Great sound, especially when played loud

None

I've used the Paradigm Ref 100s for a year now. Used for both music and home theater. Evaluated speakers for over a year, such as B&W 804s and 9NTs, and the Vienna Acoustics Beethoven. Deciding factor are the Paradigms were cheaper and sounded just as good. 100% satisfied with the 100s. I like my music lod and these are very loud and dynamic. Even though they are large, I think they are elegant. Room is very large, 20 x 20 with a 20 foot cathedral ceiling. Rest of system is comprised of Ref 20s for the rears Sudio CC for center Rotel RMB 1095 amp Rotel RSP 985 processor REL 401 sub. Very happy with the complete system.

I find the finish and overall appearance very elegant. Also, every one of my friends and family members who have seen and heard the speakers have commented on how good they look! My sister-in law didn't realize that "Speaker companies made such beautiful speakers"! Mine are in the Rosenut finish. As far as the sound goes, I couldn't be happier unless I could afford a pair of Revel Studios or Wilson Audio Sophias. The imaging is very good, and the midrange is very dynamic clean. They have an amazing ability to open up more the higher you raise the volume. They remain clear and detailed at high spls! They have the ablilty to reach low into the depths of LFE land, but I cross them over at 60hz and let my Servo-15 do the rest.

I would prefer the binding posts be spaced out a little farther. Using Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cables and jumpers is not easy. Other than that, I have found no weakness for their price point.

Amazing performance regardless of price. I have only had them in my house for about 1 month, but I am already overwhelmed by their sound in my home. I can't imagine them getting any better after break-in, but time will tell. I did prefer the B&W speakers when it came to listening to live classical music, but for overall performance the Paradigms beat them. I watch a lot of movies and listen to a variety of music. The Paradigms did a better job with the whole lot than the B&W's. My wife couldn't believe how her Madonna cd's sounded on these speakers. I was amazed as well. I had been auditioning speakers for about 8 months before I finally decided on the Paradigms. I couldn't be happier, and neither could my wife. I auditioned equipment on my own for about 6 months, then after I had narrowed my search down my wife joined me. I favored the Paradigms over all the other speakers I auditioned, but had no idea which she would prefer. After listening to the Paradigms, B&W CDM9's, Klipsch RF-7's, Sonus Fabers, Def Techs, and a couple of others, she chose the Paradigm 100's. She didn't even think they were too big! It was a unanimous decision.

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B&W, KEF, Def Techs, M&K, Theil, Sonus, Klipsch, and many others both recently and over many years of 'window shopping'.

Everything! Treble, bass, midrange, vocals, imaging width and depth. Detail resolution, openness, harmonic accuracy, pace, rhythm, and timing. Excellent loudspeakers even at 2x or 3x the price!

Heavy, huge, better sound at higher volume level. Not a back-ground listening speaker. Use as much power as you can afford! No other weaknesses noted.

I own two pairs of the Studio/100v.2s.The very best loudspeakers I have owned by far! They take over 100 hours to break-in, but once they do, they excell in almost all areas! They easily reveal differences in associated components, interconnects, and speaker cables, because of their excellent resolving powers! Anyone who thinks that all amps, preamps, CD players, interconnects, and speaker cables sound alike, should try these speakers! These speakers have it all: Excellent image width and depth, soundstaging, top-end "air", openness, smoothness, and extension, full, open, detailed, warm, and palpable midrange, some of the best vocal articulation and naturalness I have ever heard at any price, and deep, tight, and extended bottom end. They also excell in dynamics, cleanness at high volumes, and pace, rhythm, timing, and speed. They are very transparent and have exceptional timbre and harmonic correctness. VERY HIGHLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY RECOMMENDED! IF YOU BUY THESE YOU WILL BE VERY, VERY HAPPY! PS- Can someone out there help me with speaker cable selection for these? I am currently using LAT International ss-1000d speaker cables and LAT IC-200 mk II interconnects with them. I am totally satisfied with the interconnects, but the LAT ss-1000d cables sound a little too dark, laid-back, and have a slightly rolled-off top-end that lacks a little bit of "air", openness, and extension in the top octave. Several friends have highly recommended the DH Labs Q-10 speaker cables with these. Anyone out there using DH Labs Q-10s with Studio/100v.2s? If so, give me feedback. Anyone had similar complaints with LAT/Studio/100v.2 combination? Any cable suggestions, ideas, and feedback would be greatly appreciated. Send to Lannydalton@aol.com My system consists of: Carver A-760x 380w/ch. power amp Carver CT-24 preamp Sony ES CD changer Pioneer Elite DV-47a dvd/dvd audio/sacd player TDS harmonic recovery unit LAT interconnects and speaker cables HSU Research 12va powered sub. set at 91hz. Paradigm Reference Studio/100v.2 speakers

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Many high dollar Infinitys, Sound dynamics, Polk Audio, Acoustic Research, JBL HL-S series, Energy C-2, etc. Most all of these are not even in the same leauge as the Paradigms!

The image stability (beats all I have heard), soundstage, clarity, depth, speed, bass, crystal highs that don''t hurt your ears, mids that make your neck hairs stand on end. Simply beautiful music machines (coupled with my McIntosh separates - the best combo ever IMO). My desire to search for better has vanished. I am proud to say that I now feel satisfied with what I have.

The cabinet is definately not B&W quality but for the price you cannot complain. Their shape is also boring.

These speakers are simply amazing. I am floored by how well they do EVERYTHING! I am quite the critic when it comes to music but these are without real faults. I got a healthy raise and decided to trade in my B&W N804s for something new (and better). I had set a budget limit of $6500 and so listened to all kinds even more expensive ones like Wilson Sophias (bright and thin - a disappointment at $12k) and Revel Salons (too big and bulky for a teeny performance edge over $5k competition). I hate to say it but the law of diminishing returns applies to speakers as well as everything else. What the Paradigm Reference 100s are giving me is a 15 star value rating out of 5. McIntosh speakers did not sound this good/warm. Vandersteen had most of the warmth but not the oomph. Energy Veritas was excellent.

Similar Products Used:

M&K S125, Energy Veritas 2.3, jm lab cobalt, wilson sophias, B&W N804 and N802, Vandersteens, McIntosh LS360

Consistent tonal balance across the frequency spectrum. Clean, detailed, and revealing midrange with very natural rendition of the human voice. Great dynamic capability; will play LOUD without evidence of compression or strain. Least resonant cabinets I''ve encountered under $10K. Lots of slam yet capable of handling subtle and nuanced instrumental playing.

Pinpoint imaging is not this speaker''s strong point. Needs ample power to match its dynamic capability. Break-in time of at least 250-300 hours. Can be a bit lifeless at low SPLs; not the best choice if you do lots of "background" listening.

Bought the 100 V2 for my HT setup and have been extremely pleased overall. As is generally known, the break-in time on the drivers is quite long. Mine continued to improve for about 300 hours. The two things that impressed me most in early listening were naturalness of human voice reproduction--unusual in a speaker at this price point--and incredible dynamic capability. This is a speaker that wants to sing out loud, and plenty of power is needed to enable it to do so. In fact, played quietly it goes a bit soft and dull and flat. Give it some oats and it will reward you with a presentation that remains detailed and clear at very high SPLs. Transient response is excellent; gunshots will never sound mushy, for those of you into such things. The soundfield is deep and wide, if not especially high, and music rarely gets stuck on the speakers. Sweet spot is exceptionally large, especially if the cabinets are well away from boundaries and toed in a little. Imaging, on the other hand, is only average for a speaker of this price. If you need to be able to shine your laser pointer into the eyes of the second viola, you''re probably going to be disappointed. Mechanically speaking, this is the best constructed and least resonate speaker cabinet I''ve encountered at anything like the price. The spikes/feet are cheesy, though, and should be upgraded by Paradigm. The appearance is boxy for those bothered by such things, and can''t be improved by removal of the grills because (as noted by Paradigm) they definitely sound better present than absent. I can''t imagine a better HT speaker than the Studio 100 V2. It is clearly superior to the usual competitors (Polk, Klipsch, NHT, Def Tech) and can go head to head with products in the 5-10K range. For many listeners, the 100 will also be an extremely satisfying 2-channel speaker, as well. Highly recommended!

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For HT: NHT, Def Tech, Hales, Vandersteen, Gallo, B&W For 2Ch: Sonus Faber, JMLabs, Harbeth, Dunlavy

Clean, crisp highs with no hint of strain or harshness at high volume. Big sound stage, enveloping sound.

None in it''''s price range.

Clean, crisp highs with no harsh high end. Big sound stage, enveloping sound. Effortless sound at high volume with the right amps.

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Infinity Overture 3

Versatility, price/performance, My wife even likes ''em! Adroit at music and HT

Binding posts are oversized (3/8") making it difficult to find spade lugs that fit. Sounds a little harsh with grille removed.

Last year I bought a pair of Studio 60''s. This year I traded them up for the Studio 100. I started out with the intention of adding a subwoofer, center, and surround speakers to the 60''s. After listening to the 100''s, and music being my number one priority, I decided to forego the sub and go with the Studio 100. The Studio 100''s have the same warm sound of the 60''s in the treble and midrange, but add a significant punch to bass notes. When playing stereo sources I noticed a significant improvement in the depth of the soundstage. Imaging may be a little weaker than the 60''s. Instruments and vocals do not seem to hold there position in space as well as with the 60''s. The projection of the sound stage is so much wider and 3 dimensional than with the 60''s that I sometimes catch myself looking to see if the surround speakers are on. One of the first things to be noticed is the the size of the sound stage projected by these speakers. Close your eyes and they seem to disappear. It''s difficult to find the source of the music with closed eyes. Using a reference CD designed for car audio subwoofer competitions and an SPL meter, I confirmed that they are flat from 200hz to 26hz. The SPL continues to record levels down to around 20hz with a 3 to 4 db drop in pressure. There is also a slight SPL drop at 60 and again at 40 hz. This could be due to environmental conditions in my listening space. As with the Studio 60''s, these speakers exhibit terrific versatility in accurately reproducing every source I''ve thrown at them. I listen to a wide variety of music from classical guitar and piano to heavy metal. These speakers reproduce the soft subtleties of classical guitar and the pounding of kettle drums with equal dexterity. Something that other speakers in this price range, B & W for instance, were unable to do. I was looking for speakers primarily for music reproduction, but I have these incorporated into my home theater system so I also needed speakers that could be timbrelly matched all around. These blend seamlessly with the Studio CC center and Studio ADP surround speakers for terrific surround sound. If you''re looking for speakers that can do just about everything and sound good doing it, these should not be overlooked. I would put them up against any speaker in the $5000.00 price range. Oh yeah, Be sure to biwire. I recommend MIT Terminator 2 or 4

Similar Products Used:

Studio 60, B & W 801 & 603, AR10, Boston, Infinity

Great versatility, plays everything from soft instrumental solos to Stevie Ray Vaughn with near perfect accurracy. Price

Binding posts are over sized (3/8") Finding spades to fit is difficult. I like looking at the speaker with the grill off, however, the treble can be a tad harsh without the grill.

I went to the audio store to pick up a Sub to go with my Studio 60''s and ended up trading up to the 100''s. At the same time I added the Studio CC and ADP surrounds. I don''t think I''ll be needing a sub for a while. I was always pleased with the musicality of the Studio 60''s but felt that they needed a little help in the low bass. My SPL shows these driving down to around 22 without much loss in sound levels. They are fairly flat except for about a 3 db drop around 60 hz and again at about 40 hz. I''m driving these with 140 watt Marantz receiver that seems to do just fine, although after reading some of the reviews here I would love to hear them with about 250 clean watts. I''m using the same MIT Terminator 2 bi-wire''s used on the 60''s so I don''t know how they might sound with other wire. If the improvement over single wires is as dramatic as it was with the 60''s then I wouldn''t do any other way. So much for history, you wanna know how they sound. In a word, SWEET! Read my earlier review on the Studio 60''s, add about 40% to what I said there and you''ll have some idea of what I think about these. I''m amazed that a speaker in this price range can sound so good. I recently listened to a pair of B & W 801''s at $11,000.00 a pair. These 100''s were very close to them in treble and midrange. Personally, I preferred the warmer sound of the 100''s over the 801''s. The 801''s have a slightly better bass response when played at equal volume with the 100. I don''t think the difference is worth $9000.00 though.

Similar Products Used:

Studio 60, Boston, B & W 603, AR 10, Infinity

Excellent sound throughout whole audio range, imaging, durable build, versatile.

Bass seems to need significant power.

First I want to point and thank folks for all of the reviews and expertise posted on this site. It is a great community. I recently upgraded both my receiver and front speakers choosing the Paradigm Studio 100’s. I auditioned other speakers, but kept coming back to the Paradigm, in part because of the reviews here, and in part because of the price point.. I am not disappointed one bit, but I do have some words of caution for those interested in these speakers. These speakers are awesome. Vocals are clear and resonate. Michael Stipe of REM has never sounded this good in my house. The highs are crisp and clean, and I’m hearing things in both the high and mid range that I have never experienced. I especially enjoy acoustic guitar and piano sounds – smooth and velvety, amazing reproduction. The imaging is nice, but often I hear less imaging than others, and I just figure it is my ears. Imaging could also be due to speaker placement – I have a good arrangement, but not great because my listening room, furniture, and spousal variable all combine to prevent placement testing. It is one setting or no speakers, and it is not a dedicated listening room. Life is full of trade-offs and I still get to have sex with my wife… anyway, you get the point. Now for the bass. Many reviewers noted that these speakers require more than the usual power, especially to push the bass, and after 5 weeks I have to agree. I have tried running these speakers without my sub, and the bass lines sound wonderful and punch nicely, but only when I really have the volume turned up. At normal listening levels, I have to have my sub involved. To me, and I am NOT a sound engineer, this adds up to higher power requirements if you plan to use these speakers without a sub. To test my theory, I plan to revisit my dealer and ask them to fire up the 100’s with 2-channel 200 to 300 WPC amplifier. If you are considering these speakers, I recommend that you do something similar. In a Home Theater setting, these speakers perform great as well. I found my 450 center used on this site, and I have not been disappointed with the whole set up. The 100’s are very versatile, and matched with the 450 center create a wonderful DVD movie experience. The cinema stage, dialog, and sound pans in all directions are exceptional, especially in DTS mode a la The Gladiator. So, would I d

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None used, many auditioned. Replaced Atlantic Technology 250 series from early 1990''''s.

Big sound stage, high energy level, very sweet for a big box.

Can be a bit sloppy with a sound placement. Instruments tend to drift a bit, or get caught right at the speaker''s front baffle. I am waiting to see if some break in cleans this up, or if I need to play more with the placement.

Got the system not just the 100''s. Great for home theater, better for 2CH music. Been messing around for about 6 months on how to replace the home theater speakers. One problem that comes up around HT is the need to buy 5-7 speakers at a shot. I was very interested in the BW 803''s and did not mind the 5k list so much as the additional 3-5k to round out the system. Someone has got to make the point that at center channel does not have to cost 2k simply because the main 2CH speakers list for 5. I went ref all around, CC amd 40''s rounded out the system, and I cannot say enough good things about the whole setup. However its the 100''s that you want to get your hands on. A few thoughts on what I have found so far. The speakers do need to break in. No questions asked, however some have given the impression that you cannot even give them a listen til you have a couple 100 hour on them. Not true. I additioned a pair with a good amount of time on them, and yes the soundstage was bigger, the bass a little better laid out. But outta the box, the speakers are not a disapointment. Overal they have great tone, exceptional bass... very tight not sloppy, and a huge soundstage. 2Ch music is outstanding. If you have to settle, get the 100''s and worry about the rest of the system later. I would suggest the atoms if you are on a budget. 5.1 was a bit of a surprise as well. I have always used small, bookshelf speakers as the surrounds. This presented a great soundstage in the rear but to be honest, it was almost like you could turn around and listen to the rear ch as a seperate show. With the paradigm system I am getting much better integration with all ch''s. The center are rear are there but they do not call attention to themselves. I would like to suggest that Paradigm is doing exactly what the enitre industry should be doing. They are offering many options at a number of price points with exceptional value and quality. Am I going to sell my 2ch ref system? Of course not, but I finally have an option of what where and how to listen to a large selection of material. That is what I really wanted from HT in the first place..... Don''t make me run for the hills if I want to listen to some music. Now the only questions is the servo 15. To add the sub or not.....

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm LCR''s. Alon1 mkII. audition of BW 803''s and Dynaco''s.