Paradigm or Vandersteen

I once had to choose b/t Paradigm and vandersteen speakers, I came out with the Monitor 7 which is close in price to the 20's, I used solid state equip but the speakers are pretty easy to drive, especially the monitors, I would go with the paradigms in this price range

I have to say in opposition to the previous response that I would go with the Vandersteens. As far a dynamics and frequency response the Vandersteens will wipe the floor with the Paradigms. I know because I own Paradigm Ref. Active 20's and Vandersteen 2ce's. The paradigms are very nice and amazing for thier size, but I am using them in the rear channels of my surround set up. I am going to sell them and buy the Vandersteen VSM-1's. I have auditioned the VSM's and the 1c's to replace my Active 20's and they both outperfom the Paradigms. I am going with the VSM's not because they sound better than the 1c's, but because I don't have room for the 1c's in the back of my room. Anyway you should try and audition them both before you buy to make sure of the match with your Jolida gear. Good luck.

I agree with the above about his comparison but the 2ces if I remember are almost twice the price of the 1s, and I may be wrong but isn't a passive speaker in the $1500 range and a powered in the same range an unfair comparison, in other words a powered is more expensive to make than a passive so you have to cut corners to fall in the same range, btw how much are you selling the paradigms for?

When I bought my Paradigm Studio 60s I listened to many loudspeakers, including the Vandersteen 1C. I thought the Vandersteen had the most involving sound of *all* those I tried. My requirements where for both HT and two-channel music reporduction. In music reproduction the Paradigms came in second to the Vandersteens. But I felt that in HT they were the best of the lot. Two things helped make my decision. The first, is that tonally the Paradigms matched my existing center channel, surrounds, and subwoofer better. The second, is that I found used Paradigms for $600. I haven't looked back since. Don't get me wrong, if I could have afforded to replace all my speakers with Vandersteen I would done it in a heartbeat; and maybe someday I will. But for now I am quite pleased with the Paradigms.