Paradigm vs. Definitive Technologies vs. Polk

[AcuDefTechGuy]

My very last back-up plan is to go back and work as a RT. The money is about half of what I was making and you actually have to work. I have gotten pretty used to making decent money and just setting on my butt or golfing I should have a couple of offers next week (fingers crossed) or I may have to go back into the sales side for GE Healthcare which is great money but too much travel. By the grace of God, we are still living comfortably and havent had to touch any savings yet!

I hear you!

I love sitting on my butts and hate having to actually work too!

Yeah, those RT guys sure have to do a lot of work. But one thing is for sure, you won't have any difficulty getting a RT job! They need them pretty badly it seems. RTs and RNs!

Good luck with your job offers!

 

[Gioxtream]

Dear friend.............

I finally found someone like you that has listened both models.

The true is ...i am undecided.I don't know if i should go with Def tech 7001 or the Polk audio Rti's 25 .

Could you please give me an open an honest opinion or a personal review on these models? I have not listen the polks yet.

It would be greatly appreciated.
Geovanny.

I would put the Polk RTi's up against the Def Tech's with bass output. I don't care what the specs say. Let your ears tell. My money is behind the PowerPort® Plus.

And I have experience with both.

 

[MatthewB.]

Gioxtreme, in this case I would demo both and decide which sounds better to you. In my years involved with demoing speakers your ears are the final judge and don't let anyone choose for you. I have been to MazerStevens house and got demo many speakers at his place (including a pair of Strata Minis which Mazer got me a great deal on. I have demo'd Paradigms, Polks (which I have owned) and a whole variety of cost freindly and cost in no object speakers. I have a pair of DefTech BP7001sc in my main HT system and I love it and while I don't agree with Acudeftech on setting them to Large, I feel any sub built into a speaker should be used as a powered "woofer" not a subwoofer, and should be set to small and crossed over at say 40Hz. I find when set to large the built in subs become far too bloated and boomy sounding, yet when set to small and crossed over to a sub, the subs in towers tighten right up and you get far better sound and what's important is easier options for setting up, since the towers and sub are not competing in frequencies and creating null voids.

I have a SVS NSD12/2 for the real low end and I always recommend a sub with any speaker including any large towers with built in subs (this includes the Polks) when comparing the two, i would make sure that the store has them crossed over at 40hz so you can really tell how good the sub is. I would then have them cross the towers at 80hz so you can judge the mid range and finally have them cross over the towers at the highest the reciever will go (anywhere between 150Hz -200Hz so you can test the tweeters. But your most important listening test will be the 80hz test.

Now I have DefTechs but an not a fanboy, I actually like Paradigm Studio 20's ver 2 better than my Deftechs and when matched with a sub oh boy, but since I wasnt able to get a good deal on Paradigms at the time, I went with the Deftechs 7001sc (which I got new for 60% off) at Ultimate Electronics. Don't get me wrong I love them, but I find the sound of Polk and Deftech very similar, hence why your ears should be the final judge.

Now if money where no object, I would seriosuly demo Dynaudio, man are those great sounding speakers.

 

[fredk]

I find when set to large the built in subs become far too bloated and boomy sounding, yet when set to small and crossed over to a sub, the subs in towers tighten right up and you get far better sound

If the woofer isn't up to the task it was designed for, then why even buy the speakers. I'm not familiar with the Deftek line. Do they build bookshelves using the same drivers as the tower minus the powered woofer? This, paired up with a good sub would seem to me to be a better value.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah, I think Gene said once (or more) that the best HT setup is 5 (or 7) identical monitor speakers plus 2 or more subwoofers.

Yeah, Definitive Technology makes all kinds of speakers.

When it comes to the FINAL buying decision, you have got to spend some good old time listening to the speakers.

The thing about Bipolar speakers is that Room Acoustics and Speaker Placement have a tremendously significant impact on sound quality - even more so than usual.

That is why some people say that the new Mythos (direct-radiating) speakers sound better than the Bipolars.

 

[MatthewB.]

If the woofer isn't up to the task it was designed for, then why even buy the speakers. I'm not familiar with the Deftek line. Do they build bookshelves using the same drivers as the tower minus the powered woofer? This, paired up with a good sub would seem to me to be a better value.

fredk, because people assume that the subs in the DefTech line are true subwoofers and they are not. They should always be thought of as powered woofers (not subwoofers) and this goes for all models like Polks RT line with built in subs. The "subs" play clean and tight to 30hz, but then get boomy sounding, where a true subwoofer has a larger cabinet and been designed to play clean much lower. But I would rather have a tower with a powered woofer than a passive one, because it relieves the reciever from having to also drive the woofers in each tower and powered woofers have greater extension than passive ones. For example my 7001s have a built in amp at 1,500 watts where if it were passive tower it would be limited to the 130 watts per channel of my Onkyo and not even come close to the bass levels I play at. So my Onkyo just has to power my towers to 80Hz where the built in sub amp kicks on and plays from 80hz -40hz and then passes that on to the outboard sub I have. I get greater power, cleaner sound and my reciever is hardly using any power to drive those high sensitivity speakers. It's the best of both worlds.

 

[fredk]

OK, 30Hz clean is pretty darn respectable. You would think that the speaker would be designed to roll off instead of trying to reproduce sounds it can't, but then, I'm no speaker designer...

 

[MatthewB.]

fredk, it does roll off (when you apply a crossover that the speaker can handle) If my reciever allowed a 30Hz crossover I would set it to that, since mine plays clean down to 28Hz, but since it doesnt I cross mine at the lowest it will go before setting to large which in my case is 40hz, so everything below 40hz rolls off at a steady rate.

But when you set the speakers to Large, the reciever has no idea what speakers you have connected and doesnt care, so it assumes you have a speaker than can play low signals down to (in my Onkyos case 5Hz) so it will send that 5hz signal and up to the speaker and there is no way it can play that, so the bass gets boomy when the speaker is tring to play anything below 28Hz (in my situation) it does play it but it gets boomy and then distortion starts to creep in the lower it plays. I would rather set to small and have the bass all the way down to 40Hz before it rolls off play clean and tight, then set to large where the sound will play lower but will hinder the quality of sound I get. Hence the suggestion for a great sub like SVS, Hsu, ED or Epik or even an IB (Infinate Baffle) to mate with any speaker that has a built in "sub". or any speaker for that matter.

 

[cfrizz]

They must have made a ton of those speakers, they are struggling to get rid of them now. Why do you think it is they don't sell very well, even at outlandishly low prices in comparison to the suggested retail?

1. They do cost a lot but are well worth the money spent.

2. They cost even more to get the right amplication for them since very few receivers can push them to their full potential & if tried will drive the receiver into protect mode. Hopefully before damaging the speakers.

So people get scared off by all the gear needed to run them properly, or they are simply too cheap to spend the money.

When the prices are low, Club Polk will have a ton of newbies come on asking for advice on driving the LSI series that they scooped up but don't have the gear to get the best out of them.

 

[ski2xblack]

...Out of curiosity I checked the Gain level they had set for the Def Tech SuperTowers. They were set to 40% gain. Come on! You have to set it to at least 50%.

Out of curiosity, what level (gain/volume) do you guys set your subwoofers?

The gain may need to be turned up to/past 50% in a large room at the local retailer, but everyone's results will be different in their own rooms.

I use BP7006's, just a pair for stereo music strictly, no separate subs, driven by a pair of Decware SET amps. In my average size living room I have the gains on the 7006's set to about 10 o'clock. Above that and the they boom unaturally; below that they're too thin. Set correctly and I get fast tight bass, convincing presensce of drum kit/real stand up bass/etc in the living room, perfect balance, and enough bass to rattle the dishes in the kitchen at higher volumes. In fact, just the two subs in these towers can shake the whole house. And I consider having them set where they are on the hot side of neutral. In my room, the usable range of the sub gain is from about 9:30-10:30 on the dial.

As stated in previous posts, the fact that you have two built in powered woofers with the Def Techs gives them a degree of flexibility that others in the OP's list lack. Dial it up or down for preference, for proximity to room boundaries, even using different levels for each if your room requires it. Having all three subs would make getting even in-room bass response a snap. The built in subs of the DT's are a boon to versatilaty.

DT's do require more room to breathe due to their bipolar design. I keep mine well over 2' from the back wall; too close and it sounds like you're in your room; enough space from the back wall opens the curtian on the musical space of your source recording, and the walls of your listening room vanish. (For me, the result is stero imaging so convincing that 5.1 seems contrived and artificial by comparison.) Def Tech's do this trick better than many speakers I've heard, but not when close to room boundaries. Something to keep in mind if considering DT's.

 

[Boerd]

Having trouble deciding between

- Paradigm (L/R Monitor 7, Centre CC-290, ADP-190)
- Definitive Technologies (L/R BP7006, Centre CLR2300, BP1.2x)
- Polk (L/R RTI10, Centre CSIA6, RTIA3)

These will go with a Yamahaa PV-X3800 (most likely) receiver in a 11x20x9 room. Sub will be a Velodyne DSL-5000R.

Any suggestions? I've also heard a little about the PSB speakers but not a lot of details.

Thanks

In this case Polk.

 

[julia rose]

paradigm v def tech?

I, too, am looking at buying either def tech or paradigm but I was looking more for a home theatre system and purchasing the def tech mythos nine or paradigm AMS series. Do the same opinions expressed apply to this option?

 

[Boerd]

Having trouble deciding between

- Paradigm (L/R Monitor 7, Centre CC-290, ADP-190)
- Definitive Technologies (L/R BP7006, Centre CLR2300, BP1.2x)
- Polk (L/R RTI10, Centre CSIA6, RTIA3)

These will go with a Yamahaa PV-X3800 (most likely) receiver in a 11x20x9 room. Sub will be a Velodyne DSL-5000R.

Any suggestions? I've also heard a little about the PSB speakers but not a lot of details.

Thanks

Just changed my mind - my vote goes to Paradigm (Polks are also good).
I find DT a bit gimmicky - they use "passive drivers" or "radiators" in their speakers quite a bit .... YUCK
Looking at the specs for the DTs you listed for mains:
Driver Complement :Two 1" pure aluminum dome tweeters; Two 4-1/2" high definition upper bass/midrange drivers; One 8" long-throw subwoofer coupled to <b>two 8" Low Bass radiators.</b>
DT would be the only ones on the list I wouldn't buy.

 

[njedpx3]

Actually ...

Just changed my mind - my vote goes to Paradigm (Polks are also good).
I find DT a bit gimmicky - they use "passive drivers" or "radiators" in their speakers quite a bit .... YUCK
Looking at the specs for the DTs you listed for mains:
Driver Complement :Two 1" pure aluminum dome tweeters; Two 4-1/2" high definition upper bass/midrange drivers; One 8" long-throw subwoofer coupled to <b>two 8" Low Bass radiators.</b>
DT would be the only ones on the list I wouldn't buy.

The Def Techs sound excellent and have a built in powered subwoofer. The Paradigm and Polk don't have built in subwoofer. While it doesn't take the place of a good SVS or Hsu sub, it produces pretty good bass...definitely not YUCK. I have 2006s, predessor to 7006 and more recently 7002s. Before you make up you mind, audition the Def Techs as well as the Paradigms and Polks.

Good Luck!

Forest Man

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The Def Techs sound excellent and have a built in powered subwoofer. The Paradigm and Polk don't have built in subwoofer. While it doesn't take the place of a good SVS or Hsu sub, it produces pretty good bass...definitely not YUCK. I have 2006s, predessor to 7006 and more recently 7002s. Before you make up you mind, audition the Def Techs as well as the Paradigms and Polks.

Good Luck!

Forest Man

Yeah, you tell him, man!

In the end, the buyer needs to open up his mind and ears and buy the speakers that sound the best regardless of specs.

I hate the fact that Def Tech specifies the ridiculous "overall" frequency response, instead of the traditional +/-3dB response.

But if I just let that bother me and cloud my senses, I would have missed out on some awesome sounding speakers (to me).

I've listened to other brands including B&W 800D, Revel, Krell, and some other expensive speakers. The Def Techs just fits my senses most. But other people prefer other brands, which is just fine.

But don't just pre-judge any speaker based on some specs. Not all speakers will sound great to any one person. We are all different.

 

[Boerd]

The Def Techs sound excellent and have a built in powered subwoofer. The Paradigm and Polk don't have built in subwoofer. While it doesn't take the place of a good SVS or Hsu sub, it produces pretty good bass...definitely not YUCK. I have 2006s, predessor to 7006 and more recently 7002s. Before you make up you mind, audition the Def Techs as well as the Paradigms and Polks.

Good Luck!

Forest Man

Yeah, you tell him, man!

In the end, the buyer needs to open up his mind and ears and buy the speakers that sound the best regardless of specs.

I hate the fact that Def Tech specifies the ridiculous "overall" frequency response, instead of the traditional +/-3dB response.

But if I just let that bother me and cloud my senses, I would have missed out on some awesome sounding speakers (to me).

I've listened to other brands including B&W 800D, Revel, Krell, and some other expensive speakers. The Def Techs just fits my senses most. But other people prefer other brands, which is just fine.

But don't just pre-judge any speaker based on some specs. Not all speakers will sound great to any one person. We are all different.

Looking back at my post now - the "YUCK" is out of place so thanks you didn't overreact.
I respect your taste and if you like DT then great!