Paradigm Persona series

Well,

Demo'd these a few times.  (and a few speakers in the persona line-up)

If you like detail, I mean LOTS of detail they have it in spades.  The first 10-15 minutes at moderate volume - holy crap, if it's in the recording they will reproduce it.

After 10-15 minutes with the volume cranked up a bit, no thank you for me.  Cymbals, Cymbals, and more Cymbals... but I listen to rock, blues, and reggae.  

IF you are interested I absolutely make sure you demo them long, hard, and a few times WITH the electronics you are going to use.

I could see someone loving them who listens to Jazz, female vocals, and loves to analyze the recordings and every micro detail at moderate volumes.  They do it, and they do it well.

For a listener who likes to add a little gas and have a little fun - man I would make sure your electronics are WARM and your room is damped.  

I'm sure they measure really, really well.  

@ctsooner 

You are correct.  Troy and Dave (no shocker) think they are one of approximately 5-6 dealers in the country that know how to set-up a speaker and experiment with electronics.

Call them what you will, bright, detailed, accurate etc.  That's what they are.  NO one said they were bad speakers. In fact, I'm sure they measure quite well. Accurate, uncolored etc.

They are fast, they are very detailed.  If you like that, they are a heck of a speaker to audition.

But the bottom line is they are very much on the bright/accurate/fast/detailed end of the spectrum.

Though, I'm sure some isoacoustics footers, and uber expensive cables will warm them right up. ;-)

@csmgolf 

Agreed.  Tried saying the same thing.  Amazing how defensive owners of a speaker feel.  If you like it, good on ya.   

As for Dave and Troy... well... you may have learned by now they are never wrong and can magically tune any speaker with all sorts of magic only they understand.

Or, you know, one can buy the speaker they really audition and like, and then maybe make subtle changes (which is all that in most cases is really possible) once they have them home.

I've owned really bright speakers, tried chasing with amps, sources etc.  No thanks.  Doesn't mean they are bad, in all cases someone else bought them.

I had some klipsch palladiums, they are really quite good - but too lean for me and too bright.

Drummer bought them from me, always uses a sub and LOVED CYMBALS.  For him, they were awesome.

One of the biggest factors regarding a bright speaker and why many don't like them.

https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/fletcher-munson-curve/

Fletcher Munson Curve.  As I stated much earlier in this thread.  The Persona probably works better for a listener that likes low levels and likes female vocals and is more into really dissecting a recording or a speaker.

For those that like to listen louder, a bright speaker just becomes more and more bright in reality.  Because of the Fletcher-Munson curve... aka science.

Also, as you get tired / have a long listening session the perceived loudness to what you are listening to goes up... contributing to fatigue and that is why the highs stand out most.

Ultimately this is why a demo matters.  But in any system far and away your listening habits, volume you like, and room you are in, with the speaker are what matters most.

Some companies try to measure flat, pure and simple.  Some put in a more friendly listening curve.

Then - sources, amps etc.

If you desire to throw money... uber expensive cables, powercords, conditioners, etc.

I don't use zip cord, but I sure as hell wouldn't expect to transform a speaker with uber cables.  Put the money into a better speaker (for you).

There are far and away more of a difference in how a speaker sounds based on design than there is amps, pre-amps etc.  Sure, tubes etc can change the sound, by introducing different levels and types of distortion (which as we know is pleasing to the ear).

Get the speaker right, the rest will follow.  Get the wrong speaker and chase forever!

@audiotroy,

The persona series uses the same midrange and tweeter throughout if I am not mistaken. I've heard the line up several times.  Sonically, they are extremely similar from the 3's to the 9's.  I don't like them, but I understand that some out there who love every last detail, don't listen loud, and love analyzing every last detail... would be interested.  The first 15 minutes that I heard the 7's I thought they were clinical, but it was cool for a few minutes to hear everything in the recording.  Then I turned them up... and that was it for me.  So, let's just get that out of the way.  I listened to the 7's in a decent room, with a nice tube pre-amp at a good dealer.

As far as "amp matching" and system matching goes.. Most would agree that it's more critical in the midrange and tweeter to get the right amp.  Heck, with the 9's they have an internal amp and ARC (which I do think does a nice job eq'ing bass)... so you could argue that the amp is LESS critical with the 9's than the rest of the line-up that has to also drive the bass.  So, if it takes stellar electronics to "Bring out the best" of the 9's, than what does that say for the rest of the line-up that uses the same midrange and tweeter, but actually needs the amp to drive and control the woofers?

The whole "82 octane gas" doesn't really hold weight... I'm also going to go ahead and "guess" that when Paradigm voiced them, they did so with Anthem electronics... so for one to get what the MFG really intended the speaker to sound like, it should not take more than anthem electronics (and frankly it probably wasn't the new STR stuff when the Persona's were developed).  

Suppose I would be interested to know if paradigm used uber-expensive speaker stands or whatever flavor of iso-acoustic stand you push when they voiced them - if so, why not include them on the flagship model?  What's an extra 500 bucks at that point?

This isn't to say that amps/pre's/sources don't sound different, but the law of diminishing returns is steep in audio.  If someone wants to buy audio jewelry, cool, if someone wants cables that looks like a firehose, all good by me.  If you can sell it, good for you.

But to endlessly shill these products, and try to rationalize a speakers faults (and heck they really aren't faults, they are just how Paradigm voiced them) and say that you can mix and match with some high-brow knowledge of audio alchemy is just wrong and a big pile of crap.

But if someone doesn't like say the 3f... doubling the cost of the amp isn't going to do the trick.  That same amp is also going to sound relatively similar on the 5, 7, etc... it's the same midrange and driver.

I could care less what someone buys, in fact if anyone is looking for an absolute steal on a Persona center channel I know of a dealer blowing their stuff out and they have the center and stand left and are asking 3500 bucks for a demo unit.  

But bottom line, most of ones budget should be spent on speakers in almost every case.

I also agree... any 33k system better sound pretty damn good assuming a good part of the budget was spent on speakers.