Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo M80 vs Paradigm Studio 100

I plan to replace my M22s. The alternatives are M80 and Paradigm Studio 100. My usage is 50% HT and 50% music. May I learn your advice?

Several Axiom owners auditioned both Studio 100's and Axiom M80's including yours truly...not in an A/B test, I should note.

You'll likely find only subtle differences between these two speakers in regards to their sound dynamics....both offer powerfull sound with a very detailed, neutral feel, detailed and crisp high's, clear mids and very deep, punchy bass. Even their freq graphs(found at Soundstage) are quite similar by comparison(at least Studio 100 V3 vs Axiom M80 V2) which isn't too surprising since both companies have a similar design goal in mind. Either would be an excellent choice for music and/or HT use. The Axioms are less expensive, however the price difference narrows a lot if you choose to go with the most expensive of Axiom's custom finishes(high gloss Rosewood, Piano Black).

You summed that up quite nicely Adrian, well done.

As soon as I received my M80's, I contacted my local Paradigm dealer and asked if they would let me compare the Studio 100's in my house, and they said yes; unfortunately because of my health I couldn't.

Now, I'm a loyal customer and have been for 10 years (moved from Paradigm monitor 9's to the M80's). I don't think this is commonplace, but it's worth a try. After all, the best place to do a comparison is in your environment, not an electronics shop.

If you generally like your M22's, you'll probably really like the M80's. If you want "change", that's a different thing.

Yes, Adrian, well done.

Thanks for the replies. My short-term plan is replace M22s with floor standings and replace QS4s with M22s.

Unfortunately, I am not able to listen to Studio 100.

I rememember listening to the 100's and really liked them. Interesting cosmetic styling too. In comparison to the 80's the were not cheap however.

I asked the sales guy if what the store return policy was, he said that they would offer an in store credit. I said thank you, walked out the front door and never returned.

Not an easy task, but try to find a store that will let you try the speakers in you home for a weekend.

I did lots of a/b comparing of M60's to various Paradigm speakers using the stores high end electronics and theater room. I found the soundstage and frequency response, as well as price to be hands down better with the Axioms.

The newer Paradigms are no doubt better that the generation from 5+ years ago, but in looking at the spec sheet, they still only reach to 44 hz, while the M80's you are considering will extend to 34 hz.

I think you should try to listen to them both side by side before you choose. You can always send the M80's back if you aren't completely satisfied. Honestly, if price to performance ratio and value is important, go with Axiom!

Why do you want to replace the QS4's with direct raciating M22s? Do you not like the QS4's? I might suggest trying out the M22's as surrounds before getting rid of the QS4's, you may find you prefer the better sound diffusion the little Q's give compared to the M22's for surround duty.

Thanks for the advice. I will give a try first...

A 3-4 months back I was ready to come home with Wharfedale Evo-50 until I heard of Paradigm Monitor 11. I liked the Paradigm more cause of the bass..it sounds fuller to me but and then I add a sub with Evo-50 during my auditioning and the Evo sounded awesome too. Then I saw the Paradigm Studio if money wasn't issue I definitely would had bought the studio. Sadly I went home with no speakers since I totally got myself so confused I can't decide which one to buy. So after a week or so I finally decided to buy the M80s cause of I had read on this forum. Since I can't justify paying the price of studio..Axiom M80s-Vp180-Q8-E305 were the speakers for me. So far so good.. I finally push the speakers abit with AC/DC live cd and Lotr movie last weekened and quite happy with results even the wife was also quite impressed by it esp.. she listened to music louder than I do. I didn't get a chance to compare the M80s to Studio side by side but I went to a friend house who had a 5.1 Paradigm Studio set-up and I listened to Rolling Stones and U2 live concert ..let me tell you these speakers were amazing..to compare it to my M80s..I think the M80s will give the Studio a run for its money..

As Alan says the speakers are similarily good.

... but not similarly priced.

Yesterday I found a used pair of Coincident Super Eclipse III speaker. Even it is used, still expensive. I read its specs and says its tweeter is not metal. What is difference metal and non-metal? Other than the tweeter,their specs seem similar to M80. Why are they more expensive? Are they made of gold??

I would say a well designed metal tweeter(titanium, aluminum, berylium ect) will play with more detail(crisp) to higher freq's than fabric type tweeters which are often known to roll off the highs somewhat. To some people this may mean "smoother", to others it means the sound is "coloured". The key with metal tweeters is that they are designed well, a poorly designed metallic tweeter may sound rather harsh at higher fq's.

Just taking into consideration the material alone whether it is a metal (aluminum, titanium) or soft dome (silk) is not enough to quantify any differences between them. Ideally you want a material that is light, rigid/stiff and has good damping. There is a lot more to a tweeter than just the material used.

Unfortunately I have never heard of those speakers before.

Dr. House has it right. Just because metal makes a high pitched noise when you hit it with a hammer, and fabric does not, that does not mean that metal, vibrated at a high rate of speed, necessarily makes a more high pitched noi than fabric vibratedat the same speed.

After all, are metal-coned subwoofers bright or harsh?

In my square room, I have a sibilant sub.

Also note that how that specific tweeter is implemented into a speaker design is very important, especially in the crossover network. A poorly designed crossover can also be the cause of non-desired behavior that might be exhibited with a specific tweeter and speaker in general.

In my class room, I once had a sibilant sub too!

The more I pushed my M80s..the more I loved the sound coming out of it and price wise..these speakers are a steal.

Dude, those are room modes not personalities!

Believe me, single sibilant subs suck.

If a single sibilant sub could suck, how much suck could a single sub suck?

A single sibilant sub sucks significantly, but a sextuplet of sucking subs suck salaciously.

Oh sure, rub it in by sticking your tongue out at me too why don't you.