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Definitive Technology Mythos STS floorstanders

I purchased a new pair of STS's to be used in a 2-channel set up only. Professional reviews are very favorable. Personal reviews are not as favorable stating they are voiced more for HT than music. They replace a pair of Paradigm Studio 20, v.3 monitors.

I've been breaking them in, from new, for 5 days. I'm running them about 8 hrs. a day. Def. Tech. says they will break-in around 50 hrs. or more. So far I like them BUT am unable to position them 3 feet or more away from the back wall as the manual set up suggests. They are in a medium sized bedroom system. This is the only room I can use. It's possible I won't be able to experience their full potential.

Bedroom system:
Arcam CD37 CD player
Harmonic Tech. Magic Link II RCA IC's
Bryston B-60 SST or Arcam A38 integrated amp
Cardas Neutral Reference speaker cable

This system has never had another pair of tower speakers connected to it so I haven't been able to compare the STS's to anything else.

So, has anyone compared the STS's to another pair (Approx. $3000.00/pair) of towers for 2-channel purposes only and found them to be more suited for music than HT?

Thank you to all responders.
routeman21
routeman21 OP
110 posts
 
Thanks to all of you for your insight & experiences. I learned some things and I'm still willing to learn more.

It's difficult for me to audition different towers in my system. I don't believe it's worthwhile to audition in an audio store for obvious reasons.

My issue is price/performance. The STS's retail at $2999.98 are approx. a little under 4 times more than the Paradigm Studio 20's which were $800.00 retail several years ago. At this stage of break-in I just don't believe the STS's are almost four times better in performance.

Perhaps a better pair of monitors are the only way to go in my bedroom system.

Any thoughts on this?
bondmanp
1,789 posts
 
Well, first of all, what Robbob posted makes sense. It explains why Def Tech speakers get great pro reviews and mediocre user reviews - they are very sensitive to associated gear. That's not knocking them, btw, some of the best speakers made are sensitive to the electronics they are connected to.

I don't think you can compare the Studio 20s to the STS towers - apples and oranges. Instead, I would want to compare the STS towers with a similarly priced Paradigm tower. Of course, the Paradigm would not have powered subs built in, but it would be a better comparison.

The STS tries to do it all - music, movies, full range, big dynamic capabilities, etc. I don't doubt you get a lot for your $3K. But, a monitor like the Studio 20 has a completely different design goal. The focus on these speakers is usually moderate output capability, excellent imaging and sound stage, clarity and definition in all but the lowest octave or octave and a half. If you want a fair comparison, get ahold of Def Tech's best monitor and compare that to the Studio 20s.

More of my $0.02.
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
I have run the ST's on ML433 amp and the STS's on a Marantz SR6004 and they both sounded very good, yes they sounded better on my Mark Levinson amp, but they were still very enjoyable on the Marantz receiver.
routeman21 OP
110 posts
 
I'm running the STS's thru the gear mentioned above but with the Bryston integrated instead of the Arcam integrated. The Arcam is out for repair but will be returning soon. When the Paradigm's were hooked up the Arcam produced smoother highs & warmer mids than the Bryston. While I think the STS's mids & highs are tipped to the bright side the return of the Arcam may smooth them out a little. This could be the turning point on whether or not I keep the STS's.

I purchased the STS's primarily due to Roger Kanno's Soundstage review of Arcam's CD37 & A38, both in my system. He thought the pairing of the CD37 & A38 sounded "Intoxicating" when matched with the STS's. He also mentioned this pairing in a review of the STS's. Of, course "Intoxicating" is not the word I would use to describe what I've heard so far but perhaps the A38 will provide more magic than the Bryston. We'll see.

As Bondmanp stated, the associated gear can make a difference when comparing professional vs. user results.

Thank you Kennyt & bondmanp for your continued interest in this thread.
kennyt
1,226 posts
 
I suspect you will find what you expect when replacing the Bryston amp, they can be a little hot in the upper end, while Arcam is more relaxed and musical.

Good Luck!
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