paradigm Studio v3 v. v4

[drinke]

All - I am finding a lot of deals on the net on new in box v3s at what look like good prices (though many of them are in sycamore - basically white, right?)

I've never heard the v3s, does anyone have any experience with the v3s v. the v4s - was there a huge upgrade in drivers? Externally they look similar - and the cabinets seem to be pretty close to the same (this dealer would be like over 3 hours from where I live - and I don't want to waste a trip if there is big dif in quality).

In short - I am thinking about 40 v3s (sycamore) or 20 v4s (black) -

I think the wife might actually prefer lighter cabinets - which I can tolerate.

 

[fredk]

New in box V3s? Really? V5 is out now, so I would think that you should be able to get a good deal on V4s. Pretty much all the changes between V4 and V5 are cosmetic. I don't know about V3 though.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

There was a driver change from v3 to v4 but I can't remember the difference. Warpdrv knows the detail so PM him.

 

[drinke]

yep - dealer says new in box - which makes me worried that sycamore is just horrible- but pics I've seen on the web don't really look that bad.

Also - I'll be sure to pm warp - thanks - some reviews I read said that the v4 was more detailed, but the v3 had a wider sound field -

 

[speakerman39]

There was a driver change from v3 to v4 but I can't remember the difference. Warpdrv knows the detail so PM him.

Greg from what I recall, there was a big change in the tweeter. However, I could be wrong. I still miss my Studio 20 v.3's very much.



Cheers,

Phil

 

[jamie2112]

Wow I am suprised that you found a new in the box pair. They are on V5 now like Fred stated. Good for you...

 

[fredk]

which makes me worried that sycamore is just horrible-

Just not popular. If you like a very light/white wood, they will probably be fine.

 

[Warpdrv]

Hey there...

When I bought my Studio .v4 setup, I was able to audition the .v3 and .v4 side by side...

Honestly, there was barely a difference in the sonic signature between the 2.

I liked both, and couldn't tell much of a difference between them, the mid's on the .v3 were a tiny bit thinner, but not enough to equate to a large enough difference here.....

The only upgrade with the .v4's was the mid driver and the dome on the .v4's was changed to gold, but you didn't get the whole tweeter handed down from the signature line, just the dome or cover... so it wasn't a huge step up from the .v3 to .v4, I just wanted the new hotness when I bought my first set of quality speakers....

Personally I don't think you can go wrong with a set of .v3's..... If your getting a good price hit it.... Check what the dealer is giving you on a price on the stands.... You can usually get a really good deal on Audiogon.com for stands, I got them for a fantastic price there for my Signature S4's (same as the Studio 40's), and they are great stands, very well built...

Good luck with your endeavor...

 

[speakerman39]

Hey there...

When I bought my Studio .v4 setup, I was able to audition the .v3 and .v4 side by side...

Honestly, there was barely a difference in the sonic signature between the 2.

I liked both, and couldn't tell much of a difference between them, the mid's on the .v3 were a tiny bit thinner, but not enough to equate to a large enough difference here.....

The only upgrade with the .v4's was the mid driver and the dome on the .v4's was changed to gold, but you didn't get the whole tweeter handed down from the signature line, just the dome or cover... so it wasn't a huge step up from the .v3 to .v4, I just wanted the new hotness when I bought my first set of quality speakers....

Personally I don't think you can go wrong with a set of .v3's..... If your getting a good price hit it.... Check what the dealer is giving you on a price on the stands.... You can usually get a really good deal on Audiogon.com for stands, I got them for a fantastic price there for my Signature S4's (same as the Studio 40's), and they are great stands, very well built...

Good luck with your endeavor...

Hey warp, I also like the look of these Model 3 stands. Check them out here:


http://www.tyleracoustics.com/stands.html


Just curious if you like them as well? Ty's speaker sound every bit as good as the Studio series imho. I plan to visit there again sometime in the near future. His shop is only 28 miles from my home. Anyways, let me know what you think of the Model 3 stands if you don't mind.



Cheers,

Phil

 

[drinke]

thanks all for your comments - I have the 40 v4s, and I pretty happy with them - they are just a solid, well-made and performing speaker, reasonably priced. So, I've been looking for something to match them with in zone 2 - currently am just running some v5 atoms.

I was actually looking for another set of 40 v4s - and there were some good deals our there recenlty, but I was always a day late and a dollar short on bidding. These are just hard to come by - new anyway.

So then I thought - 20 v4s - but was worried that these may be a little lacking in the low-end, and also, while you can find new in box 20 v4s, the price is still relatively high, and the 40 v3s I found were actually only an extra 100 over the 20 v4.

Given what I read on the v3s, which the comments above basically confirm, I just put a deposit down on the 40 v3s. And I suspect the color may actually be preferable to my wife in any event.

It'll be interesting to hear 40 v4s and 3s side-by-side - perhaps I'll submit a little review -

thanks again all for your valuable input -

 

[speakerman39]

thanks all for your comments - I have the 40 v4s, and I pretty happy with them - they are just a solid, well-made and performing speaker, reasonably priced. So, I've been looking for something to match them with in zone 2 - currently am just running some v5 atoms.

I was actually looking for another set of 40 v4s - and there were some good deals our there recenlty, but I was always a day late and a dollar short on bidding. These are just hard to come by - new anyway.

So then I thought - 20 v4s - but was worried that these may be a little lacking in the low-end, and also, while you can find new in box 20 v4s, the price is still relatively high, and the 40 v3s I found were actually only an extra 100 over the 20 v4.

Given what I read on the v3s, which the comments above basically confirm, I just put a deposit down on the 40 v3s. And I suspect the color may actually be preferable to my wife in any event.

It'll be interesting to hear 40 v4s and 3s side-by-side - perhaps I'll submit a little review -

thanks again all for your valuable input -

Congrats on the well-informed decision. I also agree that it will be very interesting to see if you notice much, if any, difference(s) between the v.3 and the v.4 respectively. Be sure to give the new drivers time to break in before doing any real critical listening. However, your initial impressions are also important and can be very helpful to other members here. Looking forward to your findings.



Cheers,

Phil

 

[fredk]

I have the 40 v4s, and I pretty happy with them

I really liked the sound of the 40s when I listened to them.

Let us know how they look when they arrive.

 

[just listening]

The 40's were a very under-appreciated speaker, it's too bad they were killed off. For my money the v.4's tweeter is a bit smoother than the v3's.

enjoy

 

[speakerman39]

The 40's were a very under-appreciated speaker, it's too bad they were killed off. For my money the v.4's tweeter is a bit smoother than the v3's.

enjoy

You know, for some reason I still prefer the sound of the Studio 20's to the 40's. Seems kind of strange I know, but for some reason or another I do. One thing I noticed about the 20's was that the bass seemed tighter and more focused. Imaging was also a bit better. However, the size of the soundstage was larger and wider with the 40's. To this day, the Studio 20's are one of my favorites I have ever owned.



Cheers,

Phil