Mythos 4....wow wow wow

[modman]

I have not posted in a while, so please forgive. About two years ago, I submitted a post after auditioning the Definitive Technologies Mythos 1 towers....man I was absolutely swooning over the staging, clarity, and detail of these very sexy-looking speakers. I agonized over what to buy for my setup. I am a music lover 80 % and HT lover 20 % -- I was looking for three identical speakers to set up across the front and enjoy an immersive surround-sound experience with classical, jazz, vocal, electronica, and other good sounds. ( I can't speak for other folks, but I have found that surround sound, properly done, gives me a much more satisfying sound than even the best 2-channel setups).

As it turned out, an audition of the Paradigm Studio 20 v.3 speakers left me saying "damn, what a value for the money." Wonderful, detailed sound. They were also much more vertically-compact than the Mythos 1's. I have been using three of them now for about 1.5 years. I cannot tell you how much listening pleasure I have had with this setup. Music is wonderful. Movies are out of this world.

A friend of mine has been bugging me to buy my Studio 20's (he's like that), and it is giving me an excuse to look at another setup a bit earlier than I would normally change. I went to my local Paradigm dealer to audition the new Studio 20 v.4's, which have the midrange from the new Signature line, as well as some additional nice upgrades. I listened to them with my favorite demo tracks...and I was very pleased. But then, I saw the Mythos 4 speakers sitting on the showroom floor....about 43" high, lovely design. I asked the salesman to put them in place of the Studio 20's, and I listened to my demo tracks again.

Wow. I did not want them to sound like that, because I had already decided on the 20's. I did not want them to sound like the experience I had with the Mythos 1 towers years before. But DAMN what a sound from these slender silver towers!!! Voicing and imaging on single-miked women's vocals (Nancy Wilson's "Midnight Sun" or Low's "Laser Beam") was immaculate and neutral and analytical. Not the same as the 20's...different, and quite NICE. I wonder if the larger vertical array of smaller drivers, as compared to the 20's, had something to do with it?

So I'm seriously considering putting three sexy silver towers across the front. I guess the reason I'm writing this post is to ask a) who else uses three identical speakers; b) has anyone had experiences with the Mythos 4's; and c) whatcha think, folks?

thanks

 

[Thaedium]

Well, its not really a fair comparisson those two speakers. First off, the Studio 20 has two drivers, and one of them is an entire bass/midrange, not seperated.

The Mythos 1 has more drivers, 1 tweeter, 2 midrange, 2 bass, 2 bass radiators.

The Studio 20's only dip as low as 36hz. Whereas the Mythos go down to 20hz.

Unless you are running a sub in your system though, I'm surprised you haven't gone with floorstanding speakers though. Try listening to the Studio 100's and see what you think.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

So I'm seriously considering putting three sexy silver towers across the front. I guess the reason I'm writing this post is to ask a) who else uses three identical speakers; b) has anyone had experiences with the Mythos 4's; and c) whatcha think, folks?

I think all Def Tech tower speakers (Mythos & BPs) sound great, but I thought it's just me ears.

If I had a projector + screen (53" above ground), I would use THREE identical BP7000SCs across the front!

So I completely see your reasoning.

If you can accomodate that, I say put 3 mythos across the front!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The Studio 20's only dip as low as 36hz. Whereas the Mythos go down to 20hz.

Actually, the Mythos ST is 26 Hz – 20 kHz +/-3dB (UltimateAV), so the Mythos 1s would most likely be in the same ballpark as the Studio 20s' 36Hz. I think the Mythos 4s would most likely be in the mid 40Hz.

 

[modman]

Demo was with a sub....

Clarification....the audition was done with a sub, using an 80-hz cutoff, for both speakers. The Mythos 4's had something that made my ears take notice.

Of course, it could be a classic case of psycho-acoustics....I have a chance to change to a new "paradigm" (hey, pardon that pun) by moving away from a box speaker, so my ears made sure that I heard what I wanted to hear in the Mythos. But I have demo'd a lot of speakers on my "magic 5" tracks, and DAMN what a sound!

Thaedium, thanks for the comments. But my room is so small, and my aesthetic is one of sparseness, so satellites with a good sub (Outlaw) have been my MO. Normal towers have not really been on the page..otherwise, the 100's would have been first in the audition line. The Mythos 4's have less of a presence, visually, than 20's on stands.

But maybe you are right about having more drivers..adding up to more surface area...

I'm excited. But I'm going to wait just a bit, to see if the buzz wears off.