Studio 80's worth having?

[griffinconst]

I see lots of monitor7 & 9 on the used market but not many studio models. Are they so good everyone keeps em or what?
Studio 80's are about 12-13 years old, are they worth having? Have things gotten way better in 10 years? Do you think they would be better than newer Monitor models?
Thanks guys

 

[Seth=L]

I think they are better than the new Monitor series. I have had a pair of Studio 20s and Studio 100s. Do you know what version the Studio 80s are? They may be newer than you think.

 

[griffinconst]

They are v1 so they must be from 96 or 97.
I know Studio's kick on Monitors but these "are" an older series and they got dropped from the lineup. Do you know why? I read somewhere that they were so close to 100's they weren't neccessary. That would be a good thing if true but it was just someones opinion, not an official report.
What do you think? and thanks in advance.

 

[Seth=L]

I really like the Studio 100v1s, never had a speaker with as large a sonic/physic presence.

 

[anamorphic96]

The Studio 80's where always the odd man out of the bunch and the 100's where not that much more from what I recall. So most people would just get the 100's. Mainly lack of sales is the reason Paradigm dropped them. They where a great speaker and if you can get them for a good price, go for it. I owned the 40 v.2's for a couple of years and they where a great speaker. The tweeter could get be a little bright sometimes but thats about it. With a good power amp the Studio's had some of the best bass I have heard from a loudspeaker.

 

[fast1]

how much does the studio 80's cost?

 

[griffinconst]

I think I'd have to pay about $550 to have them. Does that seem a bit high?
I see used Monitor 9's go for $400-450 quite often.
I have auditioned new studio 60's and liked them very much but they are $1800. Has the sound changed a lot from v1 to v5 in the studio series?
Do these have rubber surrounds? Is there anything I should whatch out for if buying speakers of this age? They look to be in excellent condition.

 

[anamorphic96]

I think I'd have to pay about $550 to have them. Does that seem a bit high?
I see used Monitor 9's go for $400-450 quite often.
I have auditioned new studio 60's and liked them very much but they are $1800. Has the sound changed a lot from v1 to v5 in the studio series?
Do these have rubber surrounds? Is there anything I should whatch out for if buying speakers of this age? They look to be in excellent condition.

No they used rubber surrounds. So you should be fine in that regard. As long as they are in good condition you should be fine. $550 is a good price. Do they have the wood veneer upgrades or just the laminate ? Either way it's a good price if they are in good shape.

 

[griffinconst]

Thanks for sticking with my thread. I may just buy those this weekend.
Too bad I couldn't get them delivered for Saturday night.

 

[Zool]

So how do you like your 80's? I bought a pair but had to replace the tweeter on one of them - that was no easy task. Other than that, I think they sound great and I'm very please with them.

 

[Seth=L]

No one even wants to know how great a deal I got on the 100s I had, granted they where V1s, even still. At $550 those 80s are a good deal. Heavy floorstanding speakers with solid presentation, you'd likely have to spend over $1000 to get new speakers that sound as good as the 80s.

 

[griffinconst]

Those were for sale with a matching sub. The sub sold and after reading what I could and getting the good word here, I went to buy them and I couldn't even find the listing. I think it was @ agon but the listing was just gone. Usually it stays up for a bit with a sold message if it sells but this just disappeared.
The worst part is I went and auditioned some 100's, granted they were v5 but holy sh**! Those were some great speakers. Assuming the 80's sounded somewhat similar, I almost cried. I may cry now. Yes I think I would have liked them very much and believe $550 was a deal deal deal. New 100's are $2600.
So, the search is back on. I have some old B&W 220's to hold me over for now but I really want something different.
Keep me in mind if you guys see anything similar in the near future.
Thanks

 

[oppman99]

After hearing the newer studio's, I don't think you'd be happy with the old 80's. I recommend looking into Studio 100's v.3 or v.4. There is little sonic difference between version 3 or 4, and I have read a number of reviews that suggest the same thing about the new version 5's. I picked up a pair of v.4's for about $1500 back in September. I know, more than you want to spend, but much less than buying new. Do yourself a favor, and never ever listen to the signature line.

 

[griffinconst]

Thanks Opp, I get the point about the Sinatures.