The version two Studio 80s I bought this past weekend are the third pair of Studio 80s I have owned. The first two were from the previous line in black ash and cherry laminates, respectfully. This time I bought the new line pair in Rosenut. I have found that I prefer the sound of the Studio 80s over Paradigm's Studio 100 (old line) and Energy's C-8s, both of which I have owned and heard extensively in my own home.
The version two Studio 80s differ from the old line in a number of ways. First, they are heavier by 18lbs. Visually, they also appear to be a bit wider, but are about the same height. The driver configuration appears to be the same, but in a heavier braced cabinet carries an improved sound.

Paradigm's reproduction of sound has received plaudits from many magazine reviewers. Personally, I think the speakers are great and also quite affordable.

Finally, I cannot say enough good things about my dealer (Allstar Audio). They have been extremely patient with me, allowing full value trade-ins on the speakers I have purchased from them. The relationship has been built over six or seven years. I have always been treated more than fairly, and would recommend them to anyone considering the purchase of equipment. When I told my salesman (Allen) that I wanted to switch back to Paradigm (from Energy C-8s), he groaned but made it happen. I did not lose a dime, but I am not sure the store made any money on the switch. Hopefully, they will have better luck selling the C-8s than I did.

Five stars for Paradigm an Allstar Audio of Houston, Texas.

Very clear, natural sound. Exceptional soundstage and imaging.

A little aggressive in the high end, but that could be because of the small room they are currently in.

I am auditioning these in my home and am amazed at the sound these speakers produce. They are very clear and natural sounding. The sound stage is deep and imaging is very good. Closing your eyes and the speakers disappear and are harder to locate than the Studio 60's. The ones I have on loan now are the black ash laminate. Its not bad but kinda looks cheap. I've placed an order for the rosenut veneer.

Great speakers for the money!

smooth midrange,bang for the buck,good looks

Overall the best to my ears under 3k.Very good for music and home theater.Very smooth from top to bottom.More bass than the B&Ws,the Linns sounded great but the high end was too bright.All of these speakers are excellent and in the end it is a matter of taste.If you decide to go with Paradigm check Canadian prices.I got the 80s in real wood for $1300 tax free, they were $1800 plus tax in MI.

Similar Products Used:

B&W CDM7SE LINN 5140 studio 40, 60,100

The imaging of these speakers has an excellent high, mid and low range response.

Have not found any yet.

These are superb speakers for their price. The Studio 80 v2 are great speakers for both home theater and music. I have found that I do not need to use my subwoofer many times because these speakers can produce a very low range of sounds. Depending on what type of music one listens to, this low level may be enough that you do not need a subwoofer.
The Studio 80 v2 also provide a wide soundstage. The speakers maintain a clear sound at any level. This is especially important in the home theater environment. Since they can handle a lot of power, they do not have to work at their peak level during normal listening conditions. You will also not have to worry about blowing your speakers.
I would highly recommend these speakers to anyone looking for high end performance for music or home theater.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm Monitor 7, Paradigm Monitor 9

Very tight bass, beautiful mids, sweet highs...

Are you kidding!!!

All I can say is WOOOOOOW... These speakers are soooo awesome.... I am a type of person that goes for accurat sound, with tight bass.... I had B&W 604 S2 prior to these. I will never go back....

These speakers are as tight as the B&W's, but have a more natural sound to them... Not harsh... Female voices actually sound totally real now, as compared to before...

The soundstage is soooo sweet... Very huge and enveloping.. I seem to always get lost in the music now, while with the B&W's, i felt I was just in a room listing to speakers...

I just love these speakers more and more as each day comes.. I figure the breakin is the cause for this...

Anybody looking for a speaker that sounds soo flat, tight, sweet... These are the correct choice.... and for the value, wow....

The B&W natulise (805 and up), are the only speakers that sound the same or a little better.... But you are looking at speakers in the thousands of dollar range... They better sound better!!!

I have a small room, and these babies don't sound boomy.. Just tight, and smooth....

Way to go paradigm!!!

Similar Products Used:

B&W, Energy..

Warm, spacious sound, attractive speaker

none

These speakers are amazing!
I paid $1700 in Rosenut finish, not a great deal, but not too bad either. These speakers sound very spacious, very clear and acurate. Old CD's like AC/DC sound suprisingly good, these speakers seem to be very forgiving as well as accurate. Bass output is very tight and controled, highs are very nice. The midrange output is excellent, these speakers dont miss a beat. The dealer that I purchased these speakers from urged me to buy the 80's instead of the 100's. He claimed that my SONY 777es Receiver didnt have the power to run the 100's. He is probably right, the 80's work very well in my 20-25' room. If you are in the market for elegant speakers that sound better than they look, look no farther than Paradigm Reference. Studio ADP's and CC is on order!!

My System-

Sony 777es Receiver
Sony 333es CD Changer
Sony 53v80 RPTV
Sony 7700 DVD Player
Sony SLV91 VCR
Paradigm Reference 80's V2.0
Monster power HTS1000

Similar Products Used:

Bose AM-10

Outstanding value, sound at all frequencies, looks,(rosenut finish)

cloth grill, but no big deal

Let me start by saying a break in period is for real. I have had the speakers for about 4 months, using them 20-30 hours per week. Just recently I have noticed a significant improvement in the accuracy of the bass, and the highs have warmed up a bit as well. I have the 80's v2 coupled with the 20's v2 at the surround position and the studio reference center channel. I have the pw2200 sub and can honestly say that it is only an adavantage on certain points in movie tracks. I am using the B&K ref. 20 and the outlaw 750 amp as the processing amplification source..

How to describe the overall sound.....Excellant. This system can make anything sound good, even satelite and cable t.v. broadcasts. I cant imagine, and have not heard yet a system that will surpass this on a DVD Dolby digital source. The speakers react to anything you throw at them efficently and clearly. I have heard a few people say the midrange is bloated or muddy due to the 210mm midrange/bass driver, but I can not detect any difference in the midrange when compared with the 60's or 100's which have a 170mm driver.

Finally, a word about he place of purchase... East Hamilton Radio, located in Hamilton Ontario Canada. The price of the speakers is less than the price you will pay in the states, (by about the difference in the exchange rate). In addition the guys that work at E.H.R. have been very helpfull, friendly, and patient. One can get a little neurotic when trying to decide which speakers to buy, and I am sure I drove these guys nuts.

Finally, I must say, that in my opinion, there is no better value in speakers than those provided by Paradigm.

Similar Products Used:

Paradigm mini monitors, titans, Boston Acoustics, etc.

Everything!!!

None

Just bought these a couple days ago in Windsor, Canada at Live Wire Audio for $1589CDN or around $1,100US. I've been working in Detroit for the past few weeks and decided to run over to Canada before I can home. They're not broke in yet but they still sound better than any speakers I,ve auditioned under $3,000usd. Can't wait until they break in!

Live Wire's Web page is at www.livewireaudio.com and the sales man I dealt with was Bob Latremouille. He was great to deal with.

If your up near detroit, and wanted to buy Paradigm's it would be foolish not to go to Canada and save about 30% off the US price. Also it's tax and duty free. You get taxed with 2 taxes in Canada, but you get back one before you cross back to the states and the other you get in the form of a mail-in rebate. Live Wire gives you the forms to send in.

Great imaging,depth and detail,Excellent bottom end.

None

Replaced my 1Bs with the Reference Studio 80 v2 after auditioning the 2CE Signatures. The Paradigms leave nothing to be desired....Every time I listen, they sound better. Not sure if they're broken in yet. I suspect their superiority has a certain amount to do with my room acoustics etc.....The Vandys seemed washed out in the comparison test. Anyone spending this kind of bucks should definately do an in home evaluation. I don't think theres anything better than these speakers for the investment. I feel that in my case spending more leads the point of deminishing return. These speakers are GREAT.

Similar Products Used:

Vandersteen 1B,2CE Signature

Great Craftmanship, looks and feel like very expensive speakers. Rich and clear sound, very accurate and fast bass.

Heavy as hell. It's like moving a coffen.

I almost gave the 80 V2 a bad review during the first month, but after a 100 hours of very serious break in, it sounds totally different, this is what I do not understand when some people say it sound good right out of the box - no way!

I tried different amps, The first was the Denon TOA 5200, it was way too bright for these speakers, the second was the AVR4800, that was just OK, current I hooked it up to a Carver TFM 55X, it sounds a bit too warm but still awesome.

In conclusion, I hear lots of speakers, belive me, Hong Kong is a heaven for top end speakers. The best of the best are all represented here, and this is one of the best speakers for under US$4,000.

Similar Products Used:

Celestion, JBL, Klipsch.