Paradigm vs Vandersteen

I would think long and hard about the Paradigms, they are very detailed, to a fault and I think they are very fatiguey (sp?). I think if you listen to the difference in the timbre of cymbals on both the choice will be clear for the Vandy's, especially if you listen to a lot of jazz.

Also agree strongly with the present v. invite comment by Stevecham.

Don't rule out Thiels.

Ditto Cwoll: Thiels are also to be considered.

A friend of mine drives 2Ces with Adcom electronics. My impression is that the Vandersteens are timbrally very accurate, if not the most exciting speaker. Of course most "exciting" speakers become fatigueing in the long haul. Ultimately Vandersteens, like Thiels, are about coherence and even response, which at the end of the day, provides a cleaner window on the music, IMHO.

Hard to imagine two speakers that sound more different than these. I auditioned both the 2ce's and the S100V3's side by side driven by Theta gear.

Vandy's, perhaps more than any other speaker, foster a real love 'em/hate 'em response from most listeners. There is no middle ground. They are the epitome of laid back, very cohesive ('stat like), and about as fatiguing as a summer breeze. However, they aren't the most engaging speaker in the world.

The V3's Studio's are considerably better than their forebears, which had a very hot top end. The treble has been smoothed considerably and they are engaging, dynamic, and love to rock. The didn't exhibit the best control in the lower octaves however, exhibited by a walking bass line that tended to confuse them. IOW, it became a bit smeared whereas the 2ce's kept each pluck of the strings intact. This wasn't a major glare and you'd have to be comparing them side by side to notice the deficiency.

Honestly tho, when you hear both of these speakers, whichever one you prefer should be readily obvious.

You may also want to consider the Von Schweikert VR2's, a speaker that I felt bettered both. Or go whole hog and get a used 4jr that will flat smoke either the 2ce or 100V3.

Good luck.