new Paradigm Reference?

Yes, Paradigm will be coming out with a flagship model. It was presented as static demo at CES, I believe. You can find pictures on AA. The difference in price between their present top of the line 100v2s and the newer model is large. It all depends on your financial resources, the type of listening you do and the size of your room. Another new model that I have heard at the Montreal show is what looks essentially like a Reference 100 v2 but with a third woofer; the three woofers are driven by their own built-in power amp. The idea is to forego the need for sub(s). I can't tell you what they actually sound like on music, the demo by a local audio dealer was aimed at HT and what was played was either a cartoon with earthquakes and moving glaciers or what I consider lousy MOR rock. The 100 v2s are an awful lot of quality speaker for not much money. What you will lack is snob appeal and that last little bit of openness you can get by going from 2.5 K to something like 5 to 7 K. Buying them used at an even lower price may go from being a bargain to a steal. My worry about the new model is that it will only be bigger than an already big speaker and not necessarily any more accurate or revealing. My last point is mere speculation, at this stage. Now that even HP of TAS is taking off his blinkers and saying positive things about multi-channel SACD, echoing, in a way, the position of Mr. Atkinson of Stereophile, giant speakers may not be the way to go if you have any intention of going with the ITU recommendations for multi-channel systems for music reproduction.

Pbb
I agree that the 100 doesn't need to get any bigger, but I'm curious to see how they will better the performance (for the money, I haven't been persuaded yet to consider much else). By the way, what is "AA" site you mentioned above?

here is some photos..
http://www.smr-home-theatre.org/cedia2002/loudspeakers/page_01.shtml

and here is the link for that post on AA..
http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=speakers&n=110642&highlight=paradigm+reference&r=&session=

Just a hunch but I think Paradigm is going to think "if it ain't broken, why fix it?" when moving on to the new generation, keeping most of the innards the same. However now they can jack the price up to where everyone says it should have been for the current generation and cash in on their unexpectedly super-high-quality sound. I love my 100v2s to death and won't be "upgrading" to the new ones. my $0.02. Good luck!

AA= Audioassylum. Try the following:
www.audioasylum.com/audio/index.html

I've always been a fan of Paradigm, and think they make great stuff. I think they know it too; I just hope they don't get a big head and throw out an over priced speaker to give themselves that elite look. From what I've read/seen about the new line it doesn't look to me like they are making a more detailed speaker, one for music then HT, and it's that type of speaker that would make me sell my 100s for.

Thanks guys, I saw the pics at the sites mentioned above, they are definitely good looking. So I went back to my local dealer to listen again to the 100's and I think I'm getting them soon. I've definitely seen prettier cabinets, but have noticed price tags that match the looks but not the sound in my opinion. From what I saw in B&W, I'd spend twice the money to get the same performance. And you can't listen to a beatiful cabinet.The nautilus line sounds good but for the money a working stiff like myself the returns on the dollar start to disapear quickly.

I replaced a pair of B&W N804s with my 100s and have never looked back eventhough the cabinet of the 804s was much nicer than the 100s, as you said. You will not be disappointed with the 100s however. Arthur

Mthieme, Paradigm is the brand of the poor audiophile like me..lol..go get your Paradigm Studio 100 before they get more expensive..lol..you will never regret..