I'm extremely happy to tell you that in fact there is a speaker in this price range that does surpass the Paradigm Studio 100 v2.
I'll begin by telling you that I am a big fan of electrostatics, I have owned a number of different models including Acoustat 2+2's and Model 3's. With that said, I recently embarked on a journey to find THAT speaker that would satisfy all my needs and would not be a big panel. Started with the B&W's, pricey and I was not happy with the overall sound quality. The only model that was in any way making me happy was the 802, at that price it needed to be an awful lot better for me to consider it. So I kept looking, a friend suggested I look into the Paradigm Studio line-up. I took the advice and was initially impressed, but again, something was missing. But at least with the Paradigm's I wasn't going to be missing mortgage payments.
Then one fine day I walked into an audio store to audition CD players. Casual conversation lead to discussion about my search for THAT speaker. This store carried KEF, Martin Logan and the top end Energy line. They also carried one other line, PSB. After listening for a while I wasn't getting that grab me feeling, so just out of interest I asked if I could listen to the PSB Goldi. Immediately there was that "it's right" feeling. Upon the advice of the salesman I decided to try them at home, hooked up to own electronics I was even more impressed. From top to bottom I just can't find anything these speakers do wrong. Are they the best speaker money can buy, no way, I've heard some of the best and I've owned some of the best, but these guy's just do so much right I could in no way justify spending the kind of money it would take to begin finding speakers that improved on them.
Now I'm back looking at my front end components, the money I thought I would be spending on the likes of an 802 will absolutely improve my chances for that "killer" source component, and I think I'll go on a CD spending spree.
Long and short, if it's music your in search of give the PSB's a shot.
I'll begin by telling you that I am a big fan of electrostatics, I have owned a number of different models including Acoustat 2+2's and Model 3's. With that said, I recently embarked on a journey to find THAT speaker that would satisfy all my needs and would not be a big panel. Started with the B&W's, pricey and I was not happy with the overall sound quality. The only model that was in any way making me happy was the 802, at that price it needed to be an awful lot better for me to consider it. So I kept looking, a friend suggested I look into the Paradigm Studio line-up. I took the advice and was initially impressed, but again, something was missing. But at least with the Paradigm's I wasn't going to be missing mortgage payments.
Then one fine day I walked into an audio store to audition CD players. Casual conversation lead to discussion about my search for THAT speaker. This store carried KEF, Martin Logan and the top end Energy line. They also carried one other line, PSB. After listening for a while I wasn't getting that grab me feeling, so just out of interest I asked if I could listen to the PSB Goldi. Immediately there was that "it's right" feeling. Upon the advice of the salesman I decided to try them at home, hooked up to own electronics I was even more impressed. From top to bottom I just can't find anything these speakers do wrong. Are they the best speaker money can buy, no way, I've heard some of the best and I've owned some of the best, but these guy's just do so much right I could in no way justify spending the kind of money it would take to begin finding speakers that improved on them.
Now I'm back looking at my front end components, the money I thought I would be spending on the likes of an 802 will absolutely improve my chances for that "killer" source component, and I think I'll go on a CD spending spree.
Long and short, if it's music your in search of give the PSB's a shot.