Clarity, build quality, price.

If you desire thunderous base, plan on adding a sub.

This review is for the Legend v.3 Excellent speakers. I auditioned dozens of speakers over the past year looking for the perfect pair -- I found them. The new legends are clear and accurate from top to bottom. There is not another speaker that will outperform the Lengend v.3 at this price. The detail given to the construction shows the desire of Paradigm to create a great speaker. The grills are even designed to create a "round" cabinet for better sound.

Similar Products Used:

Polk audio (many), Paradigm Mon. 7's, Paradigm Phantoms

Price for performance. Great sounding loudspeaker.

High frequencies are a tiny bit bright.

I spent a lot of time listening to speakers to replace my TimeWindow 1A’s and came across the Legends. I listened to several pieces (rock) with both male and female signers. These speakers sound great. The female voice did not sound “nosey” at all. The high frequencies were very well defined and a bit (just a bit) bright. The bass is powerful (I don’t think a subwoofer would be needed in most applications). The overall tonality of the loudspeaker is quite consistent. I did not hear any over emphasis in any of the music I sampled. The stereo image is very well defined and does not waver at all. The dynamic range of the Legends simply blew my mind. This is very interesting considering these speakers were “just out of the box”. The cabinets are very well constructed. The finish (mine are black) is excellent. I thumped and thumped on these things and they are just dead. The only thing that is a little problematic is these speakers are tall and narrow. They like to tip a bit. Paradigm includes carpet spikes with the speakers to remedy this. I have not put the spikes on yet but they should straighten things out. Another point is these Legends sound just as good here at home as they did in the demo room. With more break in they will just get better. What really got me is the price for the performance. My bang for the buck needle is pegged to “max bang". There are better loudspeakers out there (no doubt), but I’d suggest listening to these loudspeakers before buying.

Similar Products Used:

DCM TimeWindow 1A

Great highs and mids. Detail Detail Detail, you'll be able to hear instruments you never knew were there on discs you've been listening to for years. Excellent dispersion. The sound fills the room. Weighty, simplistic, beutiful cabnitry.

Not a one.

This Review is for the unpowered Legend V.3 Awsome clarity and detail at an outstanding price. I love keeping my money in Canada. I would have paid twice as much for these speakers and they would still sound better than comparable loudspeakers. I would give this product a 7 out of 5 for value if I could. Recomended for anyone who is looking for audiophile sound at casual listner price. Sonic bliss.

Similar Products Used:

Mission Energy Boston acoustics

Incredibly tight but full sound. Very good and accurate reproduction of sound. Smaller floor area helps for oddly shaped rooms.

None that I have found yet.

I was looking for a set of tower speakers and potentially a sub (plus a new reciever) to replace a dying Kenwood unit. Understand that I expect high quality regardless of the price and was willing to spend extra for the right sound.

I looked on the web for basic reviews of tower and surround models targeting the $500-1000 range. (Goal was around 1200-1300 for reciever and set of mains.) Basic search led me to the ones above for testing.

I used 5 CD's to test the dynamics of each (Metallica-S&M, Strapping Young Lad-City, Harry Connick Jr.-She, Brian Setzer Orchestra-Dirty Boogie, and Ottmar Liebert) and I wanted to get a set that can crank out heavier, extreme styles of music and still have a very balanced sound stage for classical and jazz.

The Legend was the first to test and nothing could compare after. They literally let you feel the music (not because of unnecessary bass). Listening to the Metallica live CD, the accompanying SF symphony had a feel that you were actually in the room where they were playing. Actually, it played all of the extreme music as well as the jazz and classical CD's superbly.


After getting them in the house, I rented The Matrix and was smiling the whole time. Simply increduble speakers. All of the shoot-em' up scenes with the bullets blasting the buildings shook the house, but you were able to hear the crisp tinging sound of the shell casings hitting the ground. Awesome.

The Energy's sounded a little too bright for my tastes. Bostons sounded flat, the JBL and Cambridge sounded the same, the Bose sound bad with heavy music (surrounds really miss the midrange frequencies with dynamic rock). Surprisingly, the Infinity RS-5 with a separate sub sound pretty good, but the plastic grill looked cheap and only come in that same ol' black. (I got my Legends in light cherry to come close to matching my oak family room.) I'd consider that if I couldn't afford the Legends, but they still didn't come close.

Like on of the reviewers said in an earlier post, I'm looking forward to LISTENING to music for a long time. Would buy again in a heart beat.

Similar Products Used:

Tested Energy, Boston Acoustics, Infinity, JBL, Bose, Cambridge SoundWorks

SUPURB SOUNDS> the built in subs work wonderful for the LFE channel

no removeable grill covers

I WOULD BUY THESE AGAIN AND AGAIN

Great highs, good midrange, and fantastic bass.

None so far.

I was planning on going to a local retailer to listen to several different speakers in the price-range of $1,500 and less, but when I found the bargain of the Legends for $525 at Axiom Audio Theater, I had to pounce on it. I never did get to hear the Boston Acoustics VR975's in person due to this. However, I've heard that they are not as good as the Legends, and even if they are as good or slightly better, I cannot justify the average price of $1,275 considering that you can get the Legends for $900.

Now, as for the sound quality. I've never heard better. I've listened to Infinity, Bose, Boston Acoustics, all earlier models a few years back, but still fairly recent, and they can't compare. The Legends have a remarkably low price for what they are. The built-in subs have deep, and I mean really deep bass. Also, they work very well with my receiver even though it is low power in that it delivers 60watts max to each front channel. Realistically, you wouldn't want it any louder. I've turned the sound up almost completely, and it's too much. The Legends never waver though. My ears do, but they don't. The sound is just as crisp and clear at high volumes as it is at low. I've heard people describe hearing things in music that they've never heard before, and I can attest to that. I've listend to an Enya CD several times over the years, but when listening on the Legends I noticed a whole melody play out at the end of the first song that I'd never noticed before. It was almost as if it hadn't existed. I checked again to see if I was just imagining things, and sure enough, it was there. Again, I'd never before heard this, and I'd listened to it on several different stereos using several different types of speakers. Granted, this is a somewhat extreme case, but in other instances, there are subtler accounts. I'll hear strings of harps vibrating after they've been plucked, bells ringing after the fact, and so on. Things that were there, but never truly heard or noticed before. The Legends are truly amazing.

I must mention one other thing. Movies will never be the same again with the Legends. You hear everything in the movie, and I do mean everything. It's awesome. I'd just sit and listen to them all day long if I had the time. They truly are the greatest speakers I've ever heard. I'd recommend the Legends to anyone that is on a budget, but wants superb sound quality for both home theater and music listening. I doubt that you'll be able to find a comparable product in the same price range.

One last thing, I think that my favorite aspect of the Legends are the built-in subs. I've heard stand-alone subs that have less bass. These things can truly rock the house and then some. If you need deeper bass than they can deliver, then perhaps you should go to Africa and live with the elephants.

Similar Products Used:

Boston Acoustics VR975

beautiful full range, powerful bass

none

I have had a pair of these beauties for 6 months now, and they are nothing short of the best speakers I've ever owned, I'd buy another pair in a second. You're best off finding a dealer and listening to them for yourself. I listened to these up agains all of Paradigm's Monitor series speakers, and there really is no comparison, the performance Legend comes out way ahead.

Absolutely don't need an extra sub with these - it's like having two 10" subs built right in. I don't even dare turn the spearkers up full blast cause the door and lights start to violently vibrate.

If you're willing to spring for the $1000 price tag (compared to $800 for the top Monitor speaker) then it's a top choice.

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega, Paradigm Monitor

Excellent speakers. The sound is amazing. Everything is so clean and cripst. The base is tight and low. The mids and highs are extremely warm and clear.

Sometimes the base is a little too much. The mids and highs don't quite pull the volume levels like the lower end, but still sound good.

The Bostons seemed a little hazzy in the mids and highs. The Paradigm were silent and reproduced the sound much better. Overall, extremely pleased with this purchase. Can't beat it for the price and the sound is excellent. Music is nice and Movies thunder. Using a Paradigm 170 for the center and will be getting a pair of Titans for the rears.
If you don't have a lot of room and an even smaller budget, these speakers will surprise you. (Using a Denon avr2800 reciever.)

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Auditioned them against a similar pair of Boston Acoustics.

Great Solution for main/sub in a box

low profile tweeter

Although I listed the low tweet as a weekness - many would feel this is not an issue . After opening the back to fix a loose/unconnected wire , I realized why the Mid is located on top - More box volume for the Sub . This is not a new idea , placing the tweeter on top would force Paradigm to make a taller box . I was impressed with the overall loading of the interior and port design . The amp is well done and may be removed for service without removing the entire back .
I don't mean to get anyone curious about opening their speakers , but I was forced to go in because of the unattached wire . My dealer/friend mentioned that he'd seen this before . After the fix , and about 2 weeks of nightly pounding from many DVDs , I'm really supprised about how well these perform . I may need a bit more break in time , but the rumors from many local home audio installers are true , these are Great Speakers .
You expect much less for this amount of money and the Legends are really worth the money !! Can't say that about many things these days . Less for more is the norm - these are More for Less !!!
I use a CC 350 for the center (also recommended by my dealer/friend)
I work for Pro Audio People and don't care to talk about sound field/staging/imaging and other fluff . You can have that stuff blown up your ears elsewhere .

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Custom made Shunted Transmission Line 6/2 and 8/3

Well balanced sound for Home Theatre. Built in Sub-woofer.

Q.C. Had a problem with the first pair...

After much research and listening, I decided on the Legends as part of a full Paradigm speaker package. The primary purpose of these speakers is the mains in my HT setup but they are also used for general music listening. The built in sub woofer is a bonus because I do not have much room for a separate sub. These speakers sound great right out of the box, but after a fews days breakin period the sound quality improves significantly.

What an incredible sound !!! The bass is solid, the mids are sweet, and the highs are crisp without being harsh.
I have them connected to a Yamaha RXV596. This amp matches very well with these speakers.
I also listened to the Energy XL26 and the PSB Image RT4. Both of these products are very good but they require a separate sub to produce the low end of the bass spectrum and this increases the total cost well beyond the price of the Legends. ($900.00 cdn)

My humble system:
Amp - Yamaha RXV596
Mains - Paradigm Legends
Centre - Paradigm CC170
Surround - Paradigm Atom
DVD/CD - Toshiba SD1600

In my opinion, the Legends are the BEST value at this price point.

Only one minor problem... The first pair I brought home had a rattle in the right sub-woofer. I returned the unit and it was replaced immediately with a unit that works perfectly. Even with this problem, I still have to give them 5 stars on both accounts...

Similar Products Used:

Energy, PSB