From Santana to Pergolesi's Stabat Mater through Holi Cole:
WONDERFULL!!!

Just got these speakers for 950$(NEW). Well Im still waiting for them to properly break in but I can tell just from listening that these are great speakers.These speakers sound a little boomy in my small Manhattan living room so I had some serious adjusting and speaker placement to do. The Mids and Highs sound great!! The bass is tight and it can produce very low frequencies. I dont know how long it takes for break in but I can say that Im very happy with the sound clarity already. They are very heavy speakers and they look beautiful(dark cherry finish). Its amazing how inexpencive these speakers realy are! These speakers are intended for large living space and they should be placed far apart from each other. Unfortunatly they sounded better at the store in which I auditioned them considering the fact that the space was allot bigger with hardwooden floors, unlike the carpeted apartment I have. I am very satisfied with the sound Im hearing from them and I hope they will sound better in the futer. They are very dynamic speakers with a smooth clean high and a natural clean Mid sound to them followed by a tight clean bass. I couldnt ask for more at this price I got for these babies and it would be a crime giving them anything under 5 stars. Ive heard almost every speaker out there for the past 2 years and I have not yet heard any speaker under 2000$ that will outperform the studio 80. The only speaker that I would argue on comparison with the studio 80's are the B&W CDM7SE which in my opinion are just as good a speaker. I will post another update to these speakers after they break in plus I also intend in getting better quality cables than the cheapest monster cables im using curently.
Aragon 8008BB
Sony TAE9000ES
Sony XA7ES
Paradigm Studio80

I am posting this review for all the inquires I’ve received on my studio 80' and the price in which I got it for. I got these speakers at a great price because the store was making room for the new Studio 80' version II and It was giving out the old 80's for 900$-950$. They do not have any more in stock. My speakers are well broken in and I must say they are one of the best speakers on this planet. I dare to say that you can compare these speakers with other speakers going for over 5000$. I’ve heard at lease 40 different speakers from different manufactures all respectable manufactures including the expensive ones from B&W, JM Lab, PSB, Hales Revelation III, Martin Logan, Magnaplaners,...you name it... I spent over a year in searching for the right speaker at the right price and the Paradigm 80's wins with reserve. It can blow away other speakers costing 10 times more and I mean it! Don’t get me wrong there are other speakers that sound excellent but you will have to pay some serious cash for them and the Paradigm is the speaker which can give you there qualities for a fraction of the price. I must say that these speakers take some time to break in, and I was a little worried at start when I just hooked them. Today with D.H Lab cables and proper placement I couldn’t be happier. The bass is powerful enough to make you think twice before buying a Sub and it also has that tight punchy detail we all love with a clean low frequency going down to SUB area. The Mids are one of the best I’ve heard reminding me of B&W speakers. Clarity, warmth and Uncolored music. The highs are not the smoothest, silkiest I’ve ever heard but I guarantee they will put a smile on your face. They are very smooth and sweat providing much detail and AIR; they blend in wonderful with the rest of the music. They are never edgy or bright sounding, and it can also depend on the rest of your system to get the very best out of these speakers. These speakers are true monsters and can play very loud without distortion, they look beautiful and they are very heavy indeed. Anyone who is looking for a good pair of speakers in the 2000-3000 range would be crazy not to audition these speakers. I have some pictures of mine at http://www.brainlink.com/~trance (will not last long) if anyone is interested to see the rosewood speakers. By the way I sold my Sunfire Sub and I am happy for now without a SUB.

Imaging, bass, treble, timbre...you name it.

None

These speakers should cost $3-4 thousand/pair. They are that good. A local hi fi shop owner had in a $5k pair Veritas in for evaluation and they were less pleasing and spectacular than the Studio 80s.

Buy these and you will keep them at least 10 years before you even have an inkling about getting better sound.

Awesome imaging, bass, treble and realism.

Similar Products Used:

KEF, Energy Veritas, B&W (two different series), Klipsch, Avalon, Aerial Acoustics, Definitive Technology

my system comprises of:Preamp: conrad-johnson PFR
Poweramps: conrad-johnson MF2300, and MF2100
CD Player: Arcam Alpha 8
Speakers: Paradigm Studio 80 (reference series)
Speaker cable: Nordost Super Flat-Line Gold MKII (bi-wire cable)
Interconnects: Nordost Blue Heaven (silver cable)

First of all these are reference speakers, and reference speakers are of such standard that they require a considerable time for "break-in period." Right out of the box the Studio 80s sound as good, however they just pop into place all of a sudden when borken in for a period of 4 to 6 months. I purchased this pair in July 1998 and just this February 99 they reached peak performance. You have to be "extremely patient" with reference speakers, once they reach optimal efficiency the performance takes you to another level. In order to do this you have to throw all sorts of music at the speaker including some FM broadcasts or burn-in test CDs. After sometime you will notice the Studio 80s ability to reproduce depth with very minimal volume levels, this is when the speaker is breaking in. Therefore, break in is achieved only when the depth and all other sonic attributes of the speaker is highly audible at the lowest volumes. The volume level required during the earlier period of break in, should be higher when compared to the volume level after the break in period. In other words as time passes by, the Studio 80s don't require much volume to reproduce optimally. However, they do need a certain amount of power for optimum efficiency, and high definition cables. (The Nordost Flat-line, amongst the most "transparent cable" category, matches well with the Studio 80s, similarly they require a break in period of 72 hours). In this regard we are looking for voltage and current drive, not particularly wattage. There are numerous manufacturers who claim to produce powerful amps, but if measured with several accurate electronic devices, these amps do not produce adequate current and voltage figures, as a result they fall short of the "reference standard." The Studio 80s are speakers meant for large listening rooms or halls. They are not for average sized rooms, in that case the studio 60s would be preferred. You may have the best speakers and electronics in the world! But if you don't acquire proper room acoustics, you are not even half way there! The Studio 80s perform well in rooms measuring width=30ft, length=50ft, height=35ft at least for optimal efficiency. However, in the hall they are placed in right now, takes the Studio 80s to a higher level. Measurements are: width=40ft, length=60ft, height=45ft respectively. Furnishings play a "very important" role for any reference standard system. Walls right around are not too good because of excessive resonances. Curtains of the right weight must be used together with walls or heavy glass. Also, the listening area must not be entirely closed. Towards the back of the side walls and far rear, there should be some sort of glass doors that could be opened in order to filter any remaining resonances. To understand resonances you have to know your listening room as good as you know yourself, if not learn it! Every speaker resonates, including a live performance, therefore the resonance factor cannot be eliminated, but could be minimized. The Studio 80s ideal placement in the hall mentioned above is as follows: Distance from the back wall(wall behind the speakers)=10ft, distance from the side walls=15ft, distance between speakers=10ft respectively. If you have a large hall utilize it well enough to achieve the best out of the Studio 80s. Do not place these speakers in small halls or listening rooms because they will not sound right. You will be getting only half or even quarter the story if not porperly placed. Definitely spike the speakers along with the Gold feet, as this will add weight to the speaker, therefore heavier the speaker, less the vibration.
I will close my review by saying, "Studio 80s are all about speed-power-musicality."

I had a chance to demo these the other day. WOW. I completely fell in love with them! Great bass, realistic midrange, and a nice detailed high-end. Not the best things I've heard, but for the price NOTHING touches them! They're built like a more expensive speaker too - how does Paradigm do this for such little cash? I didn't buy them (yet), I'm actually looking to spend a little more; but so far the Studio 80's are in the lead.

I traded my monitor 9's for the stdio 80's, and I am very pleased with them. I thought the monitor 9's sounded great, but when I put them side by side for comparison, I was impressed. The bass is tight, the highs are crisp and clean, I think they sound better without a subwoofer ( I think it muddels up the sound) For the money, they cant be beat I highly reccomend them.

The speaker is still a sleeper, but generated some real interest last yearat the WCES, as did the Studio 20 model. Extremely well built with careful choice of parts and of meticulous construction inside (I checked!) and out. The heavy weight, light cherry cabinet is just gorgeous. This is a floor stander, but has much of the tight sound of a monitor - but with a bass kick to it. Sounds as good with as without removable grills. Decent imaging, laid back. Don't believe what the neigh-says have wrote about this speaker's performance on classical music - it IS a very musical speaker indeed. Performs equally well on jazz and electronic musical venues as well. High bang-for-buck value. Recommended.... Comes with large spikes - try a slab of granite under them to raise them up slightly and decouple the woofer. No need for sub with this one.

Soundstaging, airiness, build quality. Versatile.

NONE

These speakers are without peer, even if you spend another $1000.

I’ve had these speakers home for two days now and love them. I was going to wait until they were completely broken in to write this review, but they are already gems. And they’re only going to get better?!?! I actually returned a pair of B&W CDM 7 SEs after a week of hard listening for these. This review is a combination of what I heard when auditioning, and things apparent already at home. I will post a follow up in a few months when these have really broken in.

The thing that struck me immediately is how balanced and just flat out gorgeous the sound is. Nothing detracts from the music. No boxiness. I still can’t believe how transparent and utterly un-boxy these are. Bass, mids, and highs stream together in a realistic, organic whole. Bass is tight on rap, yet lyrical, snappy and fluid when the bass is a stand-up. This alone speaks to the 80s incredible versatility. It can handle ANY kind of music gracefully and/or forcefully. (This was a prime reason I got rid of the B&Ws. They’re nice, but really limited bass at times—40 Hz extension compared to 27Hz here.)

Mids are awesome. They add a nice airiness to vocalists like Diana Krall and are the slightest bit "forward". Clapton unplugged, Coltrane’s "A Love Supreme" and D’Angelo’s "Brown Sugar" blew me away in the demo. Nothing feels compressed or flat (unlike the B&Ws), and as a result, soundstaging is among the best I’ve heard, even against some speakers in $3000+ range. The airiness and space isn’t quite up to top-line Thiels, but then again that’s Thiels specialty (IMHO).

I found the highs not at all harsh or remotely grainy, even right out of the box. In fact, these speakers are performing very well already. I broke down and tested them last night with Barber’s "Adagio For Strings" (Bernstein). Imaging was good but not quite what I know it will be when broken in, but wow! These speakers really help draw you in emotionally. Strings were well-defined, dynamic and sweet.

BTW, the gentleman, Raj J, 2/16/99, (in the first Studio 80 board) writes "They are not for average sized rooms, in that case the studio 60s would be preferred." Frankly, the measurements he suggests as a minimum for the 80s are ridiculous. ("The Studio 80s perform well in rooms measuring width=30ft, length=50ft, height=35ft at least for optimal efficiency.") Come on, how many people have a 35 ft ceiling?? Take this very misleading review with a grain of salt. Unless you live in a Manhattan shoebox or tighter budget, I think these are great for even a medium-sized living room. (Don't get me wrong. 60s are a fantastic speaker, particularly for the price.) They CAN get boomy/rumbly in the bass if placed too closely to the wall (about my only criticism thus far) in a very live room, but the solidity of cabinet construction at this size really adds detail and a bit of warmth. But they will fill a hall easily with the right amp.

I’ve noticed these speakers are SLIGHTLY more forgiving of poor recordings than the hyper-accurate and clean B&Ws, probably because of their subtle warmth, which I think is a good thing. They do still need great components, however. DO bi-wire these (with great cable, of course). On the B&Ws bi-wiring made a negligible difference. The 80s are perfectly serviceable straight-wired, but you do get a perceptible added clarity overall, and power and detail in the bass.

A few reviewers have commented about color choice. I say go black. Very classic and modern, yet unassuming. Would not look out of place in a rustic setting or a city loft. I love the surprise of beautiful music coming from their seemingly plain faces. The cherry is fine, but for me looks a bit like it’s trying hard to blend in and be decorative. Let them be what they are. Just MHO.

That’s it for now. I absolutely recommend these speakers without hesitation. They are an incredible bargain, even at list ($1500) and will make you in fall in love with music all over. If you are considering the B&W CDM 7 SE, you must give this a listen. (See my review.) A+.

System:
Rotel RB 981
Rotel RC 972
Rotel RCD 950
NAD 515
Audioquest Jade IC (moving up to Topaz)
Tara Labs Prism 2+2 bi-wire.

Used same components in demo, except CD was RCD 991 w/balanced inputs.

Similar Products Used:

B&W CDM 7 SE. Polk RT 2000p. Kef Ref 2. Dynaudio. Thiel CS .5. Paradigm Studio 60.

Well, after a harrowing summer of serious stereo shopping and Home-Theater-Magazine buying, I finally settled down a few months ago and bought the Studio 80's. My receiver, a HK AVR-60, had a great amp for HT, so I figured I'd upgrade my speakers. I was, in a word, astonished. The Bass is great, and the ferro cooled dome tweeter makes watching DVDs a euphoric experience. I wasn't as thrilled with the Studio CC center speaker, but I have a feeling that most of the blame for the weak center channel (it's only weak for analog) can be placed on the AVR. Try to find the cheaper, older Studio 80 model! I did, and it is, without a doubt, the best purchase i have ever made in my entire life.