cost/quality ratio

none so far

Just picked these up a week ago and, even though they're not fully broken in, they still sound a lot better than my previous speakers. For their cost ($300 at a local shop), I highly recommend them.

Similar Products Used:

n/a

clean power, good bass, excellent build quality, value

none yet

I have owned my mini monitors for almost a year and I'm still amazed every time I listen to them. For anyone out there on a budget be sure to give these a listen. Even though I paid $340 retail, they are a great deal. I listened to others around the same price range (klipsch,jbl,b+w,polk,infinity,linn) and found these to be the best value. The build quality is superb and they sound great with anything from Etta James to P.I.L. Good bass for the size. Give them a try, you won't be sorry.

Big sound from a small box!The titanium tweeter sings!

I'm kind of a "bottom dweller", need a sub!

I went speaker shopping recently. My Phase Techs were getting old, so I retired them to the bedroom. I listened to several comparably priced speakers, but nothing came close to the Mini Monitors! Matched with my velodyne CT-100 they KICK. I auditioned the speakers with some of my favorite cd's Blues Traveler, Straight on till morning, Santana, Supernatural, Larry Carolton and Lee Ritenour?, Larry and Lee. The clarity of John Poppers harp on songs like Carolina Blues, Felicia and Canadian rose were excellently reproduced on the minis. Bass on Santana's (Dave Matthews) Love of my life was tight, not boomy. All the guitar passages on Larry and Lee were down right incredible. I could'nt get my money out fast enough. When matched with my velodyne sub, these little speakers can't be beat. If your an audiofile on a budget, check out the minis.

Similar Products Used:

KEF Q-15, Klipsch 3.1, Para. titans, used Legacy studios

read my previous post

read my previous post

I'd like to add one more thing. THough it does an adequate job of reproducing classic music, it's not really suited for it. If you are listening to techno,rap,metal,jazz, and hiphop, aka pretty much everything else but classics, these things perform like you wouldn't believe.

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read my previous post

Hope this helps.

Good build etc.

Imaging is vague at times. Bass can get boomy and undefined. The tweeter can be more than harsh, especially on brass instruments.

This speakers seemed to work well with budget receivers etc. At the dealer I listened to them hooked up to a Yamaha receiver and a technics CD player and the sound was pretty good. Pretty musical anyways, but that's all. Imaging I found to be quite average,and even hooked up to an Arcam set-up it didn'tchange much.They just didn't bring the music into the room. The highs were also VERY harsh on brass instruments, making their timbres unnatural. Ear splitting at times.
Compared to the Acoustic Energy Aegis Ones at less money, the Minis didn't hold their ground so well. The AE's sounded much more timbrally correct and were also not fatigueing whatsoever. Anyone looking in the $300 range should look into the AEs and NHT Super Ones(also nice speaker).
Set up with the right equipment the Minis I'm sure can be very nice, but the AEs are speakers that can handle ANY set-up, even higher end stuff like Arcam. Plus the AEs cost less!! That's what's really amazing. They can be had for $250!!!
I'm fond of Paradigm and will probably purchase the Studio 20s, but if I were shopping for $300 speakers tomorrow the AEs would be mine. Nonetheless, the Minis ARE a good value.

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NHT. Acoustic Energy. KEF. PSB etc etc.

Nice build quality, ok imaging, good value.

Not video shielded, boooomy, bloated bass.

I came close to buying the mini-monitors. I auditioned the MM's under great listening conditions at my local a/v showroom. I brought a variety of music with me - Natalie Cole, Steely Dan, Toto, Benny Green. I thought they sounded good, but after awhile, I was getting very tired of the boominess. The rear ports were a full 18" away from the back wall, but was still a problem for me. I also felt that the titaneum tweeters were a bit harsh. Next stop, NHT dealer to listen to Superones. I was blown away.
Bass was tight, imaging great, mids were top-notch. Listening to "Mona Lisa" on Cole's 'Unforgettable' cd sold me. It was like she was *there*. The MM's would be ok if rock was your steady diet, but I felt they didn't have the finesse that the NHT's had.

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NHT Superone

Good imaging/staging, accurate presentation, musical, warm, outstanding value

Lacks ability to reproduce lower frequencies

All speakers tested were shop demos, with appropriate mfg recommended break-in. Speakers were tested in a 'budget' application in a 10x12 foot room in my home with equipment as follows:

Creek 4240SE
Denon DCM-370
Wireworld Terra III cable
Wireworld Oasis III interconnects

The minis really shine in this system and appear to offer a very nice presentation overall, especially given price. Sound is slightly forward, doesn't appear excessively bright, with nice sense of rhythm and accuracy. Against the B&W DM602 in particular, bass response of the Minis is limited, although the Minis appear imho smoother with better imaging and a more neutral balance.

Throughout my purchasing decision I never really considered the B&Ws at all as I preferred the sound of the Paradigm and Linns in my system better on the strength of overall presentation. The 602s seemed a bit 'muddy' in the midrange with jazz/classical and the CDM appeared a tad bright, although both appeared very nice on first listen. However, after an hour of so demo'ing various CDs from various music genres, the B&Ws appeared fatiguing whereas the Minis and Linns just kept sounding so much nicer.

Of all the speakers I auditioned, I preferred the sound of the Keilidhs, with the Tukans coming in a close second, and the Minis a solid third. There are so many speakers available that are far better than all the above but based on price, to my ears I preferred the Minis. Good build quality, great sound, and solid value. In the future I just might upgrade to the Keilidhs but I'm at a loss as to whether or not it's worth the extra dollars. And with the Keilidhs and Tukans being discontinued and the new Linn replacement models costing a ton more, it might be an upgrade that'll have to wait...

Note the best judge of all is yourself with the equipment you will be pairing with the speakers. Test them out yourself and be your own judge. Remember speaker testing is for the most part subjective and thus, you should be purchasing the sound you like and not what other people like. I found the sound I like in the Minis and to the next level, the Keilidhs.

P.S.

I prefer to listen to the Minis without the grills as I find the sound much more agreeable. Anyone else in the same boat?

Similar Products Used:

PSB Alpha/Stratus Mini, PSB Titan, Linn Tukan/Keilidh, B&W 601S2/602S2/CDM1NT

I previously used Klipsch kg1's as the basis of my modest audio system. When I decided to expand into home theater, I went looking for new surround speakers. After I auditioned the Paradigm Mini-Mk III's, I knew that the Klipsches would end up doing surround duty. These Paradigms were so much cleaner with excellent detail and no harsh brightness (which I had come to detest in my Klipsches).
I operate the Mini-Mk III's with my home-built 50 wpc tube amp. I am quite impressed with the clear volume levels attainable with such a modest amplifier. I later purchased a Paradigm CC-300 center channel speaker, which uses the same driver complement. The nearly seamless integration of sound effects across the three units is very satisfying (important - keep the Minis up off the floor, level with your center channel and out from the wall about 2 ft).

An excellent choice for discriminating listerners on a budget. After 14 months, I still marvel at them.

HUGE soundstage, GREAT highs, attractive dark cherry finish, look very sweet with the covers off, $, etc...

Can be a bit boomy.

As you all new the new Paradigm line just came out and last years models can be purchased at a discount. I bought these for $270 and I am very satisfied. At first I did think they sounded very bright and somewhat harsh, however after a few loud hours of "break in" time that went away. Now I have them hooked up to a Marantz 4240 in my dorm room and the combo sounds SWEET. Very warm, very detailed, and not bright. However, placement is critical because of thier ports and they DO have a tendency to be boomy. But, since I am running these for 2 channel stereo w/out a sub its not so bad. One thing I found odd was that NOONE on here mentioned they come in a cherry and dark cherry finish. I purchased the dark cherry and they look very nice. Anyway, this is my first experience with Paradigm and I must admit they are a solid value. For $270 (or even the $350 they 'retail' for) they are a very nice deal. They are the best 2 way speaker I have heard in this price range.
5 stars for value
4.5 stars for Overall

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Boston Acoustics, Acoustic Research, Klipsh

I've had my Mini MK3 speakers for about 5 months now, and couldn't be more pleased. They replaced a sub/sat system comprised of the small Boston Acoustic HD5s and a Yamaha powered (sub?)woofer (100 watt model). The sound of the Paradigms through the mid and high frequencies is far superior to that of the Boston's. However, what's most impressive about the Paradigms is the bass. I don't use the subwoofer anymore, because I can't hear much of a difference with which is not necessarily light on bass. I agree with the other reviewers who have suggested using speaker stands, and would add that in my experience location is paramount for good bass and to prevent booming mid-bass with these speakers. I noticed a significant improvement in the lower limit of the bass response after installing the speakers on solid sand-filled 24-inch stands. Lastly, any mid-bass boom was corrected by moving the speakers away from walls. For those who dream of high end mini monitors, the MK3s are a fantastic low cost alternative.