I found these on eBay at a steal almost didn't bid, glad I did. First these are way over their new (1990's) price point (about $3500 new), at 47" tall weighing in at 150lbs, contrary to one review they are not top heavy, they are just heavy. Dynaudio drivers, Cardas bi-wireable binding posts, tiptoe like footers, non-resonant cabinets, super non-resonant speaker baffles. beautifully constructed. Even the grills are a mastery of materials (non resonant frames) design and manufacturing that are held in place via magnets. My cherry cabinets have ripples in the finish from age, sunlight finish formulation,etc. but knocking the shine off the finish and the ripples that are patterned evenly in such a way are now somewhat pleasing to the eye. THE SOUND! I am still playing with placement but: is very detailed focused, huge deep and wide sound stage. I have spent many pleasure-able hours just getting lost in the music. Sir Colin Davis an LSO "1812" the regents ruled! sorting the chorus voices free of choral "grain", the sound stage is breathtaking! my wife plays the harp and I play acoustic guitar so now the harp comes clearly through the symphony. On Acoustic guitar you can get the nuance of string type decay and overtones of the various guitars and strings.
We have a very active audio club here on the Central Coast of CA( Central Coast Audio Club we have had John Atkinson Editor in Chief of Stereophile, Keith Olson Producer of Fleetwood Mac, Richard Vandersteen, Jon Iverson (Stereophile writer and local member) Wyred for Sound too name a few at our meetings) I had a friend & club member over to help set up the Paragons and he (owning Martin Logan Prodigys, ML decent subs, Krell KSA class A amp, VTL preamp custom TT/ in a dedicated sound room , love his system) really like the Regents in my system (like 2 hours listening; being that he is bigger young and stronger I had to bribe him with food to get him out of the sweet seat)
I have been running Linn Isobariks DMS's for the past 5 years (happily too) so these do sound quite different and my custom tube amp (2 6L6 per channel maybe 30WPC) power these 91dB sensitive better than the 85-86 dB Isobariks. The Paragons pick up the pace a bit, more focused sound stage. Linn's give a more relaxed but more life like presentation with some high frequency roll-off but again I haven't got the Linns out of the way for more optimum placement of the Paragon Regents.I also may put a felt "lens" surround around the tweeter. In short these are a 5 star recommendation. Also we were pleasantly surprised at the bottom end.
Summing it up: top notch design, manufacturing (except how my finish aged) materials, super detailed, fast ,articulate, musical, big wide deep detailed focused soundstage cool unique looking speakers too!
I am going to be dragging my 80lb 80WPC class A integrated amp out soon so stay tuned!

(my system currently: Oppo 105 Mod-Wright "the Truth" (with Sophia tubes), Mac mini Music server, Meitner Musetax PA6i preamp, custom 6L6 tube amp (or Plinius 8100 amp or Jungson JA-88 (09) class A integrated amp Paragon "The Regent" speakers, Linn Isobarik DMS speakers, Celestion 66 Studio Monitors.

Very natural and open sounding. Very good bass. The finish is simply work of art.

Too top heavy to be kid safe. Lean and dry in my tube setup. Need a lot of space and quality juicy amps to get good results. Difficult positioning if you have a small room.

Got this pair in Audiogon for $1400 in 2004 (that's already overpaid $100, BlueBook is $1300 or so). This is my 2nd pair of speakers in transmission line design. The sound could be described as very natural and open, rather lean and dry to my taste. I'd expect more from DynAudio drivers deployed, and I certainly somewhat disappointed. The power and sensitity ratings are misleading - you need very top notch juicy amps to drive this well. Also, a big room is required. My room is 24' x 30' and is still not big enough to live up to the expectation. Placement is not easy - I spent like 3 days (2 days more in spending placement of my Wilson Watt Puppy 5) - and I still don't like the soundstage. May be my room is not optimal for this. I'd say my buying decision was purely based on faith, after reading many glowing reviews here. And my decision is likely not a wise one. For $1400 however, you could get a lot of value out of it but you probably need to spend $$$$$ to prove that it's the right speakers for you. I ended up selling them for $900 to a local college professor. No name, too top heavy, impossible to ship due to odd shape, company out of business. Before you pay the big bucks for this, think! :-) P.S. This pair of speakers is among the most top-heavy kind I ever owned. It's dangerous if you have kids around them. I don't think the thought of an 150lb-er falling over your kid would make you feel good when you're at work. That's acually the driving reason to dump my pair so cheap.

Similar Products Used:

Revel F30; Wilson Watt Puppy 5; B&W 801 Series 2; Odeon Double Six; Newform Research R645; Alon IV; Magneplan 3.5R; Tyler Acoustics Reference One; etc (too many to recall over the years).

Wonderful sound stage Smooth transitions, both dynamic and tonal Tight, clean bass Extended highs with no tizziness Highly efficient, but with no boom Great looks

Very heavy! A bit of a handful to wrestle around by yourself.

I first encountered the Paragon Regents at CES in the early 90's. I was employed by a leading high end amplifier manufacturer at the time. The Paragons created quite a stir amongst the "gurus" of the day, including my old boss. They told the boys from Minneapolis the only problem was going to be the low price. They wouldn't be taken seriously if they didn't at least double it. To make a long story short, the gurus were right, but not before many of us had acquired a set. I have been away from hi-end audio for 7 years now. All the toys I acquired back then have gone by the wayside except the Paragons. Even using decidedly mid-fi electronics they sound sweet and musical, and the "denapolito array" (simulated point source) keeps the sound stage broad, but focused.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio, Avalon, Thiel, Dunleavy, many others auditioned at CES and factory reference room.

beware

beware

Paragon does not exist. Sure does sound like another reputable company though... Paradigm. If you were in a hurry, you might confuse the two...

Similar Products Used:

beware

Open, Clear and dynamic

Zip

These speakers are no longer made, but if you can find a pair buy them at any cost. These speakers are just that good. They do everything right, I have not found fault in these speakers after 6 years of use.

The are also built better then most speakers on the market today that cost much more. These speakers are a classic, to bad the highend market started into a slump when these speakers came out. These are one of the best speakers built ever and sound is 1st class in all areas that you can name or imagine.

A classic

Rob

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio, B&W, Hales

Hi,
If you can find a pair of theses speakers buy them, I have never heard another speaker in its price range that sounds better. They are built beyond their price range and they sound better that 90% of the speaker you could buy for 5 grand or more.

They use dynaudio drivers and they weigh 150lbs each. I enjoy all types of music and these speakers play them all. You can find a pair used for $1500-1800 and this would be a steal. I gotta turn my sytem on, just writing about them I want to hear them!

My system: Mark Levinson 380S PreAmp, 333 Amp, Sony CDPXA7ES Cd player. CZGel interconnect with Cardas speaker wire. CinePro balanced Line AC for all power.

Phil

Yes, they are as good as all of these reviews.

However, due to space limitations during a recent move, I will consider selling if anyone is interested. They are in excellent condition and Ribbon Mahogany finish.

It's uncanny ability to draw you into the music for hours on end!
These spreakers have "planted my ass in the chair" for more hours than any of the other speakers I've owned to date!

In either listening room of mine they don't seem to excite the 30-20 Hz range in the music (audible but not physical)...But not many speaker can even get down there and still be musical like the Regents.

If you are reading these reviews for product info before a purchase, "Ignore the idiot below me with the Beware review." Yes Paragon unfortunately went out of business, but the drivers are Dynaudio and can still be obtained direct from Dynaudio with a simple phone call.

I'm not going to get long winded about these speakers. I've had the opportunity to listen to some of the best transducers on the market at home and without a doubt the Paragon Regents have put me into "An Audio Stuper" like only the most elite could do. You guys who are fanatics know what I mean! You put on a favorite disc, settle back into your listening chair, press play and start your journey into the realm of music laid out before you. So realistic in presentation that your eyes move around the stage looking at all the musicians faces as the soloist pours his heart out the bell of his trumpet, they all reach to turn the page in unison and you hear the noise of the paper lightly scraping the stands. The drummer, who is a good 20 feet back starts to lay down a sweet cymbal ride and you can tell he's using nylon tipped sticks on a Zyldjian ride cymbal. Section by section the band picks up the melody and they're off to the climax like they're hearts are going to explode. The stage is SO full of music and it just keeps getting more emotional. Your feet and hands have a mind of their own and won't stop moving, the band brings it to a head like a bottle of champagne ready to explode, Joy,Excitment,Energy,Love, every emotion about ready to burst and there is nothing you can do about! The band lays down the FATTEST most EXCITING and POWERFUL ending to a song that has ever been written and you feel the need to jump to your feet and scream to show your appreciation. All that musical energy just pumped through your veins to your head like an orgasm!!!

As you go to retrieve the CD you glance at your watch. Oh Sh*t! It's 2:30 in the morning! It's a good thing I didn't let loose with the scream or my wife would be pissed at me! This session started at 8:00 pm!!! Where the H%ll did all that time go?????

As a trumpet player very few speakers have conveyed the emotion and energy of being there in front of Louie Bellson and his band, the raw power of Manard Ferguson and Doc Severinson with their recording bands. IF these speakers can move me this deeply then they are VERY GOOD at restoring the music back to it's original form. To me it's like riding the most amazing roller coaster known to man. Extreme levels of excitement have been achieved. The Regents can take me places few others can even open the door to, and they do it at price that is WAY BELOW the next closest contender!!!!!

System 1-
Krell KRC-HR pre
Krell MDA-500 monoblocks
Krell MD-20 transport
Krell Reference 64x dac
MIT or Transparent cabling.

System 2-
BAT VK-3i
BAT VK-200
Proceed PDT mkIII transport
Krell Studio dac
AlphaCore Goertz cabling

ONE OUTSTANDING PERFORMER !

Similar Products Used:

On my 25th pair of speakers to pass through my systems because I love Music and the way different speakers present it.....Most liked so far incl. Thiel, Wilson Audio, J.M.Labs, Audio Physics, Mirage(M1si), Avalon, North Creek, Arcarian.

I have owned these speakers for two years. They are wonderful. Get them if you can. Preamp is ARC LS7. Amp is ARC VT60. Cardas 300B interconnect.

High level of coherence, taut well defined bass, articulate open mid, exceptional clear clean highs, Dyaudio drivers - need I say more!

None!

Let me just say this....I can't believe that these only ran around $4,000 new. These are better than any other speaker I have heard at twice that price! And for those worried about buying a quality, expensive high-end speaker from a company no longer in business. Don't worry! Paragon was very smart when engineering these gems. Every speaker in their line uses the same quality Dynaudio drivers as those found in Dynaudio's Contour line (Dynaudio's best) So you will have NO problems with replacing any of these quality components And you will probably never have to, based on build quality!

Now shall we talk craftsmanship? These hour-glass shaped beauties are a solid 148lbs. a piece! The build quality is that of speakers costing 3 times as much! The wood grain and craftsmanship does not get any better than these beauties. Your wife will love both the way they look! And the only thing better than the way they look is the way they sound.

The sound is just incredible! And at 91db (1w x 1m), these can be run effectively with as little as 50 watts. Very detail and clear in all ranges. Voices sounded alive, highs were very detailed and not bright, the mid-range really shines and the bass was just the way I like it; not boomy and not wimpy, just tight and detailed. What a piece of work! And to think you can get these gems for a fraction of their original price with Paragon no longer in busines, can you tell I like these yet? This is simply a magnificent full range speaker.

One last comment. I don't know where Phil got his $1,500-$1,800 range? Maybe he meant $2,500 - $2,800 when he posted his review? In my opinion, a well taken care of pair of these beauties are a steal at $2,000 (50% of new).

A pair in excellent condition is a rare find on the used market. But if you see any, don't hessitate! There are very few quality sounding speaker with this type of build quality that can be found at this price!

Value! Value! Value!

Similar Products Used:

B&W Nautilus 802s & 804s, Dynaudio Contour 3.3s, and the list goes on.....