The Reference 1 are likely to getting the META upgrade this year. So either a great time to buy the current Reference line or not too long a wait for the upgrade. I think the REF 1 is great and is not fatiguing with the gear I heard.
Thank you for bring that to attention as well as your impression of the Ref 1. Hopefully that will mean better pricing on existing stock and demo units.
The Reference 1s seem a bit more polite, the LS50s a bit more aggressive. Supplementing the 1s with a pair of Velodyne HGS-15 below 80 Hz really opened them up for large orchestrations. I have a pair of HGs-10s to try with the LS50s. The sonic difference between the two setups is more subtle than the cost difference might suggest.
Interesting comment about the LS50's. I have them in my BR system and always liked the way they sound (and the reason I wanted to part with the Paradigms). In the LR the LS50's sound small, particularly in the mid-range. It was without a sub, though, and while the LR is not particularly large it is an open floorplan with rooms on two sides. Do the Ref 1s have a larger sound stage and bigger sounding midrange? I felt the R3's were better in the midrange than the LS50's.
Thank you for the comments.
