance, it was a no-brainer for me... -TD

[moreira85]

hey thanks STRONGBADF1, i think i am going to go with the VR3s because i can about 50% off from an inside connection so I like you will probably go with BA, you cant wrong with them especially with the deal. your link to your old comparison was really good, i have seen it in the past when i did a search.
Thanks.

[moreira85]

thanks a lot, hey thanks TOM, your setup looks nice, i think i am going to go with the VR3s because i can about 50% off from an inside connection so I like you will probably go with BA, you cant wrong with them especially with the deal. your link to your old comparison was really good, i have seen it in the past when i did a search.
Thanks.[/QUOTE]

[tomd51]

You're quite welcome. While the VR2s are nice speakers, I think you'll really notice a difference between the two. If you can get 50% on them, these are a great deal.

Speaker choice is very subjective, so it is difficult to "recommend" a specific model & manufacturer as everyone's tastes differ, but from a performance and specification standpoint, the VR3s are quite capable for the money.

Once you get them in-house, calibrated and do some music and movie testing, let us know what you think... ;) -TD

[Joe Schmoe]

Due to limited funds, I had to make my speaker choice and stick with it. (Fortunately, I think I made a good choice.) If I had lots of $ and space, however, I would buy several different speakers and switch between them occasionally for variety. All three of the brands mentioned here would be on my list.

[apatel25314]

id go axiom all the way.

[moreira85]

thanks everyone, i just bought the the BA VR3s and for the pair paid 550$ brand new in the box. i am picking them up in 2 days and cant wait to try them!!!

[PatrickBateman]

thanks everyone, i just bought the the BA VR3s and for the pair paid 550$ brand new in the box. i am picking them up in 2 days and cant wait to try them!!!

Wow thats a great deal. Have fun and enjoy them.

[tomd51]

My thoughts exactly, Patrick... :cool:

I personally don't think you can find towers with these specs that are as articulate and provide the soundstage that these do for less than $800/pr.

Good score, let us know what you think once you've had a chance to set them up, calibrate them and give them a good movie and music workout... -TD

[BabelFish]

I just went to a store over lunch and listened to the BA VR3 and they sounded great. What Paradigm speakers were you comparing those to (Monitor, Studio, ETC)...

I wish the store carried Paradigm so I could have compared the two side by side...

Would everyone say that the VR3s are better then the Paradigm Studio 60s?

[tomd51]

I didn't have an opportunity to perform any listening comparisons between the two before I went w/the VR3s, though I did see several comparisons between the 60s and the VR3s stating they were similar performance. Nevertheless, I found the VR3s to be well worth their price for both home theater and for critical music listening. The only bottleneck I find to this point is the source I'm feeding them.

Speaker preference is very subjective, though, so do what you can to listen to both in identical settings/surroundings. They're both good options for the money, so I don't think you'd be disappointed with either... -TD

[ParadigmDawg]

You know better than that Babel; In general we would all have to have the same ears to say that the VR3s are better than the Studios.

I just went to a store over lunch and listened to the BA VR3 and they sounded great. What Paradigm speakers were you comparing those to (Monitor, Studio, ETC)...

I wish the store carried Paradigm so I could have compared the two side by side...

Would everyone say that the VR3s are better then the Paradigm Studio 60s?

[BabelFish]

You know better than that Babel;

I meant more in terms of specs. (Babel standing in the corner, facing wall with head down) :)

[ParadigmDawg]

You have been forgiving and may now put your head up high and move around the room.

I meant more in terms of specs. (Babel standing in the corner, facing wall with head down) :)