PSB 5T vs Paradigm Monitor 7

[toad]

Help.

I am unable to find a store that carries both PSB 5ts and Paradim Monitor 7s and therefore have to compare by memory.
So far it seems that their specs are almost identical but the Pardigms have a little better clarity at the high mid range and may be better suited for heavy rock type stuff. On the other hand the low end is a bit muddy and lose.
The PSBs sound great on anything that has acoustic instruments and voice but not as good with the heavier stuff. They are definately more dynamic and have a much better low end response thats really tight. but they are pretty flat sounding above 3k(which isnt always bad). Price isnt a concern here so head to head, what should I go for?

 

[3db]

Thats a tough one

Its tough to make a fair compariosn because the environments that each speaker is in coupled with the electronics driving them make a big difference in sound. Add the confusion of poor auditory memory (human trait) and your left with a tough choice. I'm a huge PSB fan and think that their Image series has got Paradigm's monitor series beat . Thats just my opinion.. If I were you, ask to see if you can audition them at home becausee thats where your going to be listening to them from here on in. You will also see how each speaker sounds with your gear.

I recentlly heard PSB's new Image speaker replacement for the 4T being driven by a NAD T773 receiver and NAD cdplayer. It was only for 15 minutes ..lietening Dianna Krall. Alll I can say is WOW. What a presence in the midrange amd the high-hats came off so clear.

Have fun

 

[Unregistered]

Midrange

Actually the PSBs im looking at are last years model, not the new lighter colored ones, the new ones do have a better mid presence than the old ones but ive only heard a few speakers that have the tight bottom that the older version of the PSBs have ( its better than the new ones). So seeing how I am comparing the old ones with the paradigm's thats where I think the paradigms have the PSBs beat, as far as I can tell. I am taking the Paradigms home tonight but they wont let me take the PSBs, so I will just have to compare the Pradigms to my PSB surrounds which only have one driver and its a 5 1/4 as opposed to the 2 x 6 1/2" drivers in the larger enclosure.
Thanks for the feedback though.

 

[3db]

How did speaker shopping go? (NT)

What did you end up getting?

 

[Unregistered]

No contest

I brought home the Paradigm Monitor 7s and although they were ok for heavy music that wasnt recorded very well, they sounded very consumer and scooped out ,and hyped up $200 speakers. I was comparing them to my PSB 1Bs that have only one 5 1/4" driver and as long as I was using the subwoofer, those easily beat out the paradigms on almost every CD. So obviuosly I took the paradigms back the next day went and bought the PSB 5s, thus saving $250 because of the close out special.
The 5s arent as warm as the 1Bs but the highs and high mids sound great(although maybe a little much around 2-3K), and the low end is the tightest Ive ever heard.
At this point I cant believe I even considered the Paradigms, and I thought the 7s sounded better that the expensive studio sereis.
I think the paradigms are good for an untrained ear, people who are use to hearing the Fletcher-Munsonish EQ scoop, and yes they sound better than Polks or Pioneers, but if you listen to anything other than old Black Sabbath cds then I want an explination of how someone can justify paying that kind of money for those speakers.
I have to say with the exception of a little much 3k and maybe not enough 500 hz the PSBs are close to perfect, debth, imaging, dynamic, and cheap.

 

[3db]

How would you compare

PSB's old 5Ts verses their new updated ones?

 

[Unregistered]

Better?

Ok, so better is a bad word when talking about sound preferences. However, theres no question that there is a dramatic loss in the low end on the new version. The top end has been cleaned up a bit and they dont seem to have that little 2-3k spike but they are also brighter which I dont think they need. They are using coated cones, i think aluminum, and the cabinet is tapered at the front and back, one or both of those took out that tight bottom that the older versions have, and was one of the reasons i bought them and rolled my crossover down to 60 hz. Its so clean and tight I want to use it for all its worth, with my previous speakers the sub was driving most of the low end below 100 hz, but the older PSBs hardly need any help at all.
Maybe I should get a PSB sub??

 

[3db]

Before bringing a sub home

Ok, so better is a bad word when talking about sound preferences. However, theres no question that there is a dramatic loss in the low end on the new version. The top end has been cleaned up a bit and they dont seem to have that little 2-3k spike but they are also brighter which I dont think they need. They are using coated cones, i think aluminum, and the cabinet is tapered at the front and back, one or both of those took out that tight bottom that the older versions have, and was one of the reasons i bought them and rolled my crossover down to 60 hz. Its so clean and tight I want to use it for all its worth, with my previous speakers the sub was driving most of the low end below 100 hz, but the older PSBs hardly need any help at all.
Maybe I should get a PSB sub??

I'd try bringing the new Image series home and trialing them at home. According to the specs, the bass response has deepened by 3 whole Hertz *L* . Maybe they weren't set-up properly at the shop and wired out of phase .

 

[Unregistered]

3 whole hertz

Maybe thats the problem, I didnt say the old ones were deeper, i said they were better (low end). Hell the paradigms have almost the same specs as the PSBs but they dont sound anything alike. Likewise I am now using a CD player that sounds better than my old Yamaha but all the specs are in favor of the Yamaha.
The low end on the new line sounds like everyother speaker, nice, round and deep considering the 6 1/2" driver. However, its the punch and the tightness that gives the old ones a better low end response, besides i dont need em to be deeper, I have a sub. Another guy there said the new ones didnt have the depth that the old ones have but I didnt hear that, and it was just one guy. Dont get me wrong, its probably a better built and designed speaker, the high end has definately improved but they were a little birght for me and again nothing spectaculure in the low frequencies. Plus I saved $300 by buying the older model. \m/,

 

[libor]

PSB gets my vote.