Choosing Speaker Quest Start Energy or Paradigm

[ManishKasera]

Hi,
Let me start from saying that "I know listening is critical in choosing one, saying that you can not demo all speakers/brand in the market".
I have short listed following two system and I would like to hear opinion from all you pros there.
Option#1: Paradigm Studio 100 + Studio CC690 + Studio ADP-590
Option#2: Energy Veritas 2.3i + Veritas V2.0Ci + Veritas V20Ri

If someone ever did a one-to-one/side-by-side/A-to-B comparison hat would be great help.

I watch 50% Movies + 30% TV Serial in HDTV + 20% Mix music.

I'm planning to buy B&K 200.7 S2 power amplifier using pre outs on my YAMAHA RX-V2500 to drive them.

I'm by no mean pro or very experienced so any input or suggestions are welcome.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

There are plenty of people here running Studio 100's and love them. I have never listened to the Energys but hear they are good. Not to be a fanboy but you cant go wrong with the Paradigm set-up.

 

[Sheep]

The Energy's are a step above the Paradigms in this situation, a more fair comparison would be the Signatures.

SheepStar

 

[runninkyle17]

I know that Paradigm's are great, but might I suggest some Def Tech speakers.

The Def Tech studio monitors are amazing and the SuperTower will make you cry they are so awesome!

 

[Thaedium]

I'm running the first setup you mentioned minus the ADP-590 for surrounds, (I'm currently 3.1 till I get the money together for 5.1).

I have the mains bi-amped off of my VSX-94TXH, and a Velodyne DD-15 sub. I definently felt that the sub was a welcomed addition, it blends seamlessly with the Paradigm's.

Regarding what runninkyle17 said, if you don't have a sub, or are not planning to get one for some time then the deftech's are definently the way to go. A very good friend of mine has the 7004's plugged into a Bryston 4B SST and it was a jaw dropping experience for me. I haven't heard his system in almost a year now, and not since I've had the Studio's, so I couldn't tell you the difference anymore. All I know is that I get a jaw dropping experience now anyways on a daily basis.

I've heard many people say the Veristas' are the cats-@ss, but I've never heard them to give an opinion on it. I will say this however, there are some things on the spec sheets that lead me to believe that the Veristas aren't so hot as the hype goes (but again, I've never heard so I'm ignorant on this matter). Some examples;

As per both manufacturer's listed specs:


Paradigm Studio 100 v.4
Frequency Response - [±2 dB from 44 Hz - 22 kHz]
Sensitivity - [91 / 88 dB]
Energy Verista V2.3i
Frequency Response -[±3 dB from 35 Hz - 20 kHz]
Sensitivity - [90 / 87 dB]


The differences are minor here but (in my opinion) in favor of the Studio's. The Studio 100's also have 5 drivers, whereas the Veristas V2.3i have 4 (not a selling point, just mentioning it).

An interesting difference on the spec sheets, (hopefully someone here can clear this up for me), is the listed weights of these speakers. Paradigm specifies the weight of a pair at 162lbs, whereas Energy doesn't specify if its a pair or just one, they just say 68lbs for shipping weight. My assumption is that Energy is just listing the weight of one speaker, so if thats the case then the pair would weigh 136lbs. A difference of 26lbs, or 13lbs a speaker. The Studio's have an extra Bass driver and a larger cabinet. It would seem to me then that the Veristas is probably the heavier/sturdier cabinet compared to the Studio 100's.

Anyways, I've devled too far into the Paradigm fanboyism, so all I'm going to say is that like you mentioned before, hearing is believing. Go out and compare'em, and let us know what you personally think. Either way, you've picked two great speaker systems to have for options.

 

[Johnd]

Never heard the Energys. I have Studio 100's and love 'em...great for movies, and I think they're quite musical. I've never looked back, and am not wanting in the speaker department.

 

[Johnd]

...(hopefully someone here can clear this up for me), is the listed weights of these speakers. Paradigm specifies the weight of a pair at 162lbs, whereas Energy doesn't specify if its a pair or just one, they just say 68lbs for shipping weight. My assumption is that Energy is just listing the weight of one speaker, so if thats the case then the pair would weigh 136lbs. A difference of 26lbs, or 13lbs a speaker. The Studio's have an extra Bass driver and a larger cabinet. It would seem to me then that the Veristas is probably the heavier/sturdier cabinet compared to the Studio 100's.

Since you asked Thaedium...

I don't know how you can make that presumption without knowing the construction of the cabinets. I really don't. Perhaps the Energys use larger magnets, heavier feet, or heavier grills. I do not know. But what is especially troubling (beyond the presumption), is your inference that the Studio's construct is somehow lacking. I know you did not write that, but it is inferred. And then you go on to recommend the Studios.

I own the Studios, and the construct is superb. The cabinets are well built and sturdy...I see no deficiency after having owned them for three years now. Let me go on to write that after using speakers for thirty years now (B&W, Acoustic Research, Advent, Klipsch), I find their construct top notch, and you should have no concern in that department...unless you plan on dropping them regularly.

 

[Thaedium]

I think you mistook me somewhat Johnd, I was speculating, not presuming. I own the Studio's as well, (obviously), and I agree, its top-notch. I've heard lots of feedback from people however who say the Veristas outperform the Studio's, so I was speculating as to how that could be. Looking at the spec sheets I could see no apparent reason, and I was curious to know if perhaps a sturdier cabinet construction resulting in less colouration could perhaps attribute to these opinions. Again, I was only guessing, and was hoping someone in the know could give me the heads up. That said, I'm still no closer to finding out anything

 

[Johnd]

I think you mistook me somewhat Johnd, I was speculating, not presuming. I own the Studio's as well, (obviously), and I agree, its top-notch. I've heard lots of feedback from people however who say the Veristas outperform the Studio's, so I was speculating as to how that could be. Looking at the spec sheets I could see no apparent reason, and I was curious to know if perhaps a sturdier cabinet construction resulting in less colouration could perhaps attribute to these opinions. Again, I was only guessing, and was hoping someone in the know could give me the heads up. That said, I'm still no closer to finding out anything

No, I understand that you were speculating about the reason(s) for the weight difference in the two cabinets, and from that you inferred the Energy's construct was superior. The logic is flawed is all I'm saying. And that flawed logic is a disservice to Paradigm. And I also read that you enjoy your Studio's...so we are brothers in that department. Cheers.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You Paradigm fanboys need to hush up...

 

[Johnd]

You Paradigm fanboys need to hush up...

Ha! Nonsense.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I didnt know that. Never even seen an Energy.

The Energy's are a step above the Paradigms in this situation, a more fair comparison would be the Signatures.

SheepStar

 

[billy p]

The Energy's are a step above the Paradigms in this situation, a more fair comparison would be the Signatures.

SheepStar

Agreed and not that Sheep needs my help or assistance. If your considering the top end Paradigm Siganture line then compare it to Energy's Best and the studio line are not the Sig's. Regardless of price compare apples to apples. Good grief some of you Digms owners get bent of of shape when this question is asked.
Regards, Billy P

 

[Johnd]

Agreed and not that Sheep needs my help or assistance. If your considering the top end Paradigm Siganture line then compare it to Energy's Best and the studio line are not the Sig's. Regardless of price compare apples to apples. Good grief some of you Digms owners get bent of of shape when this question is asked.
Regards, Billy P

Bent?

Only because you're comparing Veritases to Sigs. Apples to oranges, apples to oranges.

Truth be told, I've never heard the Veritases. But I do know that the 2.3's are commonly compared to the Studios, not the Sigs.

 

[billy p]

Bent?

Only because you're comparing Veritases to Sigs. Apples to oranges, apples to oranges.

Truth be told, I've never heard the Veritases. But I do know that the 2.3's are commonly compared to the Studios, not the Sigs.

yep and the Veritas where preferred I know Peng has listened to both and decided on the 2.3's and I am pretty sure Warp has auditoned the veritas. He chose the Studios because he preferred them.
Touche

 

[PENG]

yep and the Veritas where preferred I know Peng has listened to both and decided on the 2.3's and I am pretty sure Warp has auditoned the veritas. He chose the Studios because he preferred them.
Touche

Billy, I listened to both 2.3i and Studio 100 V3, not V4. I also listened to the 2.2 (no i) and the Signature S1. I found the 2.2 better overall especially the mids and highs. The Studio 100 V3 sounded really good as well but I thought they were just a touch bright even when paired with some high power Anthem separates. In fact, they sounded the same to me when powered by a RX-V2400 receiver. As I reported before, I wasn't the only person in the room for the audition so I didn't think it was due to my hearing ability.

I have never listened to the Studio V4, presumably they are the improved version. In Canada, where these speakers are made, the 2.3i cost quite a bit more than the Studio 100 V3. I guess in the US the price gap between the two is much smaller, due to the higher demand (the Paradigms are more popular I assume) of the Paradigm.

 

[PENG]

An interesting difference on the spec sheets, (hopefully someone here can clear this up for me), is the listed weights of these speakers. Paradigm specifies the weight of a pair at 162lbs, whereas Energy doesn't specify if its a pair or just one, they just say 68lbs for shipping weight. My assumption is that Energy is just listing the weight of one speaker, so if thats the case then the pair would weigh 136lbs. A difference of 26lbs, or 13lbs a speaker. The Studio's have an extra Bass driver and a larger cabinet. It would seem to me then that the Veristas is probably the heavier/sturdier cabinet compared to the Studio 100's.

Very observant! The shipping wt. is 68 lbs each. The Studio 100 is a much larger speaker so the packaging would presumably be larger and heavier too. I think you are probably right, that the 2.3i is relatively heavier, though it is not by itself a reliable indicator for better sound quality.

 

[ManishKasera]

I'm running the first setup you mentioned minus the ADP-590 for surrounds, (I'm currently 3.1 till I get the money together for 5.1).

I have the mains bi-amped off of my VSX-94TXH, and a Velodyne DD-15 sub. I definently felt that the sub was a welcomed addition, it blends seamlessly with the Paradigm's.

Regarding what runninkyle17 said, if you don't have a sub, or are not planning to get one for some time then the deftech's are definently the way to go. A very good friend of mine has the 7004's plugged into a Bryston 4B SST and it was a jaw dropping experience for me. I haven't heard his system in almost a year now, and not since I've had the Studio's, so I couldn't tell you the difference anymore. All I know is that I get a jaw dropping experience now anyways on a daily basis.

I've heard many people say the Veristas' are the cats-@ss, but I've never heard them to give an opinion on it. I will say this however, there are some things on the spec sheets that lead me to believe that the Veristas aren't so hot as the hype goes (but again, I've never heard so I'm ignorant on this matter). Some examples;

As per both manufacturer's listed specs:


Paradigm Studio 100 v.4
Frequency Response - [±2 dB from 44 Hz - 22 kHz]
Sensitivity - [91 / 88 dB]
Energy Verista V2.3i
Frequency Response -[±3 dB from 35 Hz - 20 kHz]
Sensitivity - [90 / 87 dB]


The differences are minor here but (in my opinion) in favor of the Studio's. The Studio 100's also have 5 drivers, whereas the Veristas V2.3i have 4 (not a selling point, just mentioning it).

An interesting difference on the spec sheets, (hopefully someone here can clear this up for me), is the listed weights of these speakers. Paradigm specifies the weight of a pair at 162lbs, whereas Energy doesn't specify if its a pair or just one, they just say 68lbs for shipping weight. My assumption is that Energy is just listing the weight of one speaker, so if thats the case then the pair would weigh 136lbs. A difference of 26lbs, or 13lbs a speaker. The Studio's have an extra Bass driver and a larger cabinet. It would seem to me then that the Veristas is probably the heavier/sturdier cabinet compared to the Studio 100's.

Anyways, I've devled too far into the Paradigm fanboyism, so all I'm going to say is that like you mentioned before, hearing is believing. Go out and compare'em, and let us know what you personally think. Either way, you've picked two great speaker systems to have for options.

Thanks.
I'm currently running my Atlantic Technology system so I'm planning to keep the subwoofer I have, at least for the time being.

Good to hear that you are loving your new Studio setup.

 

[ManishKasera]

I can buy Veritas cheaper online than Studio. I was also leaning towards Studio but then I also heard a lot of good things about Veritas and some excellent review too, so price different of $500 alone in 2.3i and 100 was forcing me towards Veritas i.

So you guys thhink that price difference of $500 is worth for Studio 100 alone let forget the whom set?

 

[rded]

Hi,
Let me start from saying that "I know listening is critical in choosing one, saying that you can not demo all speakers/brand in the market".
I have short listed following two system and I would like to hear opinion from all you pros there.
Option#1: Paradigm Studio 100 + Studio CC690 + Studio ADP-590
Option#2: Energy Veritas 2.3i + Veritas V2.0Ci + Veritas V20Ri

If someone ever did a one-to-one/side-by-side/A-to-B comparison hat would be great help.

I watch 50% Movies + 30% TV Serial in HDTV + 20% Mix music.

I'm planning to buy B&K 200.7 S2 power amplifier using pre outs on my YAMAHA RX-V2500 to drive them.

I'm by no mean pro or very experienced so any input or suggestions are welcome.

Like you I initilly set out auditioning for the paradigm studio 100s and also the def tech supertowers! They're probably very similarly priced t around 3k depending on how you negotiate! Truthfully I found the def techs and paradigm 100s to be irritating and causes my ear to fatigue fast! I would really try and give DYNAUDIO focus 220s- they have a soft dome tweeter! They're similarly priced and are very truthful and natural sounding speakers plus the craftsmanship is just amazing! I also liked the way Anthony Gallo natilus ref 3.1s sounded-very deep base and less irritating than the b&w 804s. I also found Revel perfoma series to be very good! this is just MHO...