Axiom and Paradigm Studio ref 100v3 owners...

[jzac]

<font color='#000000'>Hi all,

Alright, I read Clint's report on this site about the Axiom 80 which was pretty good, but I wanted to hear what the actual owners of these units had to say about it as to how good they are in medium to large rooms (assuming you have pretty good receivers to drive it) when playing it either soft or loud. The same feedback would be appreciated of owners of the Paradigm &nbsp;studio reference 100v3 series and their new center channel speaker. Help! &nbsp;

I have the RX-V2400 receiver and need help trying to find main and center speakers that is bang for the buck (between 1-2.5K)! Do you recommend the above speakers? The speakers need to be good for both music and movies.

Thanks!

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[stiletto pat]

<font color='#000000'>I just purchased the Paradigm Studio Ref 100 v3, cc 470 Center Channel &amp; 470 dipole surrounds, and they sound great. &nbsp;I'm using a B&amp;K AVR-507 Receiver. &nbsp;I'm also using a HSU TN-1220 sub w/ HUS's 500 watt amp, and Denon 2900 DVD. &nbsp;I think this system produces pretty nice sound.

I had the opportunity to listen to the Axiom 60 system, including the 150 center and QS8 surrounds. &nbsp;I honestly felt the Axiom system was extremely bright and clean, and could handle lots of power, but in my opinion, were quite lacking in midbass and deep bass, especially without the owner's SVS Sub. &nbsp;

Honestly, I probably could have lived with either set of speakers if I had to, but I chose the Paradigms for a couple of reasons.
1. &nbsp;Sound was more overall pleasing and less fatiguing - balanced, natural and full ranged with the Paradigms.
2. &nbsp;Quality of Construction appears to be superior with the Paradigms.
3. &nbsp;Paradigm's look was far more appealing to me.
4. &nbsp;Paradigms had a much better warranty.

I urge you to listen to both. &nbsp;I admire the Axiom company, and think that Axiom is a very well run company. &nbsp;They will help you locate an owner in your area that will allow you to listen. &nbsp;Their owners are very loyal. &nbsp;The owner I met was an extremely nice fellow who allowed me to listen for several hours. &nbsp;I really can't fault their network of dedicated fans. &nbsp;For the money, they are still quite attractive - I just felt the Paradigms were a better value for me... one that I would enjoy more and feel better about in the long run.

Good luck, and keep us informed....

Pat</font>

 

[zipper]

<font color='#000000'>Pat,
&nbsp;I'm considering getting just the Axiom m60's.However,I've heard good things about Paradigm as well. What did the 100v3's cost you?</font>

 

[stiletto pat]

<font color='#000000'>Zipper,

I was able to negotiate a 20% discount from list on the Paradigms. &nbsp;This took multiple visits to a couple of different dealers, but ultimately, helped push me to the Paradigms. &nbsp;I had always liked the Paradigm's sound better, but pricing was a big factor. &nbsp;The Paradigms were priced approximately 100% greater than the Axioms, but with the 20% discount, they were now only 50% greater in cost. &nbsp;Once I achieved that level, I knew I would kick myself later if I didn't buy what I considered to be the better speakers. &nbsp;

Pat</font>

 

[jzac]

<font color='#000000'>Thanks for the input Pat. You certainly have a good setup. Now, did you get the steal on the Paradigms from a local dealer? I don't know if they even sell these speakers through the net... just curious. I was initially considering the &nbsp;M60s too. What did you have to tell them to get that discount 'cause I might have to try it here?! &nbsp;

Pat, are the Paradigms you have being played in a small/medium sized room? I was just wondering how it sounds in rooms of any size with the volumes on low and loud, because some speakers don't sound clean in small to medium sized room. Please advise. &nbsp;

Thanks</font>

 

[stiletto pat]

<font color='#000000'>jzac,

My room is 17 x 22'.  I just took possession of the speakers this week, and haven't yet set up my rear channels, so I haven't been able to listen to the entire system at once.  However, I did demo this same set up on an Integra Research pre and 150w per channel amp, and they sounded incredible.  Just the mains and cc sound quite good together as is now, and I'm looking forward to getting everything in place.

In answer to your question about the pricing, I believe that I had spent enough time in both of their showrooms, listening intently, such that they knew I was fairly serious.  I shared my proposed system design with the dealers, and had them both quote me speakers and gear.  Once I decided that their electronics gear was too expensive, I told them so, but that I still wanted the Paradigm speakers, and was prepared to buy the entire set at one time.  The best discount I could get them to offer was about 15%.  I went back to them after several days and told them that I would jump if they could drop to 20%.  They weren't too happy, and both of them bitched at bit, but both eventually capitulated to my counter-offer.

That said, be careful how much you push the dealer, because you are indeed making a counter offer, which in legal terms, extinguishes the dealer's original offer to you.  In plain English, this means that once you propose a counter-offer, they are no longer bound to sell you the products at the prices they previously quoted.  Of course, I feel certain that they will, but just an extra piece of information to help you on your quest for the Holy Grail.    

 

 

Good Luck, and let me know how it goes....

Pat</font>

 

[zipper]

<font color='#000000'>Thanks Pat. I'm going to search around &amp; see if I can find some to listen to.</font>

 

[jzac]

<font color='#000000'>Excellent tip. Thx! What other speakers did you audition or consider, besides the Axioms, before settling on the Paradigm 100v3?

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[stiletto pat]

<font color='#000000'>I found that I really liked the Sonus Faber Grand Pianos and the Sonus Faber CC and Surrounds. &nbsp;Thought I liked the Martin Logan's until I really listened to them. &nbsp;Thought I liked the Boston Acoustics until I compared them against the Sonus Fabers, (found them to sound flat) and found the Monitor Audio Gold Series to have a shrill top end. &nbsp;Okay, just my opinions - not a definitive statement of fact - so don't flame me for that!! &nbsp;

&nbsp; Also listened to Kefs, Mirages, PSB, and Revell, several lines of British speakers....again, somewhat limited by my locale and budget. &nbsp;To conclude, I listened to many nice speakers, but for the budget that I had allowed, and the sound quality I desired, I felt that the Paradigms fit my requirements more accurately than anything else.

Pat</font>

 

[zipper]

<font color='#000000'>The Sonus Fabers' are sweet but spendy. The Logans can sound spectacular but have a small sweet spot. Like the Vienna line as well.</font>

 

[zumbo]

<font color='#000000'>Paradigm here:

You might want to consider MB Quart &nbsp;here:

You can audition the MB Quarts for 30 days, and return with no questions asked. This site is also a authorized dealer, so you get a full five year warranty. Also, they will give a discount if you buy a whole set. &nbsp;

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[zumbo]

<font color='#000000'>Oh boy. The same Quarts I have are on sale for $1000 off.
I am soooooo pi$$ed. Oh well. What a deal!

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[jzac]

<font color='#000000'>Thanks for the shopping sites zumbo...will be using it soon.

One Paradigm dealer in OH whom I spoke with mentioned that they cannot ship the studio ref's 100v3... and that they won't take responsibility for any damages... hope these dealers online are handling that part well.

Thx.</font>

 

[dmoss]

bot my Paradigm Studio 100's v3 for under $900 a piece. This included the Magna Shields and floor spikes. No tax. Paradigm around $640 for the CC-570. They are a great set-up for pounding out quality tunes. I bot these more for the stereo quality than the surround sound. Not to say that they are not great surround front mains. They are, but I have noticed the real difference in the music. I am running a rx-v2400 with a 2505 ATI Amp. Unfortunately I am broke so I will have to wait a bit to get my new sub.

 

[theguy]

Axioms

I have three homes with a HT setup in each (Yamaha based). I have three different generations of Axioms speakers. Older AX5 right up to MT60s, VP150, QS8, etc. I think they are terrific sounding and fabulous value. Many speakers sound a wee bit better but at a signifcant cost upgrade. I find the Axiom warranty second to none. They replace both woofers after 10 years when the paper failed. Not bad in my eyes. Save the bucks. Remember, you have to spend a ton more to get a small increase in performance and sound. Furthermore, listening in someone else's home is not the same as your own, tuned environment. That is a good place to truly A/B two speakers. Otherwise, oranges and apples.

In the end, all manufacturers have good sounding systems. FInd the ones that you like for a reasonable price and then go with them.