Im a very poor college student that got lucky. My cousin didnt have space for these and GAVE them to me.. Brand new in box! I currently have them hooked to a sony (sigh*) STR-DG510 receiver. I dont have anything to compare it to since my last pair of speakers were BOSE 141s... I have heard my cousin's Legacy Whispers once but i didnt pay close attention to details like i do now. At first i was only slightly impressed with them. I had single wires hooked up to them and they sounded clean... sometimes the bass would become a bit boomy. After advising the owners book and read its suggestion on "Bi-Wiring" i gave it a try. WOW the speakers really came to life! i currently have a 2.1 setup and music really fills the front "stage". The best qualities of this speaker could be heard at moderately loud volumes. Too low and it lacks a little detail, going louder sounds fine but i have sensitive ears.. haha. I really need to borrow someone's higher end receiver to see if the sound improves... wouldn't say listening to them sounds like hearing a stereo, it's more like ALMOST hearing a live performance. Close your eyes and you can easily get lost in many songs. Watching movies is even distracting because the sound is too good for the picture! I think the speaker lacks a little midrange since voices seem to be the background in the music. The instruments are very apparent and detailed, i think it handles songs with lots of instruments VERY well but once you get down to the nitty gritty like Jazz, it lacks some "depth" needed to reproduce the sounds of a bass and other gutsy instruments. overall i rate them 7.5/10. VERY close to perfection, could probably get there with upgraded equipment and wiring. needless to say, these speakers have gotten me to the entrance of the AudioPhile life and i am running through the door

I just picked up a pair of these and the ATOMS and a kenwood Receiver for a AMAZING PRICE OF $125 USD!!!!

Never heard a speaker that came alive so much on a not so great amp! the receiver has the power but doesnt like to accept 12awg so its a little tricky! the bi amp is AMAZING for something so old! best buy for sure

great mid
great bass FOR ITS SIZE
great amazing awsome sweeet warm highs!!!

=] if you see a dumby on craigs list selling these for the LOW....buy them now!

Very sweet mid with just the right amount of hype to the sound. Can increase the bass by the right placement. excellent looking...I also love the 6 ohm..pulls alittle more from my amp...

Just a tad weak on some heavy bass songs. But never being brittle makes up for it.

I was looking for a nice tight speaker for low level listening enjoyment. I had a rebuilt set of Ohm model L's and a nice modern set of JBL Riva's in the fold..After 1 week with the Paradigms the JBL's went to the TV room, and the OHM's were sold. The Paradigms have a sweet midrange and a wide soundscape that just pulls you into the music. They really made me upgrade my Pre amp & power amp models. I play Jazz fusion music with loud horns & Keys, and these speakers really hold onto the notes very close to a studio monitor, but not at flat in the EQ.
I am very happy with them in my stereo room, and will use them for years to come.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

JBL,OHM, ESS, & KRK.

midrange fullness tight bass (with new insulation) high-end crispness

Not real full in the bass - add a passive sub, really great...

Was looking at Paradigms for awhile, also bought a pair of atoms (great value / look at v2.0 - bought for $135 on-line new). Broke down and bought a pair of 5SE's on e-bay. Bit disapointed at first, tear out the bs batt insulation and go to a local fabric store and get 1" tight, dense, fiber insulation. Place on all 5 sides, leaving the front open. The speaker comes alive, what a difference..... Much tighter and better mid response, I think what they had planned.... No comparison.... Night and day. I was looking at the mini-monitors, don't buy. Finally heard recently, lacks everything a speaker of this cost should sound?? Do yourself a favor and buy an older used pair, or even go with the atoms with a passive sub, much better sound....

Similar Products Used:

paradigm atoms, b&w 605, klh satelites with sub, klipsch rf-2's, custom monitors, and home-made 3-way frankenstein speakers.

Decent imaging for inexpensive speaker, good bass

lumpy bass, box boom at mid bass

I have had these speakers for over 5 years and jusy recently sold them. I am going back to B&W for my next set of speakers, but for the money I spent ($500 Canadian) the Paradigms 5s were a great little speaker. I had it teamed up with Rotel Preamp- Amp combinations that definately showed what the speaker could do. The 8 inch driver produces one low end bass for such a small driver. I did notice some box resonance in the mid bass range which made me think the box needs some bracing. The bass can be at times a little lumpy though. In most cases the speaker was closer to neutral than the higher models. The tweeter was smooth and somewhat silky, but not very pronounced. Having listened to B&W 805 Matrix/ 804 Matrix, the high end of the Paradigm needs improvement. Probably why the new Monitor series has a metal dome tweeter now. The speakers can take good current as I had loud passages on CDs giving quite a kick. The imaging of the speaker is impressive when the speakers are placed properly in a large room. I heard sounds coming from way beyond left past the speakers boundary. Depth isn't bad, but still not as good as the Matrix B&Ws. For a starter mid sized speaker these Paradigms are good for the money.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 201s

Great all around speaker for the money..

None

I have had these speakers for about 3 years now. I recently just upgraded to a Yamaha 595 receiver and I can't believe the sound quality I have been missing. I don't see where people can fault anything that comes from Paradigm. These speakers I would purchase again and I would run them up against anything in their price range.

Detail, smoothness, flat response

Almost two neutral

I have had my 5se's for 5 years now and I believe they are one heck of a speaker. I really don't know why the guy a couple of reviews below rated them like he did. I really think he must of blown the driver. They are very flat and neutral. They have great imaging. My only complaint is that they are to neutral. I would love to have the new Monitor series, I believe the new tweeter is an improvement. I believe I paid $450 for these nice sounding speakers and it was well worth it!

inexpensive (CHEAP?) good sound and able to handle long loud play.

Not much depth, or deep bass.

Obvioiusly the above the listed speakers are not at all similar but they are all speakers i have owned or auditioned. The Se5's are a good introductory apeaker and worked really well in HT with a powered sub. Musically they are are fair to good. good highs and mid range but lack deep bass. Again they are very inexpeensive. I paid about $350.00 for mine.

Similar Products Used:

Bose 301, Paradigm atom, Polkaudio RT200p, B&W CDM7 SE, Monitor Audio Silver 7, Infinity Rennaisance 90.

As an entry level speaker, the Paradigm se5mk3 is impressive. Definitely a good bang for the buck, this two-driver bass-reflex speaker has a very full sound, especially good for reproducing those low, rumbling sounds. I am running them with the Denon AVR 600 receiver, which for my tastes is a little underpowered for the speakers, but it handles them at fairly loud volumes with no difficulty.

Outstanding sound for the money.

None that I can think of.

I've had these speakers for about 7 years now and still love them. They still deliver that sweet sound with deep low's many sub woofers cannot achieve. I prefer the two way design because my hearing is very sensitive to strong midrange frequency's and these speakers cater nicely to my musical needs. I'm using them with a Yamaha RX-V850 receiver, CD changer, & cassette deck. The sub frequency's are handled by a Definitive Technology PF15TL powered sub. All in all it's a great music/home theater setup. The only regret I have is that I should have gone with the 9seMkIII's and gotten the second 8" woofer, plus the 9's are taller and deeper. I'll keep the 5semkIII's for many years to come and would highly recommend them to anyone. They sound beautifully acurate at low and mid volumes and are able to easily achieve uncomfortably loud volumes if asked to do so. I personally feel that all things considered, value, size, performance, how much square footage they take up, etc. these speakers can't be beat. Paradigm has a great product.

Similar Products Used:

JBL LX55, Infinity SM122