Paradigm Studio 100 v.3 vs, v.4

Hi Bob,

I have a Denon AVR 3805 - that about it, starting to build a system, you like the 60's better then 100's

I though since the 100's we the next step up they would be a better set of speakers?

Gregg: In what size of a room will you be setting up this system? Are you a rocker...or do you prefer a jazz trio? Bob makes some good points about bang for the buck but please tell us more about your preferences. I had a set of 100 V3s about 4 years back and they did some things very well...but speakers are like fine wine...each has it's set of virtues at the cost of some other characteristic(s). Your first set of serious speakers in this hobby will suck you in and make you happy; deciding which ones to buy five years from now will drive you crazy. Have I gone over the edge?

Mdrummer makes a good point about room size. With their considerable bass output the 100s could easily overload a room that's not big enough. Also, you'll need to sit a good way back from the speakers so the sound from the multiple drivers integrates properly.

Getting a good deal isn't everything. Much more important to get speakers that will mesh well with your room. I liked the 100 v3s quite a bit when I had them in my system. I found they had a very full midrange but overall were a very good speaker. I think you could do a lot worse than starting with the Studio series -- just make sure you don't overdo it.

Just realized I answered this purely from a 2-channel audio perspective since we're not in the home theater forum area. Considering this looks like it'll also be used for home theater I think the idea of mating 60s with a sub makes a lot of sense (you'll need a sub for HT anyway, regardless of which model you choose). You could get the 60s (or maybe even the 40s or 20s) and something like a Hsu STF2 subwoofer and potentially be much better off overall. You'll have deeper and even more impactful bass for movies and probably a better and more full-range bottom-end foundation for music as well. Plus you get the flexibility to place the sub where bass can be optimized for your room -- something you can't do with tower speakers alone.

I'd let your budget determine which version to purchase. Yes the v4s probably offer some improvements, but I highly doubt you'd be unhappy with v3 or even v2, and if it allows for less financial stress or even a better subwoofer you might be better off. I'm thinking for the same money as the 100s you could do the 40s with something like an SVS sub or 2 Hsu subs (if room allows) and have some pretty serious full-range performance for both music and movies. The possibilities are endless, and maddening.

Best of luck.