Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners Paradigm v. Axiom

Heh, Heh. I'm back. I know you're all glad to see me.

This won't send nearly as many of you into apopleptic fits.

My neighbor bought a pair of Paradigm bookshelf's last year, Monitor Series, I believe, large ones on floor stands. Anyway, the guy who sold them to him said they were the SHIZIT! My neighbor let me audition them; meaning he bragged about them and showed them off to me.

Initially, I was very impressed. The upper range was very clear. Some might call it too bright, but it was very detailed. I liked it. He put in "Big Love" by Fleetwood Mac and cranked it. It sounded awesome, especially the acoustic guitar. Very good musicality. Very detailed upper range without sounding harsh.

So when I house sat for him this year, I was excited to hear his system again. This time the experience was totally different. I popped in my new Audioslave CD and was prepared to rock. Didn't happen. The upper range clarity was gone. So was the musicality. I cranked up the volume hoping for better tonality and didn't find it. The upper range now sounded both muddled AND harsh at the same time! I didn't know that was possible. The bass was inadequate, even though he has a sub. The mid-range seemed harsh too, and almost absent. Too much upper-range. Overall, it was a very fatiguing sound quality. I tried different CD's, but that didn't help.

The upper range sounded so muddled and harsh, I thought he had turned down the treble on his Onkyo tuner real low. It had no knobs, and I didn't know how to adjust it, so I just left it alone. I don't know if he screwed with the tuner or not since I last heard it or if the speakers are now broken in and this is their real, permanent sound. Either way, it sucked.

The guy has a lousy ear for sound (he was into Bose) and I think he has hearing loss from cranking his music WAY too loud. So he might have messed with his tuner settings and just doesn't know how bad it sounds now. Anyway, if I say this to him, he'll get pissed off, so I can't.

Paradigm has an impressive selection in its new Monitor Series, especially towers like its passive Monitor 9 & 11 and powered Monitor 90P. I want towers to anchor my surround system. Bookshelf's all around just don't cut it for me. Not enough tonal range. So I've been giving Paradigm a lot of consideration, but the last listening experience I had with them was so awful that I'd be hesitant to buy them. If their upper-range tonality degrades that noticeably after break-in, I don't want them.

Is the Paradigm phenomenon for real, or is it mostly hype? Are they a good value or overrated? Does their upper-range tonality degrade noticeably after break-in? Do they suck, or just my neighbor? Did he play them too loud and fried the tweeters?

So put on you asbestos Underoo's and compare Axiom with Paradigm in terms of sound quality AFTER break-in.

If you dare.

pmbuko had Monitor 9s (series 2, I believe) before he got M22s. The M22s blew the 9s out of the water. I heard both, but didn't compare back to back. He did. I'll let him speak for himself.

I can also confirm that the M22's blew the Monitor 9's out of the water. The only thing the Paradigms did better was bass.

Not to say that the Paradigms are trash - they are good speakers, it's just that the Axioms are clearly better.

These guys are speaking the truth. Paradigm DOES make a good speaker. Like Axiom, they use the anechoic chamber at the NRC in Canada to accurately measure their speaker's frequency responses and they use that data to help design better speakers.

Like the guys above said, I used to own Paradigm Monitor 9s, which were their largest unpowered speaker in their Monitor line (one step down from Reference). I really liked the sound of the 9s. They were crisp, but not bright and had a clear midrange. They also handled bass well enough that I didn't bother buying a subwoofer.

Then the M22s came into the picture. I bought them because my wife wanted to have smaller speakers in the living room. At first I thought I would have to downgrade in sound to satisfy the speaker size requirements, but boy was I wrong. Before I sold the Monitor 9s, I was able to do some back-to-back listening tests. About the only thing I the Paradigms did better than the Axioms was bass -- but that's a no-brainer due to the size differences.

The M22s played so much more cleanly and sounded so much more life-like. I couldn't believe my ears. Switching to the Monitors made the soundstage immediately collapse in on itself.

Needless to say, I am a very happy camper, especially since I have a great sub (SVS PB1-ISD) to fill in the M22's lacking lower end.

MarkB
I'm really surprised that you would ask a bunch of beer loveing, bbq eating liars such as ourselves, anything about audio equipment.
I thought that you were totally sold on streem speakers.
Sooooo why ????????
Just curious.

Bray, everybody deserves a second chance. Let it rest, please.

Not trying to be nasty, just TRULY wondering why.
I was just totally confused after reading the post.

I had Studio 100's and M80's at the same time but I have a fear of posting in this thread............as some might not like what I have to say................and I may be forced to post as someone else! lol

Just kidding. By the way MarkB, I never got the chance to tell you this but Cabin really is my buddy. I don't need to justify my claims by posting as someone else! With that being said, I just posted in another thread about the M80's and the Studio 100's. Some think they sound alike. I thought they sounded nothing alike. Keep in mind here that I'm talking about the 80's and the 100's only. The 100's had much, much better bass and are a little more laid back then the 80's. The 80's are an in your face speaker. Is Paradigm for real? Darn right they are! They make some very nice stuff but dam they can be $$$$$ I have had 100's, 40's and 20's all version 2 and I thought they all kicked $ss. But again, $$$$$$$$$$ Way to much money.

To be real honest, I still want the Studio 40's v2. One of my all time favorite speakers!

I have some 9se's that were nice. I say were because I picked up the Axiom M60's and they blow the 9se's away. The 9's do beat the M22's I have but I like the footprint on the 22's so I go with them for music only. The 9's are a nice speaker but again they are "nice" where the M60's are great. I just picked up the M60's about two weeks ago so I do have recent experience. MarkB, since the Axiom's seem to be a no brainer why not just buy a pair and if you don't like them send them back. You seem to be asking about other speakers but you do not want to listen to the Axioms. I'm a little confused as to your path. Another good speaker that you should look into are the Rockets at av123.com. I've heard great things about them and they have a message board you can post on as well.

I'm not sold on anything until I put my money down.

Life is a series of trade-offs. You can't always get what you want for what you want to pay. I'm still trying to figure if I'd be happier in the long run with a more expensive system. I'm looking at everything out there.

And my experience with Paradigm has left me puzzled. Two completely different listening experiences from the same set of speakers. I'm trying to figure that out.

Quote: "I don't need to justify my claims by posting as someone else!"

For the record, neither do I. Nor have I.

I saw the Rockets. They look cool. Maybe I'll look again.

The only thing I don't like about the M60 & M80 is their small woofers. I don't want to have to buy a sub. I'm not really a bass head. The Boston Acoustics I have now have 8" woofers and put out all the bass I need, but they're old and need to be replaced. I don't like this trend towards 6 to 6-1/2" woofers in floorstanding speakers. It's not much harder to build a 9" wide tower as opposed to 7". Hardly takes any more room, too. I can save some change if I don't have to buy a sub. Plus I might want to bi-wire the fronts.

As I mentioned earlier, purchase the Axiom's for a trial. Send them back if you don't like them. People here seem to lead toward the M60's but if you want a lot of bass, I've heard the M80's are the way to go. Again, it seems like you have gotten A LOT of advice around here and almost everyone has recomended that you buy the Axiom's and return them if you are not pleased. I do know that the Rockets have great reviews but they are top heavy so if you have kids forget about those. Also, the rockets will need a sub support and they do cost more $$ and seem to compair evenly with the M60's. Good luck with whatever direction you go in.

Do the Boston Acoustics have dual 8s? (just curious). The dual 6.5"s put out a lot of bass, because there's a lot of surface area there, certainly more than a single 8. From my experience with M50s, I'd say that you won't need a sub. It would be nice, but almost everything's there with just the 50s. And the 60s and 80s should be able to put out more bass just based on the fact that the cabinets are larger.

The math: two 6.5" woofers ~265 sq. in. surface area. one 8" woofer ~201 sq. in. surface area.

Thanks--I was too lazy to do that while eating my Cheerios.

They have single 8's. Two 6's may have more surface area and can play louder but an 8 can go deeper.

Size matters.

I guess I could live without it, though. Plus the center channel would make up for the single tweeter and midrange on the M60's vs. the M80's.

The M60's + the VP150 center + 2(M2i's) would be a sweet set-up. I guess I could always add a sub somewhere down the road if I had to, though I don't want to. I think that combo would give me plenty of sound, probably blow my neighbor's away, and I can hear his in my family room at 2:00 AM with the windows closed in both of our houses.

The price for that Axiom set-up is about the same for 5 Paradigm Monitors. (I'm estimating here.) And what I heard from my neighbor's speakers would make me shy away from the Digm's. I couldn't believe how much their sound had degraded in only a year. I know he runs 'em hard, but I didn't think it was THAT hard.

The Rockets are probably more than I will be willing to spend. I might audition the Streem's first, but I have a picky ear. If I don't like them, they're going back even though I'd have to eat the $100 (or so) return shipping charge. I'd like to avoid that if possible, plus it's always nice to have a Plan "B" in the works ready to go instead of having to hunt around for 3 months for another set-up.

The M60's + VP150 + M2's is a strong contender. From what I've read, I know it would sound awesome. But they're also twice the price of the Streem HT-808. Maybe they're worth it. I guess I'm going to have to find out for myself. There's no more reliable opinion than your own ear.

Regarding the Rockets...I do know that they have "B" stock that is about the same cost of the M60's/M80's so you might want to check their site from time to time. If you want to save on the Axiom speaker you can go through their "B" stock program as well and save about $50-$70 a speaker. I picked up my QS4's from there and could not find one issue with them, and I looked hard.

Did you ever get to audition the Streems? I cannot beleive we are revisiting that word.

Hate to bring it up here as it's kind of a kick in the face to Axiom but AV123 has a trade in program going on the Rockets........it's actually a good trade in program. Brings the prices down by a fair bit.

In reply to:

---

Did you ever get to audition the Streems? I cannot beleive we are revisiting that word.

---

lol Funny part is I was out at my bud's cabin over the long weekend and listened to them for almost 9 hours straight one day........................I still think the same of them but junk was a word I should have not used. There ok and let's leave it at that. I would never own them is about as harsh as I'm going to get this time around.

Nope, a pair of 6s is going to go lower than a single 8. More surface area=more bass.

I agree with Ken. It's not the size of an individual driver that matters. There are two things to take in to account: driver area, and driver excursion. While it is true that an 8" driver will probably have more linear travel than a 6" driver, a pair of 6" drivers will outperform a single 8" driver. From a performance standpoint, it is almost always better to use an array of drivers instead of a single one where bass is concerned.

One of the great benefits of splitting your surface area across multiple identical drivers is that you will have tighter bass. Smaller drivers are more controlled than larger drivers. And the more drivers you have, the less you'll have to push each individual one to achieve the same decibel level.

Size can matter....but it is not an absolute.

I have heard towers with 8" drivers that didn't produce any more bass than others I've heard with 6.5" drivers. I would imagine there are other contributing factors besides driver size. For example, driver design/quality, cabinet design, crossover, etc.

Size of the cabinet I imagine plays into it a lot.

Correct again, Ken.

In certain enclosure configurations, you can make a small driver produce prodigious bass. Take the Bose Wave Radio, for example... Wait, this is going nowhere fast.

In reply to:

---

Take the Bose Wave Radio, for example

---

OH MAN!!! i love those things....

bigjohn

Honest opinions are always welcome. That's what I came here for. Problem was, a lot of flamers in the other threads just decided to take a dump on Streem for no reason. That's not what I was looking for. Online, it's hard to separate the well-meaning people from the morons. Things got out of hand. It was bound to happen. What's done is done.

From what I've read, I'm starting to think that Streem isn't nearly in the same class as Axiom. I read some M80 reviews on AudioReview last night. Lots of people equate their sound with B&W, Paradigm Studio and Reference, Klipsch, et al. That's pretty elite company. One guy liked VMPS a lot better, but he wound up paying $4,600 for a pair. OUCH! I wouldn't mind giving ribbon tweeters a try, too. I'm just gonna have to rob a bank first.

There's no way Streem can compete with those elite brands for the prices they're charging. It's just not possible. The HT-808 + Denon AVR-884 = $1,000. The M60's + VP150 + 2(M2i) + Denon = $1,800. That's really not too much more, I guess. I may have to build the system over time instead of buying it all at once. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

After listening to how crappy my neighbor's Paradigm Monitors sounded after only a year of his abuse, I doubt that Streem is gonna cut it for me. I didn't even bother listening to one full track from any of the 4-5 CD's I brought over to his house. It was that bad. I watched his blurry big-screen TV instead.

A Streem in-home audition is becoming unlikelier by the day. I don't want to waste money on return shipping that I could put into a better system.

Have you heard one of those things? I always wondered if those Bose ads in magazines were B.S. or not. How long do you think Bose can keep selling its name before the masses catch on to their scam? If my neighbor is any measure, the answer is probably forever.

When you have two 6" woofers, one of them is probably going to be dedicated to the mid-range and one to the lower. I'm not saying that they have separate crossovers, but that isn't necessary. In 2-1/2 way systems, one woofer gets the mid-range and the low range naturally spills over to the other. I'm not sure how it works. I'm not an electrical engineer. Maybe that isn't the case with Axioms. I'm not sure.

But if you make that second woofer an 8" rather than a 6, you'll get lower frequencies at higher dB's than with two sixes. That's what I would prefer.

One six dedicated to the low frequencies or two 6's that hit the mid's and lows together might give you more bass than an 8" that hits both the lows and mids. Then again, they might not. My Boston's could thump pretty good until I blew out the foam. And for a long time I thought they were 3-ways until I took off the grills. They just have an 8" woofer and a tweeter, but they deliver a surprising amount of mid-range. So much so that I'm not sure where it came from.

Nope, in Axioms (as opposed to Paradigms) the dual 6s get the same signal, so they produce the same stuff. Therefore, lots of bass.

In reply to:

---

I may have to build the system over time instead of buying it all at once. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

---

Absolutely! I've been preaching this approach for a long, long time. I know it's really tempting to get all your toys at once, but for most people to do that, they've got to cut corners. In the end, they're not happy with what they get, and end up "upgrading" and buying all over again. In the long run they end up paying much more.

Get a nice set of mains, and a good receiver. Build up from there. That's what I had to do. I'm so glad I did. I know have a KILLER system, and don't have a piece that I regret buying.

Same here. I built my audio and video system a piece at a time over the last 6 yrs. Heck I still like my speakers it's just time to upgrade again. That's why I'm interested in the m80s.

I agree with Spiff here.I've been building my system for a number of years now and finally have it to where I am completly satisfied.

In reply to:

---

finally have it to where I am completly satisfied.

---

Some day's I wish I could get to that point. Save me a lot of time and money! :-)

I might go the other route. I might fix the mains I have now, get a new receiver, a center and some bookshelf's. With some new foam, my mains will sound quite good. Even though they're 16 years old and swimming at the bottom of the "high-end" pool, they sound much better than my neighbor's 1-year-old Digm Monitors. Out of the box, his were much better. One year later, mine are. Go figure.

I've actually come around full circle. I wasn't considering a Boston system due to the cost and the fact that I wanted to try something different. But if I've decided to spend more, then Boston comes back into the mix. I like their sound. They have a clear high end that isn't harsh. All I have to do is take the treble down a half-notch on my tuner, and they're fine. They're not a "fashionable" brand, and most people have never heard them, but they are quality. Only problem is they don't sell direct (I think) so finding a dealer in my area could prove challenging.

Since the mains are the most expensive component by far, I can wait and save for them. Then I might be able to afford better mains in the long run, which will vastly improve the overall sound. And Boston has a good selection of mains to choose from at different price points.

Axiom v. Boston Acoustics. Mmmmm.... Sounds interesting. And a fairer match-up than Axiom v. Streem. Now we're comparing apples to apples, baby.

Let the games begin!

This is getting old. How about you audition the Axioms and see how you feel about them. Then come back and give your feelings. Otherwises it will be vs. this vs. that when you don't have a foundation for what you are talking about due to the fact that you have not even listened to the Axiom brand in the first place. Seems like you are doing a hell of a lot of homework without even reading the material. Like we have ALL recomended, audition the axiom brand. Sorry to sound harsh, this subject just seems to go around and around and around.

Yeah I would have to agree. If your reallly looking at them, try them. We seem to spend a ton of time going around and around with you but every other day you bring up a new brand. I must admit that I have done it to but it's only 2 brands. Axiom and Monitor Audio. I like em both and own them both and it's a problem.

Just give them a shot and if you don't like them, send them back. The little money it will cost you to ship them back is peanuts when you look at the bigger picture.

Quote: "Seems like you are doing a hell of a lot of homework without even reading the material."

That was the WHOLE point, for me at least, from the beginning. I don't want to -- or can't -- audition a whole bunch of brands before I buy. My goal was to examine the entire market and narrow the field as much as possible BEFORE I audition anything. You know -- research. Why else would I venture into hostile territory like this? This has helped me hash out a lot of things, thinking out loud, re-evaluating what I want, etc. I was at am impasse. Hell, I was considering only 2-channel stereo when I first came here, but not anymore.

Sorry, but there's a lot of competition on the market. Axiom isn't the only "material" out there. Whatever I audition, I already want to know it's probably the best system for me in terms of sound vs. cost going in.

I didn't force anyone to reply to this thread or any other. I came here as an alternative method of seeking information. That's all. Now I feel I have almost all of the information I need to make the right decision. That was my whole point in my coming here, and it worked for the most part.

I'm not going to start a Boston v. Axiom thread now. I don't want to see Axiom get its butt kicked on its own board.

Just kidding.

And so it begins again.... (with these last 3 posts)

The BA's are nice. I've sold quite few to customers. That's what I do. I'm a HT and home automation integrator. I play the salesman role quit a bit and am good at it.
Since I’m a part time salesman you probably don’t want to know how awesome the Axiom’s are, they kick ass. I wouldn’t waste my time or your time if I didn’t think the Axiom’s where this good, In fact I wouldn’t even be on this message board jeopardizing my job.

Anyway, I know how it is to “research” speakers. It’s actually a lot fun listening to the different flavors that are available. It’s like free ear candy. The hard part is deciding what the tastiest brand is. I took a chance with the Axiom brand because the people here are very educated and know their audio very well; I determined this after six months of visiting this board anonymously.

So enjoy your journey for the perfect speaker. It’s supposed to be fun.

Tom

I agree with tleigh and I also agree with you MarkB in the fact that it is very important to do research on the items you are interested in. My point was that anyone can do a heck of a lot of reading about any item and get Pro's from anyone. What I am trying to convey is that we all agree there are tons of speakers out there and I would say that almost all of the people out there that have purchased Axiom are extreemly happy with their choice. You will never get a feeling for a speaker without hearing it. I am sorry if you feel this is "hostile". We all really want to help you make a decision that you will be 100% happy with. Personally, the Axioms are not a whole lot of money when you think about it. I think that you have a very good feeling for the brand and have gotten some great feedback on this and other brands so I do not think you will be going out on a limb or break the bank by getting some and again, return them if you don't like them. I hope, whatever way you go, that you are happy with it.

As I mentioned before you may want to go on www.av123.com to view another web based speaker (Rocket) and chat on their site to get a feel for the Axioms and other brands. That way you can take what you get in "Hostile" terrotory and see if it all matches up. Another site that is very good to chat on is www.outlawaudio.com. They sell amps and subs but they have great people there to give advice. Good luck..

MarkB, have you listened to anything from Polk Audio? Some folks at the Polk site report getting RTi8s for under $400 in open box specials at Circuit City. As a Polk and Axiom owner, I would guess they are comparable to the Axiom M60 (maybe 50 - I have not done a direct comparison of these models). At their retail price ($800+) they are a good value just like Axiom products are a good value. At $400 they are a steal.

I have never heard a Polk, but I've seen a lot of references to them from previous owners on AudioReview and others. I don't think they carry them at my local Circuit City. If the RTi8's are that good, they are indeed a steal at $400. Of course, whether or not they are indeed that good will probably start an argument around here.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll keep my eyes open.

Do you sell the new VR2 & 3 models? They just came out in 2004, so I can't find many reviews yet. Here's one I found on Audioweb.

http://www.audioweb.com/Review/ReviewViewer.asp?numrows=25&searchtype=B&sort=M&revieworder=494

Needless to say, it's quite positive. For those who don't know, the VR2 is a 3-way floorstanding with dual 6-1/2" woofers, 4-1/2" mid and tweeter for $850/pair. It's in the same price/performance range as the M60. How do they compare in terms of sound? Was that reviewer on target, or not? Which is better in your opinion?

I've waded through a LOT of speaker reviews in the past month or so. I have a great deal of confidence in the Axiom brand at this point, more so than Paradigm and many others.

"Of course, whether or not they are indeed that good will probably start an argument around here."

Actually, that has not been the case. In general, if people around here argue with you they have a pretty good reason. I don't think many people here have given any Polk products a serious listen and those that have are pretty complimentary. I suspect that if we did a direct M60 to RTi8 comparison, the consensus would be that they are both excellent speakers and more people would prefer the M60. You likely are getting more for your money in terms of quality parts/workmanship, etc. from a company that sells direct than from one that sells through Circuit City. I happen to like the Polk sound and think that $800 for the pair was a better sound and deal than I could find anywhere in the local stores - and my wife agreed so we decided to go with something we had both heard and liked as we had differing opinions on some speakers. If we hadn't both agreed that the Polks were the best we had heard (over Klipsch, Athena, Bose, Def Tech, JBL, Infinity among others) then I was going to go with Axiom and take a chance on something we had never heard.

Hey MarkB,

I haven't heard these speakers yet. Like all BA's I'm sure they are great. I don't know if my company sells these or just doesn't know about them. The types of clients we have are very sound savvy and they know what they want before getting me involved.

In reply to:

---

I'm not going to start a Boston v. Axiom thread now. I don't want to see Axiom get its butt kicked on its own board.

---

And the purpose of saying that was what? Man oh man I think everyone here has tried in one way or another to help you out. Why bother throwing out jabs that will only start problems. I have my doubts on if BA would kick Axiom anyway, but that is not the point.

I have only ever had one set of BA and I'm not sure on the model number 790's or maybe 990's..... something like that. Great big towers that had a self powered sub built in. I had them for a total of 3 day's and I didn't like them. This is going back a few years so keep that in mind. I wish I could remember the model number.

Anyway, the point is BA is at least on the same playing field as Axiom and in the end it comes down to taste versus quality. I don't think BA will kick Axiom or vice versa. It's all what you like!

You obviously didn't read the last sentence in that post.

Quote: "Just kidding."

Don't flame on me!

LOL!

What kind of B.A.'s do you sell?

And by B.A. I hope you don't mean Bachelor of Arts. I'd have to report you unless you're accredited.

I hereby declare you a troll and STRONGLY discourage any forum members from making further responses.

Quote: "I happen to like the Polk sound and think that $800 for the pair was a better sound and deal than I could find anywhere in the local stores..."

Probably true. I went to Circuit City to listen to the Infinity Beta-50. I was singularly unimpressed, especially for the $998/pair MSRP they were asking. Total rip-off IMO.

The fact that you're here I take it you went with the M60's. No?

SIGH......

You got me.

Let's move on. Again, I hope you have the chance to try out the Axioms. Subject is fairly dead.

Only "some" people deserve a second chance.

"The fact that you're here I take it you went with the M60's. No?"

No. Polk RTi8 fronts, CSi5 center, FXi3 rears, Velodyne CHT-12 sub. Very happy with the system. Would an M60 system have been better? Who knows? While looking around I stumbled across this site and became intrigued by Axiom, and even called and spoke to them (very informative and helpful - largely influenced my receiver decision to go with a Harman Kardon) prior to purchasing and I was leaning toward the Epic Grandmaster if we didn't find something that my wife and I both loved. After that, we decided to get a secondary CD only stereo for another room and I bought some M22s. Based on that I can say that they are outstanding speakers and worth every penny - as are my Polks.

Whatever, bray. Try reading your own tag line.

Yeah, this subject is dead. You all have my permission to move on.

Thank you for your permission, o great poster.

Not being a dick, just stateing a fact.

What didn't you like about the Beta 50's? I listened to both them and the Rti's and thought the midrange and bass was much better on the beta's than the rti's. I am bouncing between buying the betas and the Axiom M60's.

Back to your original question. Dam guys, lighten up and you'll see the humor in Mark's posts. Some of you just can't take a joke. It's pretty obvious Mark has no ill intentions if you stop rushing to pass judgment and make assumptions. Chilllllllllll............

I too really liked the Studio 100's. I liked them more than the B&W 703-s. I've posted this elsewhere, but, I personally think the M80's sound is more akin to the 100's than the 703's. The M80-s do have less base than the 100-s, but not much, and are definitely more detailed at the high end, with a tighter mid range (that's detailed, not bright). But, for about $1300 less money, I bought the M80-s and then an Outlaw LFM sub for $700 shipped. I'm still $600 less than the Studio 100-s and the sound in my great room (where the 80's and outlaw is) is terrific. I have all the detail I could ever want for the type of recordings that need it, and I have all the base I could want, and more, for the base heavy recordings. Plus, what I have now will play considerably louder than if I would have bought the Studio 100's. Not that I'll ever need that much volume, but it's there when I need to make a point. All in all, I think my combo is considerable better sounding than if I would have bought the Studio 100's. And on a side note, I have no base or treble controls on this set up. I am running it through my second zone on the H/K 7200. When running the second zone, I get straight stereo and can not use any of the receiver's base management functions or base/treble controls. All I can do now is play with sub's X-over and volume.

And on another side note, the store that had the Studio's also carried Boston Acoustics. I listened to everything, plus some $5000 McIntosh speakers. The B/A's didn't come close, in my humble opinion, to the Studio line. The McIntosh speakers were amazing, but not $5000 worth of amazement.

When folks come over to my home, they all comment on the sound system. I haven't had anyone say anything that isn't completely positive. Then I pull the covers off, and they're really impressed.

I have the Outlaw LFM as well. That thing rocks. I was a little concerned because I did not have the chance to listen to it first but I knew Outlaw so went for it. Great choice!

Actually the Monitor 11 is Paradigm's largest non-powered tower in the Monitor line up (v.2 & v.3).

I have Paradigm Monitors: CC370, 5's for mains, Mini's for side/rear, all v.3's. I CRANK my 5's HARD!!! The sound never got worse with time. They are great (as are the MiniMonitors too), but none of them go to 60HZ good enough to blend with my subs (2 PW2200 v.1's stacked) BTW, 60HZ is my favorite point to reduce localization of the sub. I absolutely hate the CC370. It sucks!

I am soon buying: 3 M60Ti's for the front 3 & either 4 M22Ti's or 4 M2Ti's for surround & 1 SVS PB2-Ultra.

Hope this might help...

At the time he purchased, the 9s were the largest.