Paradigm Studio 100 v.3 vs, v.4

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.

Hey all:

Thanks very much. I have a very lage room. But even so I'm never going to play them LOUD. So from the threads it looks like V.3 will good enough.

How much better would the sound quality be on the 100's with a good sub Vs. the 60's.

Thanks again

I assume you mean the 100s vs. the 60s with a good sub? I'd say if you're using a sub you could save yourself even more dough by going to the 40s. Anyway, since the 40s, 60s, and 100s probably sound quite similar from the lower midrange on up, I would think a good sub properly dialed in would give you a better foundation for music and movies than the 100s. There are a lot of variables in there, but not many speakers can produce the bass a decent sub can, and that includes the 100s. And you don't necessarily need to play music/movies loud to hear the difference. Good, deep, tight bass can improve what you hear throughout the frequency spectrum even at lower volumes, and using a sub also frees your Denon up to use all its power for the critical mid/treble range that may also improve overall sound quality.

If it were me an I had a very large room and was on a budget, I'd go with the 40s and a very good sub or two good subs. Of course you could also do the 100s and add a sub or two later. Like I said before, the possiblities go on and on...

Are you using these for home theater or for music only? If for using them even partially for HT you're going to want a sub anyway, so I'd go for the 60's and a sub; or since you can get the 100v.3 for the same price, I'd probably get those and a sub. I have the 60's (v.2) in my HT setup and they're great speakers. I cross them over at 80hz and use a sub for the low frequencies. If you were to use your's the same way, the 100's may be overkill as Bob R. points out.