Monitor Audio or Paradigm

[indcrimdefense]

i don't know about the monitor series, but the new reference v.3 series i heard at the dealer this weekend was very impressive. the reference v.3 get a tweeter upgrade over the v.2 (v.3 gets the tweeter from the old signature line, which has been upgraded as well), & i think other upgrades as well. i have the S8 at home, & was really impressed at how close the 100 v.3 came to what i have at home at a 1/3 of the price.

 

[mike c]

I compared MA gold/silver floorstanders with B&W 704's and B&W 805's using Musical Fidelity seperates. The MA's are smoother, with more bass. However, I prefer the B&W sound. B&W, to me, have the perfect mids and tweets. The MA's loose their mid detail due to movement, hence the bass response. And, the tweeters are not as good as B&W's(IMO).

It's a close race. It comes down to preference. After all of my listening, I had my choices in order. There may be better speakers out there, but these were the best available to me within my budget.
MB Quart (QLS-830)
B&W (704S)
Monitor Audio (RS6)

If I had the money, I would've chosen B&W 805's or higher. Even though they are bookshelf, they still best the 704's and RS6. I even liked them better than the MA gold GS20 version at the time. I don't think they were called GS20 then. They were the same size, and had the same amount of drivers as the RS6.

Paradigm was on my list in the beginning. As soon as I heard B&W and MA, they were no longer a part of the plan.

thanks zumbo ... here I go again, there's no way to A/B them but my dealer can lend me the MA's wow ... first time that can happen

the series before the GS was the GR

 

[mike c]

Rob, which B&W line or lines did you compare to? I auditioned the B&W 705s a couple months ago and hated them. They were too bright in my opinion--ear-splittingly so. I haven't heard the 800 series yet.

Is it fair to compare the MA Bronzes to the B&W 600s, the Silvers to the 700s, etc.?

Thanks,
Chris

in price, the silver and the 600 match ...
but people say in sound, the bronze are a match to the 600 series

 

[KrisJ]

If I were to upgrade my current speakers, Id probably go GS. The GS seems to always be just beyond my grasp because Id also have to upgrade my cast of supporting electronics to make them shine. I originally heard the GR's matched to Parasound Halo gear and the sound was amazing (to me)

 

[stacker45]

All i can say is that Yamaha/Paradigm sound good to me for both music and movies,in my 15'x11' room.

 

[Rob Babcock]

It's definately a case of personal preference. I do find the mids and treble of the MA's to be a bit smoother and neutral than the B&W's- while I could live with them, I find the latter to be just a touch analytical, or "cold" if I can borrow the purple prose. Matched with the right gear it would be fine, probably.