B&W N804 VS Paradigm Studio 100 V3

I know Matti. My wife is wondering if this will ever end.

The 1072 CDP and 1090's will work well with either speaker. It's just a matter of which sound you like. In any event, you are certainly on the right track! And just think, after you've selected the speaker, you can start messin' with cables!!!

Greg - the music you're missing must be in the lower octaves because the S2 and S4 are very detailed and surely present everything within their range well. I really do like my 100's, have 2 pairs - one front one rear.

Matti,

I don't really need alot of base. I do like a very
detailed sound. I felt with the S2 that I was missing
out on some music. The S4's were better, but just slightly.
I just want a speaker that's able to reproduce more of the
recording well, without costing a fortune.

Thanks Midirons. I have an all rotel setup. 1072 CD player,
RC-1090 pre-amp and currently a rb-1080 amp (going to a 1090).

Greg - I listened to both of these speakers at length over a year ago. I chose the 804's because I felt they provided a more realistic presentation for jazz, acoustic and chamber music with better detail. I do listen to some pop (Steely Dan, Van Morrison) and orchestral stuff and they do fine. The mid-range on 804's is quite good. The bass is tighter and less pronounced. One drawback is that I occasionally (maybe 5% of the time) sense that the drivers don't integrate the way I perceive they should. This could the recording, however. Both reviewer's (Soundstage and 10 Audio) thought the drivers integrated quite well. I have been using various tube amps (VTL, ARC, and Rogue) with excellent results.

The 100's clearly had fuller bass. I thought there was a slight edginess to the 100's although it wasn't so objectionable that I would not have purchased them. Mids were very good. Imaging was a bit better on the 804's but that was likely due to the room and set-up.I thought both speakers were pretty musical and I could have lived with either. (In the end, my wife liked the 804's much better, but she thought she was getting a free turkey baster.)

You don't say what kind of music you listen to or what the front end is, and that could make a difference. . As always, try to audition both in your own room. Good luck.

If you are looking for a full sized speaker for output and bass reach I'd say that the 100's are a better bet than the N804. The 804's would offer a more refined sound but since you've owned S2's and gotten rid of them, my guess is that you have priorities other than sheer refinement. JMO